Does Hamilton Even Care

[Lou]

What else could it be besides no more PEDs?    What else would cause such a power loss? 

 

He is tested 3 times per week.

 

I don't it was PEDs

[CanadianHalo]

First off, you have absolutely zero knowledge of what kind of "guy" Hamilton is, your petty fan guesses are amusing.

Secondly, it's beyond stupid to create some kind of link between a belief system and how one performs in sports.

First off, sorry I didn't know i wasn't allowed to have an opinion on this board.

Secondly, if you've ever heard Hamilton talk this isn't as far fetched as your making it seem. Hamilton said God told him he'd hit that home run in the 10th inning against St.Louis. But god for bid anyone thinks differently than you, without you calling them stupid. Pretty mature.

[mtangelsfan]

I love the "we are not allowed to have an opinion" statement.  You can post what you want, people can agree or disagree. 

 

and I said your opinion was stupid.  You could be a genius for all I know but just have myopia when it comes to this subject.

 

As far as what Hamilton said, I fail to see where he said he's not trying as hard because God told him not to worry about it.

 

Your opinion is wrong, it just is. 

[Lifetime]

First off, no one said you weren't allowed to have an opinion. 

 

The notion that Hamilton doesn't care about his performance because he's a Christian is inane. 

[CanadianHalo]

http://www.fwweekly.com/2013/04/30/salting-the-wound-josh-hamilton-edition/

When Josh Hamilton left Texas for the LAA Angels during the last off season, he said God had a plan for him.

But I guess it's absolutely ridiculous for me to think he still thinks this way.

[CanadianHalo]

There was a game this year when Hamilton got out and he actually showed his frustrations. Which i thought was nice to see. I just see him laughing and crap way too much for someone who is playing as poorly as he is.

[mtangelsfan]

Either there is a plan or the chemicals in your brain make you do things.  Not much difference in performance.  Millions of religious folks do their jobs just fine every day.

 

But bigots will be bigots I guess.

[CanadianHalo]

Either there is a plan or the chemicals in your brain make you do things. Not much difference in performance. Millions of religious folks do their jobs just fine every day.

But bigots will be bigots I guess.

Not talking about anyone else other than Hamilton

[Lifetime]

So God having a plan for him translates into Josh doesn't care about his performance? Wow that's beyond ignorant. 

[Angel Oracle]

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/8459033/texas-rangers-outfielder-josh-hamilton-says-messed-fly-ball

Refreshing to be sure, but he still never admitted that he didn't go after the ball hard enough after it dropped.   He basically jogged back after the ball.

[Inside Pitch]

Although I don't agree with this whole Christian angle for why he's doing so poorly I understand the reasoning. I know several people who think this way. Many people I have known who become very religious and have "found God" face become much more content with whatever life has dealt them. It is a good thing in terms of attitude, but I have seen it suck the life and drive out of many talented people. They go from working their a** off to make it in their field to being fine with a dead end job because it's all part of the plan.

I think Hamilton is just a lazy POS who is happy to be in one of the best places to live and could honestly care less how he does as long as he gets his paycheck.

 

 

Gary Gaetti has stated point blank that as his faith grew stronger his concerns with baseball lessened, they became almost trivial.  It wasn't that he cared less, it's that he saw his living his life a certain way was his biggest priority and his struggles on the field became nothing other than a test of his faith and his old temptations.   Obviously Gaetti and Hamilton aren't the same guy, but it's really not that big of a stretch to think Hamilton while wanting to do better isn't really sweating his struggles because he finds solace in his faith.

 

It's not really something to be frowned upon, it just sucks as fans to see a guy making 125 mil and being at peace with being horrible.   

 

This was one of the risks the Angels were willing to assume when signing him.

[Stradling]

I think the better question is why does God hate Hamilton? Why does he not care about him being successful? I think it is laughable to believe that Hamilton doesn't care about his performance because he is a Christian. "God has a plan" is a lot different than, "I don't care about my performance, because God has a plan". I don't care what the reason is, the guy really needs to get his shit together and actually perform.

Someone mentioned, I think it was Lou, that Hamilton is tested three times a week. Was he tested last season three times a week? If so does that test for all drugs, or is it for non performance enhancing drugs?

[Stradling]

Ok, so let's go with the Gary Gaetti philosophy for a minute. As your strength grows, your worries about certain things, in this case your play on the baseball field, lessons. Wouldn't that be a good thing? Wouldn't that mean that prolonged slumps shouldn't happen as much, because the player wouldn't allow it to get in their heads as much? I would think that a huge majority of slumps become mental. I really don't think that when a player has a bad month it is because they forgot how to play the game for a month. The game gets inside their head and for a hitter, considering the very best ones fail 7 out of 10 times, they start to fail one more time out of ten.

[Inside Pitch]

I think the better question is why does God hate Hamilton? Why does he not care about him being successful? I think it is laughable to believe that Hamilton doesn't care about his performance because he is a Christian. "God has a plan" is a lot different than, "I don't care about my performance, because God has a plan". I don't care what the reason is, the guy really needs to get his shit together and actually perform.

Someone mentioned, I think it was Lou, that Hamilton is tested three times a week. Was he tested last season three times a week? If so does that test for all drugs, or is it for non performance enhancing drugs?

 

I don't think he's been guilty of PEDs, he's been tested for ages -- it would have come up.   Maybe he's a FA doing horribly in his first season on a new team.   He won't be the first, or the last.   Dude has a weakness that pitchers are exposing and until he stops giving that to him, he'll likely continue to be abused.

