As soon as Josh Hamilton stepped out of the Cincinnati Reds’ dugout in Monday’s eighth inning to pinch-hit, the crowd of 42,720 at Great American Ball Park rose and began to applaud.
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When Cubs manager Lou Piniella quickly changed pitchers, Hamilton–who hadn’t been able to sleep Sunday night–stood off from the plate taking practice swings and the crowd gave him another standing O.
And before he stepped in against reliever Will Ohman, he got a third ovation.
This was no simple ballpark salute during the Reds’ 5-1 victory, it was a full-blown embrace. It was making sure a guy got his day in the sun after all those dark, dark times.
A few years ago, Hamilton–after being Tampa Bay’s ultimate bonus baby, the teenage No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft–was the poster child of self-destruction: drug addiction, depression, suicide attempts . . . it was one of the saddest slides baseball has seen.
Yet Monday there he stood–the guy who seems to have turned his life around, he said, thanks to family and the Lord (and his own backbone)–ready for his first big-league at-bat.
Hamilton, 25, had everyone at the ballpark, including his sobbing wife Katie, his parents and in-laws, his teammates, even Piniella to an extent pulling for him.
When Hamilton’s downward spiral began, Piniella was the Devil Rays’ manager and Sunday the two met again.
“He gave me a big ol’ hug,” Hamilton said.
Reds catcher David Ross said, “We were all nervous for him. When the ovations started, it gave me the chills.”
Hamilton flied out to left field, then got another cheer when he headed back to the dugout. His teammates walked over to congratulate him–just for being there.
“I never saw anybody more excited in my life,” said outfielder Adam Dunn. “He deserves every single bit of it, if not more.”
Said Hamilton, “I’ve never witnessed anything like that. I’ve never been part of anything like that.
“The way I’m feeling is hard to describe.”