Quote:
Originally Posted by M2
To give Tampa Bay credit, they had him for eight years and he showed nothing in rookie ball last year. That he's been able to completely remake his game without the benefit of playing is astounding. There's no point in looking to baseball for precedents. He's a mix of Bernard Malamud, O Henry, Horatio Alger, Arthur C. Clarke and Roger Zelazny.
The D-Rays had no way of knowing he'd enter the realm of living narrative. Where the story goes is anyone's guess. He could be a star or his bubble could burst. Yet Tampa Bay's loaded with prospects it had to keep on the 40-man roster and what Hamilton's done the past two months is surreal. If anything, it's yet another indication that the universe exists to mock the Devil Rays.
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I don't doubt that any of this is true, but I suppose the astounding part of this story, for me, is that he was made available in the Rule 5 draft. It's not that the Rays lost him, it's that they literally gave him away.
That Hamilton's even playing at the major league level--much less having some degree of success doing it--is certainly an unheard of story. It's exceptional. Still, the talent had always been there, and with Hamilton's newfound focus on taking advantage of his "last chance", I would have thought the Rays would have at least been the team to give him that chance. After all, they had invested so much into him.
Clearly, though, I'm wrong. And, no, contrary to weather reports, the sun doesn't shine too bright on Tampa Bay.