This has to be one of the more admirable instances of team unity I’ve ever seen in sports. It may not seem like a big deal to the outsider, but to Josh Hamilton it means a ton. After another dominating performance by Cliff Lee helped Texas advance to the ALCS, the Rangers celebrated with Ginger Ale in the clubhouse instead of the traditional champagne and beer.
As you probably know, Hamilton has battled drug and alcohol problems and wisely chose not to participate in the AL West-clinching celebration with his teammates because he didn’t want to be around alcohol. “Everybody yelled ‘Ginger ale!’ and I just jumped in the middle of the pile and they doused me with it,” Hamilton said of the celebration. “It was the coolest thing for my teammates to understand why I can’t be a part of the celebration, and for them to adapt it for me to be a part of it says a lot about my teammates.”
I’m sure the players went out and partied like they normally would after the ginger ale showers, but I thought the gesture was great. If anyone deserves their own special celebration, it’s your MVP candidate who hit .359 with 32 homers and 100 RBI in the regular season. On to the Yankees…
Photo: Twitter user the_hereford
