Josh Hamilton is not a popular guy among Rangers fans

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Josh Hamilton jeered by Rangers fans

Most fans like to hear that their team is aggressively pursuing a big-name player thought to be available.

Not so with the Rangers and Josh Hamilton.

The former Texas slugger remains exceedingly unpopular in the Lone Star State two years after bolting for the Angels in free agency. To wit: Rangers general manager Jon Daniels was asked Saturday during a Fan Fest Q&A about the chances Hamilton might return to Arlington, as had been rumored last month.

"Small," Daniels responded, and the assembled masses laughed and burst into applause, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Clearly the fans in Texas still remember the five-year, $125 million deal with the Angels that lured Hamilton away from a market that had embraced him as he overcame his personal demons and rose to stardom. He was an All-Star all five seasons he played with the Rangers and was voted the American League MVP in 2010, hitting .305/.363/.549 during his time there. In two seasons with the Angels, he has slumped to .255/.316/.426 with 31 homers — 12 fewer than he collected in his final season with the Rangers.

 

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Marc Lancaster is a senior editor at The Sporting News