[mtangelsfan]

Gary Gaetti has stated point blank that as his faith grew stronger his concerns with baseball lessened, they became almost trivial.  It wasn't that he cared less, it's that he saw his living his life a certain way was his biggest priority and his struggles on the field became nothing other than a test of his faith and his old temptations.   Obviously Gaetti and Hamilton aren't the same guy, but it's really not that big of a stretch to think Hamilton while wanting to do better isn't really sweating his struggles because he finds solace in his faith.

 

It's not really something to be frowned upon, it just sucks as fans to see a guy making 125 mil and being at peace with being horrible.   

 

This was one of the risks the Angels were willing to assume when signing him.

 

One big difference between the two.  Hamilton has performed at all-star levels while being a Christian.  Gaetti had zero good seaons after becoming one.  Now, whether it really was his beliefs that caused his downturn or just him looking for a reason why his skills started diminishing is another discussion. 

[Taylor]

He never holds himself accountable for anything.  Lots of born agains do that and lay it all on their deity. 

 

LOL. And you're basing this on what exactly?

[Stradling]

By the way, I have no idea whether or not he was using PED's, but my belief is that he wasn't. It would be very difficult for a recovering addict to do this and not continue to do other drugs, at least I would think.

[Inside Pitch]

Ok, so let's go with the Gary Gaetti philosophy for a minute. As your strength grows, your worries about certain things, in this case your play on the baseball field, lessons. Wouldn't that be a good thing? Wouldn't that mean that prolonged slumps shouldn't happen as much, because the player wouldn't allow it to get in their heads as much? I would think that a huge majority of slumps become mental. I really don't think that when a player has a bad month it is because they forgot how to play the game for a month. The game gets inside their head and for a hitter, considering the very best ones fail 7 out of 10 times, they start to fail one more time out of ten.

 

 

So, maybe you should stop trying to talk up "philosophies" and actually pay attention to what's been said about the guy.  In the case of Gary Gaetti, he has stated without any confusion that his faith, impacted his play, partially because his primary purpose in life was his walk with God.  Gaetti never referred to his feeling complacent or relaxed, just that his prorities were elsewhere, his sobriety, his faith, and that's what he focused on..   Again, that was Gary Gaetti, not saying it applies to Hamilton

 

There is no telling what is in Hamilton's head, but that LA Timers article does sort of paint a picture of a guy who puts baseball second to his faith, so it's possible there are similarities.

[Taylor]

First off, sorry I didn't know i wasn't allowed to have an opinion on this board.

Secondly, if you've ever heard Hamilton talk this isn't as far fetched as your making it seem. Hamilton said God told him he'd hit that home run in the 10th inning against St.Louis. But god for bid anyone thinks differently than you, without you calling them stupid. Pretty mature.

 

Says the dude who criticizes Hamilton for thinking differently than him.

 

You realize that stereotyping Christians and putting words in their mouth is closed minded, right?

[Taylor]

I would also like to point out that if Hamilton had never become a Christian, he would still be strung out on heroin.

[Inside Pitch]

One big difference between the two.  Hamilton has performed at all-star levels while being a Christian.  Gaetti had zero good seaons after becoming one.  Now, whether it really was his beliefs that caused his downturn or just him looking for a reason why his skills started diminishing is another discussion. 

 

 

You may want to fact-check your opinions before making statements like this one.   Gary Gaetti, left the Halos in 1993 at age 34 and proceeded to win a Silver Slugger award and was in the MVP voting in 1995 - he posted above league average seasons in 1996 and again in 1998 at age 39 when he posted the third best OPS+ of his career..  

 

More importantly, it doesn't really matter what YOU think, Gary Gaetti himself feels that it impacted his play..   One thing I do think you're nailing dead on.   Hamilton has been a Christian for a long ass time ... So that makes the two situations different enough..

[Stradling]

Ok IP, I wasn't really comparing the two, as a matter of fact I don't think I even mentioned Hamilton in that post about Gaetti. Read what I wrote, and think about it. I am wondering if the perspective they have would usually help in a slump situation.

[ettin]

I don't think he's been guilty of PEDs, he's been tested for ages -- it would have come up.   Maybe he's a FA doing horribly in his first season on a new team.   He won't be the first, or the last.   Dude has a weakness that pitchers are exposing and until he stops giving that to him, he'll likely continue to be abused.

 

Wheter you buy into BABIP or not, Josh is currently 78 points below his career average BABIP for 2013. Combine this with his troubles on off-speed stuff (did you notice that he was thrown several change ups the other night and whiffed on quite a few of them).and you have the product you currently see on the field.

 

I think we have a chance to see a closer version of the 2012 Hamilton one of these days if he can make some hitting adjustments to sliders, two-seam, and change ups.

[Lifetime]

Gaetti

 

So, maybe you should stop trying to talk up "philosophies" and actually pay attention to what's been said about the guy.  In the case of Gary Gaetti, he has stated without any confusion that his faith, impacted his play, partially because his primary purpose in life was his walk with God.  Gaetti never referred to his feeling complacent or relaxed, just that his prorities were elsewhere, his sobriety, his faith, and that's what he focused on..   Again, that was Gary Gaetti, not saying it applies to Hamilton

 

There is no telling what is in Hamilton's head, but that LA Timers article does sort of paint a picture of a guy who puts baseball second to his faith, so it's possible there are similarities.

Can you provide a link to a quote from Gaetti where he claims his Christian beliefs had a negative impact on his play or his efforts to perform? 

[Chuck]

Wow, this thread is a clusterf*ck.

 

This thread also revealed who's a bit reactionary and/or an idiot.

 

I guess Garret Anderson NEVER cared. Same mannerisms.