He had burned the Yankees so badly in the previous five games they had no choice but to walk Josh Hamilton in Game 6. They issued Hamilton three intentional walks on Friday night, making the total five for the series which was an ALCS record. In all, Hamilton was so dangerous he was walked eight times in six games by the Yankees. When he wasn’t being walked, he was hitting home runs — four in all, including two in Game 4. Because of his dominance in the series, Josh Hamilton was named ALCS MVP.
The AL regular season MVP-candidate redeemed himself after a 2-for-18 ALDS against the Rays in which he only drove in one run. Hamilton blasted a big three-run home run in Game 1 before the bullpen imploded. In Game 2, he walked four times and stole two bases as the Yankees decided they wanted to avoid his big bat. Hamilton went 2-for-5 with two RBIs in both Game 3 and Game 4 that put Texas up 3-1 in the series. After going 1-for-4 in Game 5’s loss, Hamilton grabbed a hit in his first at-bat of Game 6 before being walked intentionally three times.
Hamilton, who gave all the glory to the lord for winning the ALCS MVP, did exactly what big-time players do in pressure situations — step up. Facing the best competition around on a do-or-die stage, Hamilton gave us his best — four home runs and seven huge RBIs in only six games. This is the exact type of performance the best players in the game are expected to display in big-time situations and it’s the exact reason why Hamilton was once taken first overall in the MLB draft. Josh has put his stamp on the postseason and cemented his place as one of the most superior players in baseball. The Rangers can only hope it continues in the World Series.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
