Wow! Watch Josh Go!!!! Amazing

[jesusfan]

Hamilton is at 22 Homers with 8 outs in the 1st round... this guy is unreal! If only we could've had him and Volquez... I have never seen anything like this in my life in professional sports!

[TeamBoone]

I have goosebumps!

I am soooooooooo proud of and happy for him.

[jesusfan]

Now at 26 and counting...

[jesusfan]

things like this is what makes Baseball "America's pastime"!

[jesusfan]

28

[jesusfan]

Already 2nd most home-runs in Derby history...

[Reds Fanatic]

Wow. 28 Home Runs. Simply Amazing.

[jesusfan]

As a JesusFan, I have to love how he is really praising the one who has really helped him... He seems to really be a great guy with a lot of passion, not only for baseball but for life...

[Red in Chicago]

i only watched tonight because of hamilton and must say i'm glad that i did...that was an awesome display...wow...

[OnBaseMachine]

That was amazing. Incredible.

Did anyone see Volquez carry that briefcase and set it on homeplate? LOL. I wonder what was in it.

[TeamBoone]

That was amazing. Incredible.

Did anyone see Volquez carry that briefcase and set it on homeplate? LOL. I wonder what was in it.


Yeah, I'm hoping they'll tell us.

[Matt700wlw]

I have no visual but wish I did

[LvJ]

Almost brings tears to my eyes! :o

[MasonBuzz3]

do they really need to continue the competition? just take a 10 min break and send Josh back up to hit

[reds44]

I want to know what was in it.

[CrackerJack]

Yeah, I'm hoping they'll tell us.

Money? :p:

[Matt700wlw]

I want him back :)

[Cyclone792]

Absolutely amazing! I really hope he's got enough in the tank to take out whoever faces him in the final.

[MasonBuzz3]

Absolutely amazing! I really hope he's got enough in the tank to take out whoever faces him in the final.

he didnt really look like he was losing too much though...and he won't have to hit again unless someone goes off


how about they just try Josh Hamilton vs the field combined

[Raisor]

That was amazing. Incredible.

Did anyone see Volquez carry that briefcase and set it on homeplate? LOL. I wonder what was in it.

marcellus wallace's soul?


http://www.gonemovies.com/WWW/WanadooFilms/Misdaad/PulpVincentKoffer.jpg

[Matt700wlw]

josh is going to dominate this thing - and I normally think this thing is pretty stupid

[MasonBuzz3]

they aren't even covering the rest of the event right now....fans are all sitting down, Josh has truly stolen the show

[durl]

Simply amazing! I loved how, when all the fans started chanting his name, he smiled. You know that had to be an amazing moment for him. And to think that 2 years ago, he was building houses...

I'd love to have him back with the Reds.

[Reds Fanatic]

they aren't even covering the rest of the event right now....fans are all sitting down, Josh has truly stolen the showYeah everyone is waiting for Josh to hit again. Next closest is Morneau who has hit 17 in 2 rounds.

[MasonBuzz3]

call me selfish, but I'd sort of like to see Josh hit in the second round even though he doesn't need to.

[Matt700wlw]

Was this really an even trade? Josh has done more than Griffey and Dunn combined, would secure a shaky CF, and would cost very little...meanwhile, Volquez has been awesome, but the Reds would still suck without him...

[mbgrayson]

http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/covers/images/2008/0602_large.jpg

[Reds Fanatic]

Josh is going to take some swings in the 2nd round.

[RedsManRick]

2nd round he's just taking a few cuts. I can't believe the way the ball carries off his bat. Wow.

[*BaseClogger*]

Was this really an even trade? Josh has done more than Griffey and Dunn combined, would secure a shaky CF, and would cost very little...meanwhile, Volquez has been awesome, but the Reds would still suck without him...

and... the Reds would still suck with Hamilton?

[flyer85]

rather silly that Howard and Dunn aren't in the HR derby ... don't see why it has to be all stars. Ought to be the top 4 HR hitters from each league.

[nate]

Actually, the Reds would've been better off signing Milton Bradley and trading Josh for Volquez.

Bradley's been even better the Hamilton.

[MasonBuzz3]

absolutely....not that anyone is going to match that 1st rd by Hamilton, but guys like Dunn, Howard, Fielder are more likely to keep it a competition

[HumnHilghtFreel]

In that first round with the fans in Yankee stadium chanting "HAM-IL-TON! HAM-IL-TON!" and then the camera zooming in on his face with a huge cheshire cat grin, it really gave me goosebumps. Awesome, awesome stuff.

[CTA513]

Actually, the Reds would've been better off signing Milton Bradley and trading Josh for Volquez.

Bradley's been even better the Hamilton.


Bradley should be available after this season, thats unless he signs an extention with the Rangers.

[Raisor]

Was this really an even trade? Josh has done more than Griffey and Dunn combined, would secure a shaky CF, and would cost very little...meanwhile, Volquez has been awesome, but the Reds would still suck without him...

Let's not get carried away.

Dunn 380/538 918, 62 RC, 7.19 RC/27 368 TPA
Hamilton 367/552 919, 76.5 RC, 7.51 RC/27, 425 TPA

Hamilton has been great, no question, but Dunn's been almost as good. Yeah, Hamilton's got more RBI, but he's also got 57 more TPA.

[Degenerate39]

Hamilton is amazing. He truely has a gift from God.

