Josh Hamilton has missed 12 straight games due to a back injury. The Texas Rangers outfielder is also now battling an injury to his right glute. With the pair of injuries, team insiders believe that it’s very likely Hamilton’s 2009 baseball season is over.
The Rangers as a whole seem to be headed toward a disappointing finish. At 80-65, Texas is 6.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card race. On Wednesday, the Rangers got shut out by the Oakland Athletics and lost their fourth straight contest.
Even if the Rangers surprisingly get help from Hamilton before the …read more

Josh Hamilton, the slugger for the Texas Rangers, admitted on Saturday that he did indeed relapse on alcohol in January. Earlier in the day, Josh Hamilton drunk pictures were released on Deadspin.com.
Said Hamilton: “I’m embarrassed about it. For the Rangers, I’m embarrassed about it. For my wife, my kids. It’s one of those things that just reinforces about alcohol.”
In the pictures, Hamilton is seen with a number of women — all of whom aren’t his wife. There is also whip cream utilization.
On the season, Hamilton’s production is way down. After hitting .304 with 32 homers and 130 RBIs last season, …read more

Last season, Edinson Volquez of the Cincinnati Reds was one of the most surprisingly good starting pitchers in baseball. But this season, the native of the Dominican Republic was slowed with an elbow injury. On Monday, it was announced that Volquez will need to undergo Tommy John surgery.
Not only is Volquez out for the rest season, he’ll likely be out until the 2010 All-Star break — at the earliest. For the 26-year-old, this is obviously very bad news. Coming into this season, Volquez was regarded as one of the better pitching prospects in the National League.
Last year, Volquez had a …read more

Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers played in his first minor league game as he rehabs from abdominal surgery. In the contest, Hamilton got one hit in four at-bats. He also recorded a walk, run and a steal.
After the game, Hamilton reported that he felt good. Although he didn’t play in the field, he reportedly looked smooth running the bases.
After being one of the best stories in baseball last year, Hamilton hasn’t been as hot this year. In 35 games, Hamilton is hitting .240 with six homers and 24 RBIs. He also has 20 runs, five doubles, two triples and …read more

On Monday, Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers had an MRI on his troublesome groin. The images showed bad news for Hamilton and the Rangers — the slugger could be forced to sit out up to two months.
As a result of what the MRI indicated, Texas has played Hamilton on the disabled list. The quickest doctors say that the outfielder could return to the lineup would be in two weeks, however the Rangers are unlikely to bring him back that fast. That is especially true since this is already Hamilton’s second stint on the DL this year.
To replace him on …read more

Edinson Volquez, who has been on the disabled list due to a back injury, will make his return to the pitching mound on Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He hasn’t been able to pitch since May 16th.
Prior to last season, the Cincinnati Reds acquired Volquez in a deal that sent Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers. Although Hamilton blew up in Texas, Volquez was also really good. Last year, the native of the Dominican Republic was 17-6 with 206 strikeouts in 196 innings to go along with a 3.21 ERA.
This season, Volquez was 4-2 in his eight starts with …read more

Josh Hamilton missed 13 games for the Texas Rangers with a ribcage muscle strain. On Tuesday, Hamilton returned with a bang.
After going without a hit in his first three at-bats, Hamilton came to the plate in the seventh inning with the game tied 1-1. With one swing, Hamilton put the Rangers up 3-1 when he hit a homer against the Seattle Mariners. Texas never trailed again and beat Seattle by a final count of 7-1.
The Rangers have now sit in first place in the AL West after winning eight of their last ten games. At 18-14, Texas has outscored their …read more

I do a lot of reading. And when I get a chance, I try to read some books written by athletes. I’ve even started a little book club. I’ve just learned of two more books that could be added to that list in the near future.
The Coach Matters: Life Lessons Beyond The Playing Field by Venus Williams
“Williams will reflect on how her own coaches’ advice, including that of her father and mother, helped her make tennis history and succeed in the business world and beyond. The tennis star will interview other business, sports, entertainment, fashion and political icons who had …read more