Josh Hamilton was introduced by the Angels on Saturday, two days after it was reported that he agreed to a five-year, $125 million deal with his new team. While the Rangers were disappointed that Hamilton decided to sign with the rival Angels without giving them a chance to match the contract offer, Hamilton’s wife is using a dating analogy to add some perspective to the situation.
According to Hamilton’s wife, Katie, Texas’ big mistake was that they let her husband flirt with other teams.
“My take was, we were with them for five years,” Katie Hamilton said at her husband’s introductory press conference Saturday, via CBS Sports. “If you’re going to date somebody and they’re going to be your man or your woman, you make it official pretty quick that you want to be with them.
“The fact that they let us date other teams … Josh said he’d let them have first choice. But they let us date others and give our hearts away.”
Said Josh: “She said they should have put a ring on it,” which is a reference to a 2008 Beyonce song.
Josh seemed to be in agreement with his wife.
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me a little bit that they didn’t put the press on,” he said of Texas.
I think that’s the point Hamilton’s agent was trying to make when he said they did not give Texas a right to match; the Rangers had plenty of time to get a deal done, and they didn’t.
Hamilton said Saturday he is not worried that being in Anaheim and nearby Los Angeles will have an impact on his ability to avoid temptation. His accountability partner with the Rangers, Shayne Kelley, reportedly will be joining him in Anaheim.
Hamilton was also full of jokes at his introductory press conference in Anaheim Saturday. When asked about avoiding an early-season slump like last year’s free agent addition, Albert Pujols, Hamilton cracked a funny.
“Albert ain’t got my pop,” he joked.
Angels fans are hoping the fun attitude continues during the season.
As for me, I have mixed feelings on the signing. I get giddy when thinking about a 3-4 combination of Pujols and Hamilton back-to-back. But then I question how many games Hamilton will be healthy for considering his penchant for hitting the disabled list with various issues. I even wonder if Hamilton will still be in baseball in five years. Still, it’s hard not to get excited about your team signing a former MVP who is one of the best hitters in baseball. I think this move puts the Angels ahead of the Rangers in the AL West race.
Here is video from Hamilton’s press conference if you missed it:
