Jean-Jacques Taylor thinks Josh Hamilton lacks mental toughness. Apparently beating drug and alcohol addiction and having to deal with the temptation of his addiction for the rest of his life doesn't require mental toughness. Part of what I like about this column, outside of the obvious stupidity of it, is how the commenter react to the column. I rarely read comments on articles because...how do I put this without sounding elitist?...people can be fucking idiots and they try to infect others with their idiocy using the written word in comments to articles. It makes me appreciate the commenters on this blog. Even in disagreement there's very little stupidity. Maybe we should just be happy Jean-Jacques Taylor didn't suggest Josh Hamilton could learn something from Whitney Houston. Still, I don't think Josh Hamilton isn't mentally tough, no matter what the author and less eloquent commenters believe on this issue.
This whole article should be read interactively with the Arnold Schwarzenegger soundboard. Jean-Jacques Taylor should use Arnold's voice after each paragraph to implore Hamilton to "Stop whining" or to tell him "You must be proud of yourself" for sitting out a game when he had a sinus headache.
Last week, Adrian Beltre stormed into Ron Washington's office, demanding the manager write his name into the lineup.
Now, let's examine Josh Hamilton's actions one night after an off day and an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Adrian Beltre signed a 5 year $64 million contract with the Seattle Mariners at the age of 26 and then repaid them for signing him to this contract by hitting .266/.317/.442 over the lifetime of his contract.
Now, let's examine how Josh Hamilton had beaten drug and alcohol addiction at the age of 26 and then repaid the Reds and Rangers for taking a chance on him by hitting .304/.364/.551 over the next six years.
Further in Josh Hamilton's defense, his sinus headache very well could have been caused by having to listen to Jimmy Kimmel's jokes. Did you know Bill Simmons used to write for Jimmy Kimmel? He has a ton of stories about Jimmy Kimmel and even hangs out with him all the time. Let Bill tell you this slightly slanderous story about what a whore Charlize Theron is.
Hamilton, two weeks from completing an MVP-caliber season with 42 homers and 123 RBIs, left an important game against the Angels with a sinus headache.
Has Jean-Jacques Taylor every had a sinus headache? They are pretty freaking painful. To make matters worse, Hamilton has a history of drug use, so he may be a bit nervous to start popping pills to help alleviate the pain.
We're talking about something a couple of tablets usually knocks out.
Which is something a person could easily do as long as that person doesn't have a long history of drug and alcohol abuse...which Josh Hamilton just happens to have.
This is the dude who says he can't figure out why his impending free agency is so complicated.
I'm pretty sure Josh Hamilton does know why his impending free agency is so complicated, but for purpose of negotiations he is pretending he can't figure it out. Hamilton is quite aware of his drug and alcohol history and the work a team will have to put in to make sure Hamilton isn't tempted to slip.
What general manager wants to spend more than $100 million on a guy who can't play through a sinus infection in September?
Says the writer who probably would call in sick to work if he had a sinus headache that didn't allow him to see his computer screen or read words on the computer screen without feeling pain. I'm sure Hamilton would have no problem hitting a 90pm fastball with a sinus infection.
This isn't about pain threshold, because last year Hamilton spent the playoffs playing with a groin muscle nearly ripped off the bone.
So Josh Hamilton lacks mental toughness, but this isn't about pain threshold? I'm confused as to how this makes sense? If Hamilton lacks the mental toughness to play through a sinus infection, isn't that about pain threshold?
Michael Jordan once played through a bout of the flu so bad he could barely stand and scored 38 points in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
That was a bad hangover that Michael Jordan had.
And don't forget that Dirk Nowitzki played through a torn tendon and the flu in the 2011 NBA Finals to help the Mavs win their only title.
These are both NBA Finals games and not a regular season game. There is a difference.
That's what champions do.
Hamilton's departure seems more about mental toughness.
Right, the same guy who pushes away temptation on a daily basis isn't mentally tough. I get it. I've always loved it when sportswriters call out athletes from the comfort of their own couch or pressbox. A sinus infection or sinus headache, whatever Hamilton had, is often accompanied by dizziness. I'm not a doctor, but I'm guessing if Hamilton was having vision issues and some dizziness he didn't need to be batting against major league pitching unless he absolutely had to.
Remember that Taylor brought up Hamilton playing in last year's World Series with a groin muscle nearly torn off the bone? Was he not mentally tough then as well?
He knew the Rangers had a big division lead over the Angels, and Texas was leading the game 3-1.
He didn't feel good, so he opted to take the rest of the night off. He'll have a good excuse today and maybe even a note from a doctor or his parents.
Because Hamilton is nothing if not a huge wimp. His mom has to write him a note saying he gets out of work for the day because he has an ouchie boo-boo. That's how big of a wimp Josh Hamilton is. Everyone point and laugh at him.
We saw one more example Tuesday night why his time here is nearing an end.
Thank God. Thank God the Rangers will get rid of Hamilton's .300 batting average, .360 on-base percentage, and 30+ home runs. The Rangers will be a better team for it.
Now I was going to share some the comments on this article to show the crazy just doesn't stop with Jean-Jacques Taylor. For some reason I decide to read these comments and they made me me laugh/worry about the world.
Good article -- can't argue with its premise. Hamilton's decision sure didn't pass the smell test last night, and it's not doing much better this afternoon.
So his decision didn't pass the smell test, meaning it was all a lie and Hamilton really wanted a day off without asking for it?
Hopefully Hamilton's endless ailments will hold off until he helps get us a World Series winner; then he's free to do/go wherever he wants.
Makes sense because you want to get rid of the guy who apparently is very important to the Rangers winning a World Series. Those are the guys you want to be rid of as soon as possible.
So....the fact that JH has 42 dingers and over 120rbi and is an MVP candidate is totally overlooked right? Now, if this was a playoff game, I'm pretty sure JH would have sucked it up and played it out. It's writers like JJT, what kind of name is "jacques" by the way,
It's French.
who need to get some press so you pick on a guy who has delivered ALL SEASON LONG!
here's your sign!!
OH! A Bill Engvall reference. Just what the comments were lacking. That's not at all an out-dated reference to an unfunny phrase.
wow...the dude battled with a life altering addiction to drugs and booze...and has since won an MVP and been the cornerstone player on a team that has been a top team the last 3 yrs...if you threw Jason Garrett's name in there instead of J-HAM im all for it...gotta practice what you preach...sorry but i will never forgive you for icing our own Kicker..ever...you dont give a 16yr old with a drivers permit a Ferrari and let him go nuts so why give a fresh face new coach the reins to the largest franchise in Football...players get a chance to develop, not coaches...wait never mind none of this matters Jerry is still the GM...
I don't know either why Josh Hamilton told Jason Garrett to ice his own kicker and then bought a Ferrari for a 16 year old because Jerry Jones told him to. Great point.
Great article JJT. I met Hamilton once with my family at a restaurant and the immature punk actually tried to talk about religion with us. Me and my family are staunch atheists and we told him to get the hell out and to keep his nose clean.
The immature punk isn't the guy who writes under the screen name "DieFeldmanDie." This story doesn't sound like it made-up at all. I'm sure Josh Hamilton came up to this guy's family unprompted at a restaurant and started talking about religion. Athletes often go out in public, and unprompted, seek out attention from fans.
I like people who describe themselves as "staunch" atheists. They are people who have a deep and abiding belief in believing in nothing.
Josh Hamilton, Christians moreso, make me sick and I cannot wait for Hamilton to get the hell out of Dallas.
In a way, Hamilton by (supposedly) talking to this guy's family about God and his own personal beliefs IS trying to get the Hell out of Dallas. This is an incredibly relevant and not at all trolling point to make while discussing a column about a sinus headache.
Atleast we arent in the Angels shoes... they still have 9 more years of Pooholes. They will be bottom feeders come the end of that contract just like the Rangers were with ArodGreat point and the author of this comment shows what a diehard Rangers fan he truly is. The Rangers traded Alex Rodriguez three years into the contract they signed him to, so he never even played for the Rangers close to the end of his contract. The Rangers were bottom feeders during A-Rod's time with Texas though, and that was mainly A-Rod's fault of course. He was the only player on those Rangers teams who didn't perform at a high level.
It is hard to project Pujols nine years from now, but if the Angels become bottom feeders it isn't because of Pujols' contract. If the Angels are bottom feeders it is because other players on the team haven't played well either. The Angels are a large market team, so they can absorb the cost of the contract if Pujols struggles more than other teams could. But at least the Rangers aren't in the Angels shoes and have to put up with a power hitter who is actually under contract after this year. Plus, it must be quite a bear to have Mike Trout play for your team.
JJT- What I have read is that he was also suffering from a migraine headache due to sinus issues.Tsutxn02 has had sinus issues before. He even has some symptoms right now. Here are some of his symptoms...
Have you ever had a migrain,
They cause the inability to spell...
it can blurr your visionSinus issues may cause you to add extra letters at the end of words...
so how do you play a game that is dependent on crystal clear vision so much that you can read the seems
They also make you write run-on sentences, then end the sentence by misspelling a very easy word to spell.
on the ball to determine rotation/trajectory?
The trajectory of the ball? That's not so hard to figure out. The ball is coming right at the batter, that's the trajectory.
Genuine, real , ball players play through this kinda stuff.
WWJD? What would Jeter do? He'd play through this injury. Jeter is a real, genuine ball player. Not fake ball player like that bum Josh Hamilton.
Josh is the pampered, spoil brat with a guard/nurse maid keeping him straight and sober. Enough Mr. Hamilton, take your crap somewhere else I am tired of you and your immature attitude. No more bats in the stands, no more jack $@% smiles at the plate,
Yes, mock Josh Hamilton for needing someone to help keep him sober, but don't write the word "ass" because that's over the line. We have to keep some decorum during this discussion. It can't just turn into a name-calling session.
no more three pitch outs, no more running into the wall and breaking,"and breaking," like Hamilton runs into the wall and his body literally breaks apart? I must have missed that highlight.
no more of your crap period.Hamilton is well known for playing poorly when he is having his period. That crap period has been the cause for so many of Hamilton's struggles.