[missionhockey21]

Was this really an even trade? Josh has done more than Griffey and Dunn combined, would secure a shaky CF, and would cost very little...meanwhile, Volquez has been awesome, but the Reds would still suck without him...

Josh Hamilton: 76.5 RC

Adam Dunn: 62.0 RC
Ken Griffey: 46.2 RC

(MLB Leader is Berkman with 91.7 RC)

Easy to forget the kind of players Hamilton has hitting in front of him and behind him. Bradley has had an even better season than Hamilton has and this kid named Ian Kinsler, while not Corey Patterson up in leadoff, isn't half bad either.

Hamilton is awesome, but if we had him and a more explosive lineup, do you really think you wouldn't be contemplating a what if scenario regarding the Reds trading a Hamilton/Bruce/Votto/Phillips/Dunn for a pitcher?

To get something good, you got to give up something good. And frankly, recalling the days of Jimmy Anderson, Jimmy Haynes, and Danny Graves (as a starter) makes me glad we have a young stud with great stuff. Hamilton can give SportsCenter clips daily, but call me crazy, a 2.29 ERA in a Reds uniform? Yeah, I'll take that and 4 more.

[OnBaseMachine]

Josh Hamilton is awesome, but I still prefer Edinson Volquez.

[Degenerate39]

Volquez should throw to Hamilton in the last round

[Stormy]

Josh Hamilton is awesome, but I still prefer Edinson Volquez.

Exactly, I recollect writing on the day of the trade that it was unfortunate that we had to obtain my new favorite Reds player (Volquez), by trading my previous favorite Reds player (Hamilton). I wish we could have gotten the deal done without Hamilton, but that wasn't going to happen unless we had made Bruce available. Obtaining Volquez was an absolute must, even though Hamilton was by far the most entertaining guy to wear a Reds uniform in ages (and probably the most productive for years to come).

[OldRightHander]

Six to win it.

[mbgrayson]

Volquez should throw to Hamilton in the last round
No way! That would destroy EV's confidence big time....

[Matt700wlw]

I'm still pro trade, but its still tough...I just truely hope Volquez can continue to be the ace he has shown himself to be

[reds44]

I really want to see Hamilton and Volquez go head to head tomorrow.

[Degenerate39]

Come on Josh keep it going!

[Raisor]

Josh is blown up, but I think he'll make it.

[Degenerate39]

The Rocky music! And it pays off as he homers again!

[Matt700wlw]

fans love him!

[Matt700wlw]

Come on, Josh!!!

[Raisor]

"Cut me Mick"

[reds44]

He is spent.

[Matt700wlw]

Morneau wins

[Raisor]

Well he lost, so I guess the trade is still good?

That was still an awesome performance.

[sonny]

bah, well kudos to him. What an amazing man.

[KronoRed]

and... the Reds would still suck with Hamilton?

No doubt they would.

He's killing baseballs tonight though :clap:

[Tornon]

Maybe Adam Dunn can show Josh a thing or two next year

[Matt700wlw]

Josh :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Raisor]

http://www.redszone.com/forums/image.php?u=143&dateline=1215136232

Sam The Eagle, is pleased.

[reds44]

Maybe Adam Dunn can show Josh a thing or two next year
Dunn has got to get into one of these.

[Matt700wlw]

I hope Volquez gets to face Hamilton tomorrow

[Matt700wlw]

hed probably strike out :)

[Caveat Emperor]

So did they ever say what was in the briefcase?

Also, count me as someone who had goosebumps as I watched the performance at the gym.

And, I agree with whoever said that Volquez should've thrown a BP pitch to Hamilton. I think that would've been really, really cool.

[TeamBoone]

Dunn has got to get into one of these.

He wasn't invited even when he was an AllStar.

(he was an All Star wasn't he... 2004?)

[Reds Fanatic]

He wasn't invited even when he was an AllStar.

(he was an All Star wasn't he... 2004?)
In 2002 he was an All Star in the game that ended in a tie.

[mbgrayson]

So let me get this straight:

Hamilton hits 35 HRs, makes 24 'outs', and loses to
Morneau, who hit 22 HRs, and made 30 'outs'.

I actually felt sorry for Morneau who seemed almost emabarassed to 'win' due to such a stupid set of rules.

[Joseph]

So let me get this straight:

Hamilton hits 35 HRs, makes 24 'outs', and loses to
Morneau, who hit 22 HRs, and made 30 'outs'.

I actually felt sorry for Morneau who seemed almost emabarassed to 'win' due to such a stupid set of rules.

Nothing stupid about it. Its a elimination style tournament. Josh could have easily let up instead of going nuts in round one. I'm sure there is an offensive comment about self control in there somewhere, but I won't make it.

[mbgrayson]

Nothing stupid about it. Its a elimination style tournament. Josh could have easily let up instead of going nuts in round one. I'm sure there is an offensive comment about self control in there somewhere, but I won't make it.

Are you serious? The rules are arbitrary as can be. They now carry over homers from the 1st round to the second, but not the third. Tonight they added in a 'call the shot' feature for the finalists so some smuck could win a car, which didn't count at all. They use a "State Farm Gold ball" for the last homer.

Don't get me wrong: the rules were clearly explained, and Hamilton had a completely fair chance, and lost. But that doesn't change the utter arbitrariness, crass commercialism, or stupidity of the rules or the whole event.

I think the numbers I quoted above show the utter folly of the rules: a guy who hit 35 homers loses to the guy with 22, not even counting Hamilton passing on 6 outs in the 2nd round.

