Peter Gammons calls Josh Hamilton a potential future star..

[RedsFanatic]

Was asked on ESPNews who he thought could come out of nowhere to be a star this year and he named Josh Hamilton. Said he could start in center field...

[rotnoid]

Amazing. Josh Hamilton doesn't even play for the Red Sox or Yankees. How'd Gammons even know he exists?

[fargo55]

Not to be un-kind to Mr. Gammons, and I won't, he did suffer a brain injury last fall. I think he is recovered, except a little weakness on the the left face, and I respect his opinion. I think it's a good call, welcome back Mr. Gammons, best wishes for your continued recovery and we hope you are right.

[LoganBuck]

Gammons has always been very infatuated with Hamilton. He used to rave about him years ago. I remember that he wrote a bit on Hamilton several years ago saying he was "going through a Todd Marinovich type hell".

[Reds1]

Funny, in the fantasy report from the USA today they didn't even list Hamilton. They had the OF and the depth chart and he's nowhere to be found. Funny how things can happen quickly. I'm starting to think there might be something special here. He for sure had IT a few years ago and now he's motivated with IT so watch out! :)

[KoryMac5]

I think the kid is the real deal. Patience at the plate, good power, nice speed, plays great D. I still shake my head that he can do it all after 4 years off. Now that he is getting some positive media attn. maybe more Zoner's will stop being so cautious about Hamilton. The wait and see attitude is old the kid can flat out play.

[SirFelixCat]

Gammons was on SC this past weekend and said that Hamilton is, BY FAR, the best story of the spring. He and most everybody in the league is rooting for this kid because, "Never once has he blamed anyone but himself. I not only think he'll stick (when the Reds break camp), but very possibly be the starting CF'er on Opening Day!"

I normally am not the biggest PG fan, as he's a terrible homer for the BoSox, but kudos to him. I know we all are pulling for JH!

[MartyFan]

The only thing that may jinx this for Hamilton now is that Peter Gammons spoke it... :)

[Tom Servo]

The only thing that may jinx this for Hamilton now is that Peter Gammons spoke it... :)
But Steve Phillips badmouthed him, so it evens out.

[redsmetz]

Not to be un-kind to Mr. Gammons, and I won't, he did suffer a brain injury last fall. I think he is recovered, except a little weakness on the the left face, and I respect his opinion. I think it's a good call, welcome back Mr. Gammons, best wishes for your continued recovery and we hope you are right.

I remember him saying last summer after he came to that he was reading the sports page and saw something about Austin Kearns and the Nationals. He turned to his wife and asked, "How'd Austin Kearns get on the Nationals?".

[TOBTTReds]

Gammons has always been very infatuated with Hamilton. He used to rave about him years ago. I remember that he wrote a bit on Hamilton several years ago saying he was "going through a Todd Marinovich type hell".

Somebody else brought him up too. What was Todd's story?

[bucksfan2]

Gammons admits he is a life long red sox fan but he is about as unbiased as they come. He has seen enough baseball in his lifetime and gives props to the players who are deserving. As for Hamilton could this be the scrap pile find of the century?

[Always Red]

I like Peter Gammons as well as the next baseball freak does, but since when is Peter in charge of ordinations around here? Hamilton has proven he can hit ST pitching, and that he has a ton of talent. Do we really know if he can hit major league pitching when it counts? Maybe a poor comparison in terms of raw talent, but Brandon Larson comes to my mind.

What St. Peter says may well turn out to be true (and I hope he is right), but Josh Hamilton still has a ways to go. It's early, still. He has proven to me that he belongs on the team, but let's not bat him third, put him in CF, and write the biography just yet.

I'm less concerned with his talent and ability, and more concerned with Josh's state of mind and ego, especially when the national spotlight gets turned on him full glare, as is getting ready to happen. That's when he will be most prone to slipping, when the stress gets the heaviest, and when he'll feel most alone again. He'll need his friends, his family, his wife, his teammates, and Johnny Narron to keep a close eye on him, and help him with all of this. It's not unusual for folks with addictive personalities to backslide. Someone needs to be with Josh 24/7.

