In a press conference after the game Hamilton referred to Arlington as the hometown of his baseball career and quoted a friend talking about how Jesus was treated in his hometown. Mike Ryner, a man who has closely observed the Rangers for decades, described Hamilton as "stupid, arrogant and clueless"
I'm more sympathetic. I see Hamilton as a guy with immense physical talent and good intentions, but emotionally frail. Drug abuse during time when the brain is still physically developing can have lifelong consequences and I doubt the slugger will ever be working with a completely functioning adult brain. He looks like a grown man, but he'll spend his life thinking like a 16-year-old. When he's playing baseball, he tries hard but overreacts to external stuff. When he's talking to the media he's in over his head.
Looking at him, I have this urge to tell him to grow up. I don't know if that's fair. I don't think he can. Hamilton needs an organization that will insulate him and protect him. The Rangers, God Bless them, really tried. It doesn't look like the Angels are doing that very well right now.