[Screwball]

I actually felt sorry for Morneau who seemed almost emabarassed to 'win' due to such a stupid set of rules.

I felt sorry for Morneau because it seems like nobody even knew his name. Erin Andrews was calling him Mar-neau, and the dude from Boys and Girls club with the check called him Jason. I mean for Pete's sake, whether he deserved it or not the man has an MVP award to his credit. Let's try to at least get his name right, eh ESPN, et.al.?

[Jpup]

My fiancee (yeah, that's news) no longer wonders why I think so much of Josh Hamilton.

[mbgrayson]

My fiancee (yeah, that's news) no longer wonders why I think so much of Josh Hamilton.

Congrats!

[reds44]

Are you serious? The rules are arbitrary as can be. They now carry over homers from the 1st round to the second, but not the third. Tonight they added in a 'call the shot' feature for the finalists so some smuck could win a car, which didn't count at all. They use a "State Farm Gold ball" for the last homer.

Don't get me wrong: the rules were clearly explained, and Hamilton had a completely fair chance, and lost. But that doesn't change the utter arbitrariness, crass commercialism, or stupidity of the rules or the whole event.

I think the numbers I quoted above show the utter folly of the rules: a guy who hit 35 homers loses to the guy with 22, not even counting Hamilton passing on 6 outs in the 2nd round.
Don't burn yourself out in one round. If a team wins the first 5 games of the NCAA tournament by 20 points each, and the team they are facing wins their 5 games by 20 points combined, should the first team get the title because of it? It's no different.

Hamilton put on a great show in the first round, and then hit a 7 homers combined in last 2 rounds. This, like all sports, is all about consistentcy. Hamilton didn't have it.

[Jpup]

Congrats!

:beerme:

[reds44]

My fiancee (yeah, that's news) no longer wonders why I think so much of Josh Hamilton.
:lol:

My girlfriend wasn't so impressed by his life story.

[Jpup]

:lol:

My girlfriend wasn't so impressed by his life story.

dump her. ;)

[kaldaniels]

So let me get this straight:

Hamilton hits 35 HRs, makes 24 'outs', and loses to
Morneau, who hit 22 HRs, and made 30 'outs'.

I actually felt sorry for Morneau who seemed almost emabarassed to 'win' due to such a stupid set of rules.

Do you feel bad for the 2001 Mariners as well? What about the NBA 3-pt shootout? It is a sporting event competition with a final round...nothing new.

Hamilton rocked...no doubt. But Morneau deserves the win.

[reds44]

Do you feel bad for the 2001 Mariners as well? What about the NBA 3-pt shootout? It is a sporting event competition with a final round...nothing new.

Hamilton rocked...no doubt. But Morneau deserves the win.
Yep.

[mbgrayson]

Do you feel bad for the 2001 Mariners as well? What about the NBA 3-pt shootout? It is a sporting event competition with a final round...nothing new.

Hamilton rocked...no doubt. But Morneau deserves the win.

I agree, Morneau "won" under the "official rules". But those rules are stupid and arbitrary. As I said, they carry over HRs from the 1st round to the second, but not the third. That is arbitrary.

Another example, in the finals, this year they added an extra out/HR, and called it "call your shot". Both Hamilton and Morneau made outs, and then the regular third round started. Morneau got two or three of his HRs on the last pitch, the "State Farm Gold ball". That was on his 11th out in the 3rd round, if you count the extra out from the "call your shot". Hamilton got 0 HRs on that extra out. So if we arbitrarily decided to count the "call your shot" out, the third rounds ends in a tie.

This is an exhibition, a staged event. The whole thing loses legitimacy when few of the top HR hitters get to participate: No Adam Dunn, No Ryan Howard, No A-Rod, No Pat Burrell, No Hanley Ramirez, No Carlos Quentin, No Jermaine Dye. There were exactly three of the top 5 in each league in the contest: Sizemore, Utley and Hamilton.

[Big Klu]

Exactly, I recollect writing on the day of the trade that it was unfortunate that we had to obtain my new favorite Reds player (Volquez), by trading my previous favorite Reds player (Hamilton). I wish we could have gotten the deal done without Hamilton, but that wasn't going to happen unless we had made Bruce available. Obtaining Volquez was an absolute must, even though Hamilton was by far the most entertaining guy to wear a Reds uniform in ages (and probably the most productive for years to come).

Just a thought to throw out there, but would the Rangers have agreed to the trade if the Reds had offered Bruce instead of Hamilton? And if they would have, which one would you rather have?

[reds44]

Just a thought to throw out there, but would the Rangers have agreed to the trade if the Reds had offered Bruce instead of Hamilton? And if they would have, which one would you rather have?
No, no, no, no, no. The Rangers called asking for Hamilton, the Reds didn't call asking for Volquez.

I won't lie, in hindsight I would say I'd rather have Hamilton, but if you asked me last offseason if I wanted to keep Hamilton or Bruce I would have said Bruce everytime.

[Big Klu]

No, no, no, no, no. The Rangers called asking for Hamilton, the Reds didn't call asking for Volquez.

I won't lie, in hindsight I would say I'd rather have Hamilton, but if you asked me last offseason if I wanted to keep Hamilton or Bruce I would have said Bruce everytime.

I remember that I was one of the few who had Hamilton as my "most untouchable" player. I would have traded anybody, including Bruce, before Hamilton. (I would have preferred not to trade either of them, though.) But I've made my peace with the trade--it was probably best for everyone. And I'm more pleased with Volquez than I could have imagined. Bruce is going to be a good one, too, but I'm not sure I see the Larry Walker comparisons yet. I see him as more of a Paul O'Neill (Reds version, not Yankees version) right now.

[Jpup]

I remember that I was one of the few who had Hamilton as my "most untouchable" player. I would have traded anybody (including Bruce) before Hamilton. (Not that I wanted to trade Bruce, either.) But I've made my peace with the trade--it was probably best for everyone. And I'm more pleased with Volquez than I could have imagined. Bruce is going to be a good one, too, but I'm not sure I see the Larry Walker comparisons yet. I see him as more of a Paul O'Neill (Reds version, not Yankees version) right now.

Jay Bruce is going to be better than Larry Walker.:thumbup: I think a lot of Larry Walker too.

[Stormy]

I remember that I was one of the few who had Hamilton as my "most untouchable" player. I would have traded anybody (including Bruce) before Hamilton. But I've made my peace with the trade--it was probably best for everyone. And I'm more pleased with Volquez than I could have imagined. Bruce is going to be a good one, too, but I'm not sure I see the Larry Walker comparisons yet. I see him as more of a Paul O'Neill (Reds version, not Yankees version) right now.

Actually, I was with you, and still recollect always putting Hamilton at '1A' on those lists of '5 untouchables' we were posting in threads last year. I was partly biased, because Hamilton had quickly become my favorite Reds player since Larkin, and I just found his combination of skill sets utterly fascinating to watch. Nonetheless, as sad as I was, I was still 110% on board with the Volquez trade, given the absolutely non-existent pitching arsenal the Reds possessed (and had for decades).

No regrets, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have greatly prefered moving Jay Bruce. My theory was better to trade Bruce for pitching than multiple guys from among Cueto, Votto, Hamilton etc... but as it turned out that wasn't the issue as we basically pulled a 1-for-1 type trade anyway.

Bruce will have a great career, and given his youth will probably make me eat those words, but I was all in favor of moving pretty much anyone not named Cueto, rather than Hamilton. When Bruce rises to superstar status, it will hopefully coincide with the timing of a team ready to contend, which is another plus.

[Big Klu]

Jay Bruce is going to be better than Larry Walker.:thumbup: I think a lot of Larry Walker too.

I hope you are right. :)

Like I said, right now I think he is the Reds' version of Paul O'Neill (who was a good player, but not as good as he became in New York.) I'm sure he will improve with experience, though.

[VR]

I remember that I was one of the few who had Hamilton as my "most untouchable" player. I would have traded anybody, including Bruce, before Hamilton. (I would have preferred not to trade either of them, though.) But I've made my peace with the trade--it was probably best for everyone. And I'm more pleased with Volquez than I could have imagined.

I'm 100% with you on those thoughts Klu.

Josh is by far my favorite player right now....but my blood still runs Red.

[Stormy]

Here was a thread from last year where many posted their views on the "Fab 5."

http://www.redszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64439&highlight=Hamilton+Votto+Cueto+Bailey&page=2

[WVRedsFan]

Actually, I was with you, and still recollect always putting Hamilton at '1A' on those lists of '5 untouchables' we were posting in threads last year. I was partly biased, because Hamilton had quickly become my favorite Reds player since Larkin, and I just found his combination of skill sets utterly fascinating to watch. Nonetheless, as sad as I was, I was still 110% on board with the Volquez trade, given the absolutely non-existent pitching arsenal the Reds possessed (and had for decades).

No regrets, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have greatly prefered moving Jay Bruce. My theory was better to trade Bruce for pitching than multiple guys from among Cueto, Votto, Hamilton etc... but as it turned out that wasn't the issue as we basically pulled a 1-for-1 type trade anyway.

Bruce will have a great career, and given his youth will probably make me eat those words, but I was all in favor of moving pretty much anyone not named Cueto, rather than Hamilton. When Bruce rises to superstar status, it will hopefully coincide with the timing of a team ready to contend, which is another plus.

You don't know how much I wish I could agree with you. You really don't.

Both are left handed hitters, that's one thing in common, but the skill set is so lopsided in Hamilton's favor it isn't even funny. Not that I don't like the future Jay Bruce has with this team. Not at all, but Hamilton has the skills and the tools to be a superstar. I don't see that with Bruce. Too often this year, despite his young age, the pitchers of the NL have got into JB's head so much that he is confused and sometimes even overmatched. I never saw that with Hamilton. Not once. It's hard to trash on a Reds prospect on here, but I didn't see what everyone else saw in Bruce. He's going to be a good player, but Hamilton has the sky as his limit.

I'm happy with Volquez for sure, but if a trade could be made that included Bruce for Volquez, I'd do it numerous times. I came out in non-support of the trade because I thought Josh was just that special. I think we see that every day. I contend that a lot of the offensive woes of this club could be help with Josh in the lineup, but someone will come up with those statistics that show me wrong (you know those splits that no one understands unless they've gotten into the deep bowels of sabramatics--or however you spell it).

The fears of drug use and the relapse stories mean nothing to me when a player can run down the first base line and pull a hamstring as we've seen multiple times. But that's an argument for another thread. Maybe we couldn't have received Edinson for Bruce, but my money's on we could.
This conservative franchise chose to go with the minor league player of the year over the budding superstar and it's over, so be it.

