Since becoming the owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2003, Arte Moreno has always attempted to put a baseball team out on the field that is expected to contend. In Moreno’s first seven years as the Angels owner the team made the postseason five times. But since 2009, the Angels have watched the postseason from home and all of Moreno’s recent moves appear to have blown up in his face. Following the 2011 Major League Baseball season the Angels set out to improve their team as starting pitcher C.J. Wilson was signed to a five-year, $75 million contract. In that same off-season first baseman Albert Pujols was signed the Angels to a 10-year, $254 million contract. What Moreno got in return for his investments in Wilson and Pujols were 89 victories in 2012 without a trip to the postseason. Moreno has continued to spend money on the Angels, but his latest bad purchase from Major League Baseball’s free-agent grocery store could be the worst in outfielder Josh Hamilton.
Hamilton has become the poster boy as far having an up-and-down MLB career. Hamilton was the first overall pick of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but drugs and alcohol sidetracked a once promising career. After three years away from the game Hamilton resurfaced with the Cincinnati Reds in 2007. In that season with the Reds, Hamilton posted a .292 batting average with 19 home runs.
In 2008, Hamilton was traded to the Texas Rangers where he emerged as a bona fide star and by 2010 he was elected as the American League MVP with a .359 batting average to go along with 32 home runs and 100 runs batted in as he helped the Rangers to their first World Series appearance. In 2011 while Hamilton was routinely throwing a baseball into the stands, a fan by the name of Shannon Stone fell to his death while attempting to retrieve the baseball which shook Hamilton up. Hamilton enjoyed a stellar 2012 season with the Rangers where he hit 43 home runs and had 128 runs batted in, but unfortunately he did have a relapse with alcohol. When the Rangers lost the 2012 AL Wild Card Game at home to the Baltimore Orioles, Hamilton was made out to be the scapegoat by some Ranger fans. After not having a good relationship with the Rangers front office, Hamilton packed up and joined the Angels in 2013 as Moreno gave him a five-year, $125 million contract.
Since joining the Angels, Hamilton has only been a shell of himself. Last season in 151 games Hamilton batted a paltry .250 with just 21 home runs and 79 runs batted in. Things were so bad for Hamilton last season that Angels manager Mike Scioscia dropped him to seventh in the batting order.
This season Hamilton got off to a good start with a .444 batting average, a pair of home runs, and six runs batted in just 33 plate appearances. But this past Tuesday, Hamilton injured his thumb while attempting to slide head first into first base in a game against the Seattle Mariners. Hamilton’s injury will reportedly put him on the shelf anywhere between 6-8 weeks while leaving the Angels with a hole in their lineup.
You have to respect Hamilton’s effort in trying to successfully reach base, but Moreno isn’t paying Hamilton to take a crazy risk like that. Hamilton is being paid to be an MVP caliber player that will keep the Angels in World Series contention.
Not only will the Angels be without one of their big boppers for an extended period of time, but they must worry about the fragile Hamilton getting his timing back at the plate. In the last two seasons Hamilton has combined to strike out 320 times and for a team such as the Angels that is desperate to get back to the postseason, they cannot afford another misstep from him.
Hamilton will 33-years of age next month and you have to wonder if his best years as a Major League Baseball player are indeed in his rear-view mirror.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
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