Josh Hamilton did not win the 2008 MLB All-Star Home Derby Monday night. But you know what, no one cares. Justin Morneau owns the trophy, but Hamilton owned the night. And the grand old historic House That Ruth Built. And the city that let 'Ole Blue Eyes do it his way. And all those hard-nosed New York fans. They were chanting Ham-il-ton, Ham-il-ton, Ham-il-ton. This is the stuff fairy tales are made of. This is a "goose-bump factory". This is Hollywood script material. This is a time for all those "un" words: unbelievable, unreal, unthinkable, and unimaginable. Last night the world belonged to Josh Hamilton; he was just letting us live in it! The guy hit 28 home runs in a single round. One after the other sailed through the New York night sky in the form of towering blasts. He hit more than a couple over that magical 500' mark. He had the joint rockin'! And the man throwing all those perfect pitches to him? None other than 71 year old Claybon Council, who was in Yankee stadium in 1956 when Don Larsen pitched his perfect game in the World Series. The man probably threw over a hundred pitches before the night was over. What a gamer! He was Hamilton's American Legion baseball coach, and Josh thought that much of him to bring him to Yankee Stadium. It makes you wonder just how many other kids Mr. Council has coached, helped, and influenced. After turning on the evening news and hearing negative story after negative story, it's really great when sports steps up and gives us some positives to help us escape the "real world". An unlikely story of a number one draft pick who became victim to a crack addiction. He was out of the game for three years before coming back to make the All Star roster and to give us a story for the ages during some crazy contest known as a home run derby.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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