I'm still elated with Bruce as a long-time fixture in the outfield, but I think (and that's all it is) that Hamilton will reach great heights over his career--more than we can ever hope for Bruce. But things change and with the new regime, maybe things will be better. My line is always that you can put a pitcher out there who allows 2 runs and if you don't score three you lose. That's a thought lost on many people. For a club so desparate for offense, it didn't make sense to me at the time, but what do I know. I'm just a fan.

[Gainesville Red]

I thought it was pretty cool to see how much fun Volquez was having.

[reds44]

I have more fun watching Edinson Volquez pitch than I did watching Josh Hamilton hit.

[OnBaseMachine]

I would still trade Hamilton over Bruce. Hamilton has been injury prone throughout his career and probably won't play until he's 40 because of the abuse his body has went through. That said, I think he's a tremendous player but Jay Bruce is too. In fact, I'd be willing to bet Bruce will have the better career than Hamilton.

Hamilton has been a monster at home this year (1.083 OPS) but only average on the road with just a .769 OPS.

[Topcat]

I so love Josh and was Adamant on not trading him. But every day of the week I so do that trade they did. Perfect scenario sadly i say this is Dunn goes to Rangers and Red's would have been so better off. I will Never Bash Adam as i realize hist rue value but financially if Dunn would have been the one traded.

Volquez for Hamilton was a win win deal both ways and was so worth the trade. God Bless Wayne Krivsky.

[MasonBuzz3]

who cares if Josh didn't win the derby, he put on the best show and that is what the 2008 Derby will be remembered for.


that being said, I'll still take Volquez and Bruce over Hamilton and Bruce

[KittyDuran]

who cares if Josh didn't win the derby, he put on the best show and that is what the 2008 Derby will be remembered for.


that being said, I'll still take Volquez and Bruce over Hamilton and BruceThis year's HR Derby reminded me of 1999's version at Fenway. All I remember was Big Mac hitting the monsters - but it was Junior who actually won.

[cumberlandreds]

I DVR'd this and I will be looking forward to watching Hamilton. A truly remarkable display. I read he hit 13 in a row out. That's unbelievable even for BP pitches. I still support the trade but it's going to be hard watching Hamilton over the years knowing he could have been a Red.

[NJReds]

Awesome display. Just a great, great baseball moment ... trom the 71-year-old guy (who had only been to Yankee Stadium once in his life, and saw Don Larsen's perfect game) throwing batting practice pitches to Josh to the NY fans chanting Hamilton's name.

I didn't mind the trade. But part of me wanted Hamilton to be putting on that display with a Reds cap on.

[membengal]

That was fun. Impossible not to feel ecstatic for Josh.

[Chip R]

Josh: Not clutch. ;)

I was at work last night and my supervisor told me he hit 28 HRs. I thought he meant total but he said 1st round and my eyes bugged out.

[Sea Ray]

I so love Josh and was Adamant on not trading him. But every day of the week I so do that trade they did. Perfect scenario sadly i say this is Dunn goes to Rangers and Red's would have been so better off. I will Never Bash Adam as i realize hist rue value but financially if Dunn would have been the one traded.




That's a dream scenario. It was as likely as sending Juan Castro for Volquez. It was never a possibility.

[REDREAD]

Was this really an even trade? Josh has done more than Griffey and Dunn combined, would secure a shaky CF, and would cost very little...meanwhile, Volquez has been awesome, but the Reds would still suck without him...

That's an excellent point. I wouldn't have traded Josh for that very reason.
It's just as difficult to get an solid glove/impact bat in CF as it is to get an ace starting pitcher. That's why when Jr was in his prime, he was considered the best player in baseball.. When you look through baseball, what other CF is a potential MVP like Josh? Not many.. Maybe Beltran.. I'm probably forgetting a name or two, but that's all that comes off the top of my head.

That said, Volquez has pitched so well, it's hard to call the trade a loss.

Hopefully both have long and productive careers. At this point, I think it's a push, although I would've probably still kept Hamilton as a Red.

[REDREAD]

Actually, the Reds would've been better off signing Milton Bradley and trading Josh for Volquez.

Bradley's been even better the Hamilton.

Not so sure that signing Bradley would be a good idea. The guy is very mercurial.. I mean, he's a lot like Guillen. He will have some good years, but he's also very disruptive. There's a reason Bradley has bounced around so much. IMO, he's not a guy to build a team around. Sure, he would've helped this year, but I wouldn't want the Reds to sign Bradley longterm. Way too much risk that he'll get unhappy or go off the deep end, and then you have an unmovable contract.

[princeton]

it's going to be hard watching Hamilton over the years knowing he could have been a Red.

I think that if the Reds get their acts together enough to compete for championships, then it's probably a great trade for the Reds. Pitchers mean so much in playoffs.

but if these are going to be 5 boring, playoffless years, then it'd have been better to keep the mutant. He gives the fans more moments to talk about.

I never could have traded Hamilton, but Volquez does give me hope

it's an interesting point that someone made about Bruce for Volquez. I'm sure that was do-able. Hopefully Bruce does an on-field Hamilton imitation-- but that's sure asking a lot.

[REDREAD]

Just a thought to throw out there, but would the Rangers have agreed to the trade if the Reds had offered Bruce instead of Hamilton? And if they would have, which one would you rather have?

I would've traded Bruce and kept Hamilton.

I think Bruce has a bright future, but I'm not sure he will ever be as good as Hamilton is now.

