The Josh Hamilton story just keeps getting better.

A walk-off home run for a Rangers win over the Angels last week, then Monday night he electrified Yankee Stadium with a barrage of long balls in the first round of the All-Star Home Run Derby.

He was in a different league, seemingly at will powering towering blasts to right field, the upper deck and where few balls have ever been hit.

He hit 28 total home runs in the first round for a record, including an astonishing 13 in a row. 13.

If hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in sports to do, then what Hamilton did Monday defies belief.

It really doesn't matter he didn't actually win the home run derby, since Justin Morneau beat him 5-3 in the final round. Still, Hamilton totaled 35 homers (on 59 swings) to Morneau's 22 (on 52).

It was Hamilton's show. His story. His recovery.

Oh and the 71-year-old tossing him the balls, Clay Counsil, was a pretty good story too. The man who use to pitch batting practice for him as a teen in North Carolina.

For the story to really have that storybook ending Hamilton needs to power his Rangers to the playoffs and beyond. The team is surely not going to do it with pitching.

Read story on Home Run Derby.

Leave a comment

Name:

Email:

URL:  

Remember personal info?

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.