Up until first pitch, use the comments section to predict who you think will be the Sunburst Player of the Game. (be sure to use a valid email address while leaving the comment). The commenter that correctly predicts who we will name the Sunburst Player of the Game the most times prior to the all-star game, will win two tickets to a second-half game. Runners-up get their choice of a t-shirt. [Click HERE for rules]
Check Marc Topkin’s blog for the starting lineups.
[Update] Josh confirmed the photos and admits that he was drinking. Says it was an isolated incident.
“I’m embarrassed about it, personally, for the Rangers, for my wife, my children and my family,” Hamilton said at his locker with a handful of his teammates joining the crowd of media that had formed. “It reinforces one of the things that I can’t have is alcohol. It’s unfortunate that it happened. I was out there getting ready for the season and took my focus off the number one factor in my recovery – my relationship with Christ. I hate that this happened…”I wasn’t mentally fit or spiritually fit,” he said. “It just crossed my mind ‘Can I have a drink?’ Obviously, I can’t. One drink leads to two and two drink leads to 10 or 12.
[12:46pm] Sad story being reported today by Deadspin. They have obtained several pictures of Josh Hamilton. These photos show Hamilton shirtless in a Tempe, Arizona bar last March.
The pictures do not show Hamilton drinking, but he is definitely doing things with some young women that a married man should not be doing. If you click on each individual photo at Deadspin, you can read the story from the person that took the photos.
One caption…
The girls left. According to one patron, Hamilton, piss-drunk by that point, asked the manager where he could buy blow. The manager didn’t know. “Let’s go to a strip club,” Hamilton said. Someone drove Hamilton to Les Girls in Phoenix, Arizona.
Again, Hamilton is not seen drinking or doing drugs in any of these photos, but as the author noted, “would a sober Josh Hamilton agree to be photographed laying across the bar shirtless, covered in whip cream with his head between a random girl’s crotch?”
Since Hamilton was lost by the Rays in the Rule 5 Draft in 2007 and became an All-Star outfielder, many have ripped the Rays front office for giving up on the former #1 overall pick so easily. Others argued that no matter how good he is or how good he becomes, his life is always going to be one drink away from falling back into that very deep, and very dark hole.
Let’s hope for Josh’s sake that there is a very good explanation for this.
HERE is a second story via Deadspin in which Hamilton’s mentor responds to the allegations. Also, the Rangers will address the photos prior to today’s game.
The Devil Is Still In Josh Hamilton [Deadspin]
The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
click above image for boxscore
THE GOOD: Jeff Niemann. He came a little unhinged in the 7th, but that was only after retiring 17 of 18 batters prior to the 7th. He struck out 5 and walked only 1 and was failed by the bullpen…Pat Burrell. He was only 1-5, but the 1 was a massive upper-deck home run and one of the other 4 was an RBI groundout…Red Sox Fail. A-Rod hit a walk-off HR in the 312th inning last night and the Yankees have now taken the first 2 games of that series. And while the Red Sox still lead the Wild Card, most in Red Sox Nation think their season is over.
THE BAD: The Bullpen. Grant Balfour faced 2 batters, giving up a single and hitting a batter. Brian Shouse faced 2 batters. 1 singled. And JP Howell. Well, Howell grooved a pitch. The Dude usually abides. But last night he did not.
THE TELLING: The chance of winning the division is almost all but gone with the Rays now 7 games behind the Yankees. The Rays remain 2.5 behind the Red Sox and 1.5 behind the Rangers in the Wild Card.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Carl Crawford.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Syracuse 9, Durham 7. Joe Nelson blew his first save opportunity, giving up a go-ahead 3-run home run in the 9th (see comments)…Jason Cromer started and and gave up 6 runs (5 earned) in 4.2 innings…Elliot Johnson, Reid Brignac and Henry Mateo each had 2 hits…Jon Weber hit his 11th home run and Matt Joyce added an RBI single and a sac fly.
Montgomery 7, Mobile 6 (10). The Biscuits won on a 2-out bases loaded walk-off single by Matt Fields…Brian Baker gave up 3 runs in 6 innings and left with the lead, but Eddie Morlan was pounded for 3 runs in 1 inning…Cody Cipriano went 0-5 and Jose Lobaton was 0-3 with a walk and an important sac bunt in the 10th.
Ft. Myers 7, Charlotte 0. Jeremy Hall gave up 2 runs in 6 innings, striking out 5 and walking 1…Ryan Morse gave up 4 runs (3 earned) in just one-third of an inning. It was his first appearance since being demoted from Montgomery…Shawn O’Malley was 1-3 with a walk and Mike McCormick went 0-2 with 2 Ks.
Asheville 9, Bowling Green 7. Chris Andujar held Asheville to 1 run in 4 innings…Tim Beckham was 1-5 with a 2-run double.
State College 3, Hudson Valley 2.
Notes from Down on the Farm…