If I'm Wk or JN, I go very slowly with Josh, and pay more attention to his mental state than anything else, and I think it will pay huge dividends in the long run.

[OesterPoster]

Somebody else brought him up too. What was Todd's story?

Very overbearing, pushy parents. Here's a list of his legal troubles. Go to Wikipedia.com to check out the rest of his positives and negatives.


Legal troubles

Marinovich has had several run-ins with the law, most of which have been related to his ongoing drug problems. He was arrested in 1991, while still a student at USC. In 1997 he was arrested on suspicion of growing marijuana and served three months in jail after pleading guilty. In April 2000, Marinovich was arrested for sexual assault[2], followed by a 2001 arrest on suspicion of heroin possession, which forced his exit from the Avengers.

In August 2004, Marinovich was stopped for skateboarding in a prohibited area. He was arrested after he was found to be carrying an amount of methamphetamine and three syringes. He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years probation.

Marinovich was arrested in a public bathroom in Newport Beach, California in May 2005, after being found with apparent drug paraphernalia. He fled on a bicycle, but was caught a few blocks away. He gave his occupation as "unemployed artist" on the police report.[3] He was ordered to undergo six months of drug rehabilitation followed by six months of outpatient treatment as a result.[4]

[Chip R]

Somebody else brought him up too. What was Todd's story?


Basically his dad controlled everything he did when he was a kid. For example, he couldn't eat cake at another kid's birthday party because it had refined sugar in it. Todd wasn't allowed to eat fast food at all because it wasn't good for him. Todd's dad, Marv, was basically trying to make Todd into an NFL QB literally from the cradle. Now who knows if Todd would have turned out the same had Marv been a normal father but one could make an argument that once Todd got a taste of freedom from his dad, he did all the things he wasn't allowed to do and went overboard. Perhaps the same could be said about Josh.

[Yachtzee]

Gammons admits he is a life long red sox fan but he is about as unbiased as they come. He has seen enough baseball in his lifetime and gives props to the players who are deserving. As for Hamilton could this be the scrap pile find of the century?

I don't know about being unbiased. Gammons makes his living off of his inside connections with various teams. A lot of times, it results in him getting the inside tip on a trade or some other transaction. However, I think it also colors his reporting of said moves. He tends to view GMs and teams that give him tips in a more favorable light than teams that shut him out. He was beside himself when the Reds fired Bowden, a major inside source for him. Regardless of what moves were made by the Reds after that, he got on his high horse about it and acted like the Reds were somehow ruining baseball.

[bigredbunter]

Said he could start in center field...

Possible, I guess---I don't see that Hamilton will start opening day unless an OF (someone like Freel) is traded. Wouldn't they want to pick his spots carefully during the season in order to set him up for as much immediate success as possible? Opening day is a big stage after being out for the last 4 years.

[Krusty]

Again, it is spring training. If he hits like this during the regular season, then I could see annointing him an everyday spot. But for right now he is a fourth or fifth outfielder.

[GSURedsfan]

Possible, I guess---I don't see that Hamilton will start opening day unless an OF (someone like Freel) is traded. Wouldn't they want to pick his spots carefully during the season in order to set him up for as much immediate success as possible? Opening day is a big stage after being out for the last 4 years.

Agreed, ESPECIALLY Opening Day in the Nati'...

[ncman31]

josh spent his senior prom at the batting cage from what i remember. he's an absolute NATURAL baseball player. the reds are lucky to have him. cant wait for opening day, keep it up Josh.

[Jr's Boy]

Gammons seems to always be positive about the Reds.

[paulrichjr]

Gammons seems to always be positive about the Reds.

Say what??? :confused:

[Jr's Boy]

Well he predicted the Reds would do well last year,as well as a surprise team in the Central this year I believe.

[ColoradoHigh]

Josh Hamilton is a great story. That's why Peter Gammons is talking about him. Anyone with a heart has to be rooting for Josh. Probably should keep some positive thoughts for Peter Gammons too as he continues to recover.