[nate]

Not so sure that signing Bradley would be a good idea. The guy is very mercurial.. I mean, he's a lot like Guillen. He will have some good years, but he's also very disruptive. There's a reason Bradley has bounced around so much. IMO, he's not a guy to build a team around. Sure, he would've helped this year, but I wouldn't want the Reds to sign Bradley longterm. Way too much risk that he'll get unhappy or go off the deep end, and then you have an unmovable contract.

Texas doesn't seem to mind his mercurial attitude. Nor do they mind his 180 OPS+.

[Matt700wlw]

Erin Andrews can screw my name up anytime she wants ;)

[princeton]

Erin Andrews can screw my name up anytime she wants ;)

I dunno. I have some pride.

"Weird Guy, I mean Matt, how did you post so many times in one year?"

[NJReds]

Nice piece by Jayson Stark on Hamilton's home run derby show. link (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3487832&type=story)

Hamilton's power display defies explanation

By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

NEW YORK -- Even before Monday night, the Legend of Josh Hamilton was already an onrushing storybook train, building speed on its way to a Cineplex near you.

But that was before he brought his little magic show to Yankee Stadium, a place where legends are born. And another one sure was born Monday, in a Home Run Derby that won't be soon forgotten by anyone who witnessed it.

Except how are we going to describe what just happened here? Seriously. In a few months, when that Yankee Stadium wrecking ball is swinging and we start spinning the incomprehensible tale of Josh Hamilton, how will we explain this one?

How will we explain a man who didn't even require an actual baseball game to carve his indelible place in Yankee Stadium lore?

How will we explain this night of unforgettable Home Run Derby sorcery, when the gentleman who was already the best story in sports sent 35 baseballs flying into the night, off black seats and billboards and into the hands of upper-deck occupants he could barely see, let alone reward with a souvenir?

Even more than that, how will we explain that this was Josh Hamilton's night even though, technically speaking, somebody else won?

That somebody else was Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, by the way. We'd probably better mention that now before we forget -- because it'll be, oh, about 20 minutes before everyone else forgets. The record will show he won because he outhomered Hamilton in the anticlimactic final round, five homers to three. So we guess he won't be giving back that trophy.

But this was one of those strange evenings when even the winner didn't feel like he'd won -- possibly because the guy he beat hit 13 more home runs than he did (35-22).

"He was the one who put on the show tonight," Morneau said afterward, at his gracious best. "I think everyone will remember Josh Hamilton's 28 home runs more than they'll remember I won the thing."

Hey, ya think?

They'll remember because Hamilton launched those 28 home runs in one unforgettable round of rocket launchery.

Asked to describe it afterward, Hamilton replied: "Obviously, I've never experienced a groove like that before."

To which we could only offer this observation: Sheez, has anybody?

Nobody had ever hit 28 home runs in one round of Derby-dom before. Heck, only one man (Bobby Abreu, with his 24 bombs in Round 1 in 2005) had ever come within 10. For that matter, Abreu was the only player in Derby history who had ever hit at least 28 homers in one night, let alone one round.

But even the number 28 doesn't do Hamilton's exhibition justice. No, this was about more than the numbers. This was about the experience.

"I don't know what number he got to before you realized what you were watching," said the White Sox's Carlos Quentin. "I think it was somewhere around 20. But then you realized. Just to see how far the balls were going, over and over, you realized it was something special."

"It was amazing, all the way from home run No. 1 to home run No. 28," said Hamilton's teammate in Texas, Ian Kinsler. "It seemed like it was never going to stop."

That, in fact, was exactly what it seemed like. Baseballs kept disappearing. The bedlam in the seats kept getting louder and louder. The major league baseball players watching it kept shaking their heads, pretty much in awe of what they were seeing. And they weren't the only ones, because this is what Josh Hamilton did -- in just that one round:

He hit a home run on 13 swings in a row. And 16 of 17. And 20 of 22. And 22 of 25.

He missiled five balls into the upper deck, one of them nearly to the top of the upper deck. He pounded another off the facing of the mezzanine. And two more into the seemingly unreachable black seats in center, where the fan who ran it down promptly got arrested and hauled off to visit the nearest proper authorities.

Asked later if he found himself playing to the crowd during that run, Hamilton laughed: "No, I was playing to that guy getting arrested out in center field."

But mostly, he battered the right-field bleachers with one mortar after another. He hit four home runs that nearly cleared those bleachers -- and one that bonked off the bottom of the distant Bank of America sign, 502 feet from where he was standing, sending 53,716 witnesses into complete apoplexy.

"He hit that sign," Kinsler said, "and that ball just disappeared. And it was like it was gone forever. I kept looking at that sign, and I was thinking, 'There's not a chance I could probably hit that thing from second base.'"

But incredibly, that wasn't even Hamilton's longest home run of that round. There was also a towering 504-footer that plopped into the last row of the bleachers, even farther out toward center field. And there was a 518-foot Mars mission that landed so high up in the third deck, you felt like it might have thumped off the top of the Empire State Building if he'd hit it in Manhattan.

Even Hamilton had a special feeling for that shot, because it was the closest he came to fulfilling his pre-Derby prediction that he might be able to hit the first fair ball in history ever to completely leave Yankee Stadium.

"You know that little opening [in right field], right there where you can see the subway?" he'd chuckled beforehand. "Watch out."

And then, whaddaya know, he just about pulled it off.

"Man," he moaned afterward, "if the balls had been juiced, it would have happened, too. I wanted to hit that subway out there."

Right. Either that or the Triborough Bridge.

