Before his induction into the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday night, Josh Hamilton wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune titled “Beyond Grateful.” In it, Hamilton expressed his appreciation for the support he received from the Rangers organization and its fans during his six seasons with the team.
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“People need people,” he wrote. “We all need love. We all need support. We all make mistakes and have problems and face our own challenges. And I’ve found that those random positive interactions with fans tend to happen at moments when I’m maybe needing a little extra support or encouragement. I think God allows those moments to happen when they can really do me some good.”
He also mentioned feeling the Holy Spirit’s presence before his 10th-inning home run in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series and helping guide his decision to retire in 2017.
Hamilton was an All-Star in each of his first five years as a Ranger, starting with the 2008 season. He won three Silver Slugger awards and led the American League with 130 RBIs in 2008.
In 2010, Hamilton led baseball in batting average (.359) and slugging percentage (.633) and took home the American League MVP while helping the Rangers reach the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
He signed a five-year, $125 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels after the 2012 season but struggled with injuries and the drug addiction that nearly derailed his career before it started. After the Angels released him, Hamilton rejoined the Rangers in 2015. Texas released him from a minor-league contract in April 2017.
Hamilton started his speech at Saturday’s induction ceremony by giving thanks to God:
Here is just a small piece of Josh Hamilton's @Rangers Hall of Fame speech!#TogetherWe pic.twitter.com/JcfrAFyasV
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) August 18, 2019
Later in his speech, he referenced Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
“Take the mercy and accept the help,” he said during the ceremony. “My life wouldn’t be what it is if I hadn’t asked for Jesus’ help. When you look at my career, it’s clear when I was asking for and getting God’s guidance and when I wasn’t.”
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