Rangers to Present Josh Hamilton with Hall of Fame Blue Jacket

Former Texas Rangers star Josh Hamilton is coming back to Arlington.

The Rangers announced on Tuesday that Hamilton, who was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2019, will be presented with his Hall of Fame blue jacket when Texas hosts the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 9.

First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. at Globe Life Field.

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The Rangers recently started presenting their Hall of Fame members with blue jackets as part of their induction. Recently, the team had both pitcher Charlie Hough and third baseman Buddy Bell return to receive their jackets the same weekend shortstop Elvis Andrus was inducted.

Hamilton was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2019.

The Rangers acquired Hamilton in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in 2008 and in 2010 he took baseball by storm with a season that led to him winning the American League MVP and the Rangers to their first World Series appearance.

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He won the AL batting title with a slash of .359/.411/.633 with a 1.044, along with 32 home runs and 100 RBI. He was also named the AL Championship Series MVP as the Rangers defeated the New York Yankees in six games.

Hamilton was named an AL All-Star five straight seasons (2008-12) and won three AL Silver Sluggers in 2008, 2010 and 2012.

He posted one of the greatest single hitting performances in franchise history on May 8, 2012, in Baltimore. Against the Orioles, he became the first player in franchise history to hit four home runs in a game, as he went 5-for-5 with eight RBI, four runs and 18 total bases, the last of which remains a franchise best.

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He also had an incredible 2008 All-Star Game home run derby. In the first round he hit a record-setting 28 home runs, including 13 straight.

In six seasons with Texas, he slashed .302/.359/.542 with 150 home runs and 531 RBI. He also played for the Reds (2007) and the Los Angeles Angels (2013-14).

Hamilton was originally the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Rays out of Raleigh, N.C. He was considered one of the best prospects in all of baseball. But his battles with substance abuse, along with a car accident, derailed his career.

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At one point, the Chicago Cubs selected him from the Rays in the Rule 5 draft and then traded him to the Reds.

Injuries and another relapse into substance abuse ended his career after the 2015 season.

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