By the time he'd finished this astonishing exhibition, it didn't seem there was much reason to hold the final two rounds. After all, how was anybody supposed to top that? Babe Ruth himself might not have been able to top that.

"We were all sitting there saying to each other, 'How do you follow that?'" Morneau mused later. "I mean, [Lance] Berkman went out there, and he was hitting balls, blasting balls in the upper deck. And everyone in the stands, it almost seemed like they were bored -- after watching [Hamilton] hitting the ball out of the stadium."

But that wasn't the only problem for the rest of the field. For those other seven guys, an even thornier issue was this: How could they ever top the larger-than-life saga that is Josh Hamilton?

With every move this man makes, every run he drives in, every baseball he mashes to some far-off sector of another stadium, you keep trying to convince yourself this is all happening. In real life. To a man who was so far down, so far out, so hopelessly buried in the jaws of drug addition, it's a miracle he's even alive right now.

And then, the next thing you know, there he is on this stage, doing this beneath the eyeballs of America, in a ballpark that represents a living, breathing home-run museum. Accompanied by his own 71-year-old personal pitcher named Claybon Counsil, summoned from North Carolina for this occasion, as Josh Hamilton's reward for all those BP fastballs Counsil has been serving up to anyone interested for the past three decades.

Friends, you can't make this stuff up.

But hold on. There's more. There's also Josh Hamilton's dream. It's a famous dream now, a dream he had back in the winter of 2006. But it was a dream that made no sense at the time, because he had it at a time when he was still suspended from baseball for drug abuse, back when he was, therefore, about as far away from this place as a bunch of aliens from Neptune.

He'd dreamed that night that he was taking part in a Home Run Derby -- in Yankee Stadium. Of course. It was a dream that couldn't possibly come true. And then it did.

Whoa. Did it ever.

In the dream, though, he never saw himself actually swinging the bat. He remembers only being interviewed afterward on ESPN, and describing how he'd gotten to this miraculous point, through the power and the grace of God.

But now, here he was, 2½ long years later, and he got to find out how it all turned out. How beautiful was that?

"This," he said, "was like living the dream out, because like I've said, I didn't know the ending to that dream."

Now, though -- now he knows. Now we all know. We saw a man have an evening in Yankee Stadium that told a story that ought to restore our faith in mankind.

So who cares if Josh Hamilton didn't "win" this derby? What he did win was bigger and better than any trophy.

"More than anything else," he said, "I'm glad my family got to see this. Whether I'd hit 50 or hit none, I'm sure this is hard for people to believe, but I wouldn't have been disappointed if I didn't hit any.

"I got a chance, when I was in the middle of that streak, to look up and see my mom and dad and family and everybody, just absolutely laughing and cheering. And I mean, that's priceless."

Ah, but this was no MasterCard commercial, friends. This was the beauty of life itself.

There was a time not very long ago when none of them thought that moment, that joy, could possibly have happened to them. And then it did. On a heart-pumping Home Run Derby Monday inside the baseball temple that is Yankee Stadium.

So the record may show that Josh Hamilton didn't win this derby. But life will tell us -- and him -- otherwise.

[Unassisted]

Erin Andrews can screw my name up anytime she wants ;)Her sloppy work and inane questions made me wonder why she has a job and Jim Gray does not. ;)

[sonny]

Ahh, I just still wonder if we could have had Volquez for Adam Dunn. The world may never know.

[Chip R]

"Man," he moaned afterward, "if the balls had been juiced, it would have happened, too. I wanted to hit that subway out there."



Not to diminish what Josh did but if he thinks those balls weren't juiced, he's got another thing coming.

[Raisor]

Ahh, I just still wonder if we could have had Volquez for Adam Dunn. The world may never know.

Why would the Rangers have done that after trading Tex away?

[RedsManRick]

I'd like to see the whole competition become an inning by inning thing with 3 outs per inning and cut points along the way. No wasted homers, better drama.

[Patrick Bateman]

Ahh, I just still wonder if we could have had Volquez for Adam Dunn. The world may never know.

That would be a negative. Texas wanted Hamilton, and Hamilton alone. Makes sense considering he had far more value than Dunn. 5 years of Hamilton, or 1 year of Dunn? For a rebuilding franchise, there is an insane value gap. Dunn for Volquez was never happening.

[OnBaseMachine]

Remember the briefcase?

Apparently that was cash for whoever won the Home Run Derby.

[KronoRed]

Ahh, I just still wonder if we could have had Volquez for Adam Dunn. The world may never know.

Not a chance on planet earth, they wanted Hamilton.

[sonny]

Not a chance on planet earth, they wanted Hamilton.

I know, but Hammy was the one non-polarizing position player we had. A fellow all RZ'ers could agree on. I'm a peace lover, man.

[Jpup]

Not to diminish what Josh did but if he thinks those balls weren't juiced, he's got another thing coming.

proof? evidence?

You said you did not want to diminish what Josh did, but then you went ahead and did that. If the balls were juiced, they were for everyone. He does these things on a daily basis. We should enjoy what we are watching in Josh Hamilton. It may be a long time before we see anyone with the talent that he has. He is what a baseball player suppose to be. He is the most talented player I have ever witnessed.

[Chip R]

proof? evidence?

You said you did not want to diminish what Josh did, but then you went ahead and did that. If the balls were juiced, they were for everyone. He does these things on a daily basis. We should enjoy what we are watching in Josh Hamilton. It may be a long time before we see anyone with the talent that he has. He is what a baseball player suppose to be. He is the most talented player I have ever witnessed.


