Major League Baseball

Rangers need Hamilton's bat to wake up

Published Oct. 15, 2010 6:11 a.m. ET

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The Texas Rangers have an excellent chance to beat the New York Yankees — a better one, certainly, than many observers think.

We are often told that pitching wins in the postseason. Well, the unbeatable Cliff Lee will start Game 3 and Game 7 for Texas. The unstable A.J. Burnett gets Game 4 for New York. If those games go according to the pitching matchups, then the Rangers will have three victories. Scratch out a win in one of the first two games, and the series belongs to Texas.

This assumes a certain level of production from the Texas lineup, which is not a given. The Rangers were more opportunistic than overwhelming in the first round. They weren’t the scary offensive club that they had been (at times) during the regular season.

That was because Josh Hamilton batted .111 in the first postseason series of his troubled-turned-triumphant career.

A number of factors explained the lousy showing. Hamilton, by his own admission, was pressing. He looked rusty, after seeing little live pitching in September. His broken ribs were (and are) sore. He didn’t get many fastballs to hit. He chased breaking balls. He was just not very good.

But here’s the thing: If Hamilton hits during the American League Championship Series, the Rangers will probably end up in the World Series.

A couple walks per game might accomplish the same thing.

“Supremely talented,” Texas captain Michael Young said of his teammate. “Things could switch for him in a heartbeat. I anticipate that they will.”

“If he goes up there with a bat, he’s dangerous,” asserted Lance Berkman, the New York designated hitter. “I don’t look at him any differently now than when he was hitting .400 for those couple months.”

Said Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland, who will scheme against Hamilton for the next week: “I just think his timing’s a little off. You saw Alex (Rodriguez) last year, with his hip. For the first month, he hit under .200. It happens to the best of them.”

Hamilton may be the AL MVP. Still, there is the possibility that the broken ribs will – directly or indirectly – diminish his play for the rest of this year. He has been coy when discussing how he feels. That is revealing in its own way.

Consider this exchange during an interview after the Rangers won Game 5 of the AL Division Series:

Me: “As the series went along, did you feel worse, better, or about the same?”

Hamilton, smiling: “Why you asking all these questions, man? … I’m always too honest, ain’t I? Should I lie about this one?”

Me: “You should probably tell the truth.”

Hamilton: “Really? … I felt OK. … That’s a safe answer. I’ll leave it at that.”

Those are the words of an athlete who doesn’t want to say how badly he’s hurting. Hamilton’s tone was similar on Thursday at Rangers Ballpark, although this time he admitted to feeling “sore, very sore.”

“But it’s nothing that’s going to limit me, as far as what I’m able to do on the field, going after balls,” he added. “You saw me diving for balls, running into walls (during the first round). I’m going to play the game hard. It really doesn’t affect anything, to be honest.”

To hear Hamilton explain it, the issue has been what he did in response to the injury and subsequent September layoff.

Eager to make an impact, desperate to get his barrel on a hittable pitch, Hamilton became less selective against Tampa Bay. Really, who could blame him? It’s only natural for a star to want to carry his team when the games matter most.

“Since I tried to do (too much), it’s been a little more difficult to get back to my approach,” Hamilton said. “So I came in early today, worked on some things. The biggest thing is trusting myself.”

Hamilton has this much going for him: After Rays left-hander David Price showed him a steady diet of breaking pitches – many of them outside – there isn’t much mystery about how southpaws CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte will approach him. That’s what The Book says on Josh Hamilton: Soft stuff away.

It’s not an easy test, but Hamilton has the answer: Take some pitches. Draw a walk, if necessary. Leave it up to right-handers Vladimir Guerrero, Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler, run producers all.

“I know they’re not going to throw me anything to hit,” Hamilton said. “My dad always told me, ‘Son, they’re not going to throw you a strike if you swing at balls.’ Very simple. I understand that.”

Hamilton will need to be patient, which fits into his personal narrative rather snugly. Only now – 11 years after Tampa Bay made him the No. 1 overall pick – is Hamilton reaching his full potential in the major leagues. His ascent to stardom, now complete, nearly halted altogether due to injuries and (more notably) drug and alcohol addictions.

Now he is arguably the game’s most talented player. He avoids alcohol, to the point that he was doused with Canada Dry ginger ale, not champagne, during Tuesday’s ALDS clinching celebration. He talks about his faith in God in virtually every interview.

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