Rangers’ Hamilton is runaway MVP

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Josh Hamilton thought back to the days when his career was derailed by drugs and alcohol.

“I would say a 99 percent chance that this would never happen,” he said. “I mean, honestly, I think a lot of people would agree with that.”

In one of baseball’s most inspirational turnarounds, the Texas Rangers outfielder was a runaway winner of the American League’s Most Valuable Player award Tuesday. Hamilton received 22 first-place votes and 358 points from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Hamilton overcame eight trips to rehabilitation for addiction to lead the major leagues in batting average (.359) and slugging percentage (.633) and help the Rangers reach their first World Series. He had 32 homers and 100 RBIs despite missing time nearly all of September because of two broken ribs.

After going on the disabled list in 2001 while in the minors, he became addicted to alcohol and cocaine. He didn’t play from 2003-05.

“I do reflect. If I didn’t reflect, ‘I’ might start sneaking in there, a little ego might start sneaking in there, and that’s one thing I don’t want to happen,” Hamilton said. “So I do reflect and I think about where I was at my lowest time.”

Teammate say his story motivates them.

“It’s awesome, everybody makes mistakes in their lives and everybody deserves a second chance,” Rangers teammate David Murphy said. “A lot of people don’t take advantage of that second chance. But he took it and he ran with it.”

Hamilton was selected MVP of the AL championship series win over the Yankees. Overall, he hit .190 in the postseason with five homers and nine RBIs

“There were other guys around the league who had great years, but seeing Josh, what he was able to do, it’s pretty impressive,” teammate Michael Young said. “You don’t see guys go three-month stretches where they hit .400, it’s just too difficult to do.”

Selected by Tampa Bay with the top pick in the 1999 amateur draft, Hamilton didn’t make an impact in the majors until 2008, when he won the All-Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium and led the AL with 130 RBIs.

Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera was second with five first-place votes and 262 points.