I'm saying the balls are juiced for everyone in the Home Run Derby. Makes sense, doesn't it? If you're going to use juiced balls, the HRD is the best place to use them. He's certainly not hitting 500 ft. HRs on a daily basis. Again, this is no knock on him. He may not have hit as many HRs with a regular ball last night but none of the other participants would have either.

[Jpup]

I'm saying the balls are juiced for everyone in the Home Run Derby. Makes sense, doesn't it? If you're going to use juiced balls, the HRD is the best place to use them. He's certainly not hitting 500 ft. HRs on a daily basis. Again, this is no knock on him. He may not have hit as many HRs with a regular ball last night but none of the other participants would have either.

Josh does hit 500 ft homers on a daily basis in batting practice.

[Chip R]

Josh does hit 500 ft homers on a daily basis in batting practice.


I'm not doubting his power. All I said was that the balls they used last night were juiced. If I had said that he couldn't hit home runs without juiced balls, I would be belittling what he did and has been doing. He has legit power and I wish him nothing but the best.

[letsgojunior]

You don't know how much I wish I could agree with you. You really don't.

Both are left handed hitters, that's one thing in common, but the skill set is so lopsided in Hamilton's favor it isn't even funny. Not that I don't like the future Jay Bruce has with this team. Not at all, but Hamilton has the skills and the tools to be a superstar. I don't see that with Bruce. Too often this year, despite his young age, the pitchers of the NL have got into JB's head so much that he is confused and sometimes even overmatched. I never saw that with Hamilton. Not once. It's hard to trash on a Reds prospect on here, but I didn't see what everyone else saw in Bruce. He's going to be a good player, but Hamilton has the sky as his limit.

I'm happy with Volquez for sure, but if a trade could be made that included Bruce for Volquez, I'd do it numerous times. I came out in non-support of the trade because I thought Josh was just that special. I think we see that every day. I contend that a lot of the offensive woes of this club could be help with Josh in the lineup, but someone will come up with those statistics that show me wrong (you know those splits that no one understands unless they've gotten into the deep bowels of sabramatics--or however you spell it).

The fears of drug use and the relapse stories mean nothing to me when a player can run down the first base line and pull a hamstring as we've seen multiple times. But that's an argument for another thread. Maybe we couldn't have received Edinson for Bruce, but my money's on we could.
This conservative franchise chose to go with the minor league player of the year over the budding superstar and it's over, so be it.

I'm still elated with Bruce as a long-time fixture in the outfield, but I think (and that's all it is) that Hamilton will reach great heights over his career--more than we can ever hope for Bruce. But things change and with the new regime, maybe things will be better. My line is always that you can put a pitcher out there who allows 2 runs and if you don't score three you lose. That's a thought lost on many people. For a club so desparate for offense, it didn't make sense to me at the time, but what do I know. I'm just a fan.

I agree with you WV. Since Bruce's fast start, he hasn't responded well to the adjustments pitchers have made against him. In fact, he only OPSed 614 in June followed by 734 in July (largely driven by a 2 HR game). Moreover, he's been struggling mightily against left handed pitchers, which is a key aspect of his game that he's going to have to improve.

That said, I've always thought that it's impossible to tell over a short time period just how good these guys will or won't be. Just the other day, I heard someone comparing Longoria to Brooks Robinson, and I was baffled. It takes a unique combination of skill, luck, self-control, health and a host of other factors to put up good numbers over a sustained period of time, and while there are some tip-offs about which players do or do not have the skill set, I think it's extremely difficult to project who will be good in the long-term (for every A-Rod there's a Wily Mo Pena). I actually think that's one selling point of Adam Dunn: while some seem generally dissatisfied with him, you can pencil him in for 40HR, 90-100 RBI per year.

[RedsManRick]

When people overreact to a young guy struggling, I often go the Mike Schmidt case:

Age 22: 34 AB, .206/.325/.294
Age 23: 367 AB, .196/.324/.373
Age 24: 568 AB, .282/.395/.546

Jay Bruce is so freaking young. He's been playing a lot of CF, the 2nd toughest defensive position. He's put up roughly league average rate stats to date. You're darn right he's struggling to adjust - he's not gotten even 1500 professional plate appearances yet. How many lefties do we think he faced in high school?

Bruce is going to be fine. He's got a world of talent and a very good head on his shoulders. Whether he puts it together this August or in August of 2009, he's going to put it together.

[OnBaseMachine]

When people overreact to a young guy struggling, I often go the Mike Schmidt case:

Age 22: 34 AB, .206/.325/.294
Age 23: 367 AB, .196/.324/.373
Age 24: 568 AB, .282/.395/.546

Jay Bruce is so freaking young. He's been playing a lot of CF, the 2nd toughest defensive position. He's put up roughly league average rate stats to date. You're darn right he's struggling to adjust - he's not gotten even 1500 professional plate appearances yet. How many lefties do we think he faced in high school?

Bruce is going to be fine. He's got a world of talent and a very good head on his shoulders. Whether he puts it together in August or in August of 2009, he's going to put it together.

Thank you. I knew Jay Bruce was to struggle at some point and I knew Reds fans were going to worry. Evan Longoria, an AL All-Star and AL Rookie of the Year favorite hit just .234/.283/.402 in 107 atbats in May. He went through some struggles and is now hitting the heck out of the ball again. I suspect Jay Bruce will do the same.