[redsfanmia]

Basically his dad controlled everything he did when he was a kid. For example, he couldn't eat cake at another kid's birthday party because it had refined sugar in it. Todd wasn't allowed to eat fast food at all because it wasn't good for him. Todd's dad, Marv, was basically trying to make Todd into an NFL QB literally from the cradle. Now who knows if Todd would have turned out the same had Marv been a normal father but one could make an argument that once Todd got a taste of freedom from his dad, he did all the things he wasn't allowed to do and went overboard. Perhaps the same could be said about Josh.

Todd had a younger brother who was being raised the same way, I wonder how he turned out?

[Chip R]

Todd had a younger brother who was being raised the same way, I wonder how he turned out?


Good question. Whenever there's a discussion on what are the reasons a person turns out like they do, I think of a joke that Lenny Bruce once told Larry King:

One of the great arguments of all time is between the environmentalists and the geneticists. The geneticist says, The way you're raised is the way you'll be. Here's a story that maybe doesn't give you the answer but shows you the complexity of the question.

"A family goes to Yellowstone National Park on vacation - mother, father, and three children. On the way back to Los Angeles the parents look in the back of the car and, Holy Jesus! They forgot the one-month-old kid. Hey, it happens. You gotta clean up, gotta worry about Smokey the Bear, so they leave the kid.

"They're halfway home, and now here's the dilemma. If they turn back to get the kid, the father blows his sales meeting in the morning, the monthly sales meeting for the May sweep at the car dealership. He'll never get that day back, but he can always have another kid. They go on to L.A. and they leave the kid in the park, and the kid is raised by wild dogs for eighteen years. One day the dogs, in a fit of logic, realize they've done wrong and that the kid doesn't belong with them, so they leave him out on a highway and split. Now this kid, who's spent one month as a human child and seventeen years and eleven months as a dog, is picked up by a passing motorist. The kid enrolls in the University of Chicago, graduates Phi Beta Kappa. Valedictorian. He's called the most promising student in Chicago in ten years and is hailed by the president of the university as a young man with an unquestioned future. And bam! One day he's killed chasing a car." :)

[OnBaseMachine]

Gammons seems to always be positive about the Reds.

Yep. Gammons has always shown some love for our Redlegs. Yes, he may be a Red Sox fan but he is unbiased. He's by far my favorite baseball writer. I'm glad to see him healthy again and covering baseball.

[WMR]

Heck yeah start him Opening Day. Stick him towards the bottom of the order, if he hits, great, if not, no big deal.

[Reds1]

Hamilton 2-2 with a sac fly, walk, and 2 RBIs against the Yanks who have pitched Mussina and Rivera. I don't know who he did it against, but productive all 4 abs. Wow! .571 ave now and I have no idea on OBP but I"m sue it's mid .600.

[paulrichjr]

Well he predicted the Reds would do well last year,as well as a surprise team in the Central this year I believe.

My confusion comes from the "always" part of the positive comment. Gammons has been a huge critic of the Reds over the last few years (after Bowden left) and they probably deserved it. I don't remember him predicting them to be good last year either and actually thought he was very down on the team going in... I could be wrong.

[redsfan1966]

Ive come to respect Peter Gammons as an "expert"...I used to drink the Kool aid that he was a Red Sox homer, but after actually listening to him the past few years, I realize he knows his stuff--so I'll take his Hamilton opinion as real postive news...

[sonny]

Yep. Gammons has always shown some love for our Redlegs. Yes, he may be a Red Sox fan but he is unbiased. He's by far my favorite baseball writer. I'm glad to see him healthy again and covering baseball.

Agreed. Gammons exudes a sincere passion for the game as a whole. Hearing him talk about a spring training game with the same vigor as the seventh game of the World Series and seemingly knowing everything about every player. He must love his life.

[Chip R]

Ive come to respect Peter Gammons as an "expert"...I used to drink the Kool aid that he was a Red Sox homer, but after actually listening to him the past few years, I realize he knows his stuff--so I'll take his Hamilton opinion as real postive news...


Of course he thought George Lombard was going to be a star too. It seems Gammons has a tendancy to pump up guys from New England.

[BRM]

It's amazing what 30 something plate appearances in spring training can do for a guy.