No more All-Star centerfielder, no more 30 home runs, and no more MVP-type seasons. That's a good a thing for the Rangers.
Haha--everyone's all mad about the article, yet the poll results agree with JJT's premise that Josh lack mental toughness.And few polls are more accurate than any poll ESPN chooses to run. robert-myers
Let Josh jump over to the NL where we dont have to deal with him. He will demand a prince/albert deal and some California team will sign him.
Hamilton will demand a Prince Albert deal in his next contract where he gets free genital piercings for life upon signing with his new team.
JJT is DEAD ON!!!! The DFW market gives this guy a pass all the time and why? BC he has "demons"? Because he's a good voice in the community?? Please. That's extra stuff. Look to teachers, pastors and community organizers for a voice. I want my athletes to hit, catch or shoot the damn ball and win. That is all.Well conveniently Josh Hamilton can hit and catch the ball, not to mention the Rangers win with him on the team. Perhaps Hamilton gets a pass because he is an athlete who hit and catch the ball, plus his team wins games. I'm not sure what this guy's complaint is about in regard to Josh Hamilton. It seems Hamilton matches all the criteria "rob52575" is looking for in an athlete.
I've tortured us enough for the day with comments from ESPN commenters. Hopefully Josh Hamilton will gain some mental toughness soon. Apparently beating drug addiction and trying to stay clean isn't mentally taxing enough.
And of course, after I write this Evan Grant tweets this. I'm sure it is all a result of Hamilton lacking mental toughness.
''Adrian Beltre signed a 5 year $64 million contract with the Seattle Mariners at the age of 26 and then repaid them for signing him to this contract by hitting .266/.317/.442 over the lifetime of his contract.''
ReplyDeleteI think this is horribly unfair to Beltre. Looking at his road splits from that period, it's kind of clear Safeco had a semi-dramatic effect on his slash line. He may have hit .266/.317/.442 over the course of the contract, and that's not particularly impressive, but that's also ignoring his glove at 3B, which was arguably the best in baseball.
I think Beltre's contract was either a wash, or a slight value based on what the Mariners paid him, not eregiously bad or anything though despite his offensive average-ness.
Cory, I knew you were going to write in when I wrote that. I base my belief on that comment on the Fantasy baseball message board about Safeco Field. If I want to get into semantics, I merely stated a fact, because that was Beltre's line with the Mariners. Of course there is more to it. Beltre's splits at home for each year were:
ReplyDelete2005: .263/.312/.382
2006: .251/.310/.467
2007: .264/.319/.426
2008: .240/.303/.400
2009: .250/.283/.364
His road splits each year were:
2005: .248/.295/.440
2006: .283/.343/.462
2007: .288/.320/.538
2008: .292/.349/.512
2009: .279/.324/.393
So there is a difference in Beltre's home/away splits. I don't know if that is worth about $13 million per year.
My basic point was that Adrian Beltre was getting $13 million per year to be an average-ish player while Josh Hamilton was outperforming his contract. Taylor was trying to show what a hard worker and trooper Beltre is as compared to Josh Hamilton and I was trying to show no matter how much Taylor insults Hamilton for not being mentally tough he really is.
Basically, I was being snide and creating a straw-man argument that had as much viability for truth as his anecdotal evidence which was supposed to be a comparison on the mental toughness of the two players.
That is more then fair enough. I realize that, yeah, what you wrote was more so relating to the author's comments relating to Hamilton's performance.
ReplyDeleteCory, I'm glad you understand. I was admittedly creating a straw man argument that was off-topic, but seemed to have as much evidence supporting it as Taylor's thought that Hamilton didn't have mental toughness.
ReplyDeleteI will say I don't think Beltre was worth the money, even with his glove, but Safeco does seemingly destroy batters in many ways. It isn't a coincidence and I don't know why a free agent hitter would sign there.
Also, I check your blog from time to time. How often do you update it?
I've been really busy with school and other real life happenings that I haven't been able to write with as much regularity as I'd like to. Ill probably start posting on a more frequent basis during the off-season though with posts relating to free agency and what have you.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, it is really hard to justify a 64 million dollar contract based on defensive value and above average production at the plate, and I totally get why you would feel as if Beltre wasn't worth it. What's actually kind of really interesting about Beltre's career too is he's played in seemingly only semi/extreme pitching (Dodgers Stadium, Safeco) and hitting (Fenway, Arlington) environments his entire career.
Cory, I understand. I was checking it everyday and then noticed you had not updated it. I wasn't sure if you just didn't want to write anymore there or you had gotten too busy.
ReplyDeleteThat is sort of weird where Beltre has played. I thought about the oddness of him moving from Safeco to Fenway Park and then Arlington. Sort of how he learned his lesson in Seattle and had no interest in going to a place where he couldn't be successful hitting the ball.