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Rangers: Five things to know
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The baseball rocketed deep into the distance and crashed down somewhere near Flagstaff. Then another. Then another.
"Hey, Salty, can I have your autograph?" a man hollered when the late-morning batting practice round was finished, and talk about your priceless moments.
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| Josh Hamilton made a breakthrough during a 90-game stint with Cincinnati last season. (US Presswire) |
"I think Hamilton's got a chance to be maybe the best player in baseball," says a scout who has been tracking the Rangers through the Cactus League. "I mean, this guy is Mickey Mantle or something."
It's only mid-March, you tell yourself.
Then Hamilton ropes a ball deep, blows around the bases like the wind and stands there with a triple.
Spring numbers mean about as much as a politician's promises, you remind yourself.
Through Tuesday, Hamilton leads the majors with 11 spring RBI, and had he enough at-bats to qualify, he also would lead in batting average (.522) and slugging percentage (1.043).
"You can't wait until he comes up to bat again, just to watch him," the scout says. "In batting practice, he hits to all fields, goes deep everywhere. He runs down balls in the field, he throws ... I don't know if there's anything he can't do."
There's a growing buzz emanating from Surprise, and it isn't simply because there's a new Home Depot or Bed, Bath and Beyond around the corner.
"Everybody stops what they're doing and looks when he comes up," the scout finishes. "And everybody ends up making giggly sounds. Aw, geez! My goodness!"
These are crusty, hardened baseball men who have seen plenty of Second Comings over the past several dozen springs ... and Third Comings, and phenoms and prospects and Next Big Things.
And, wait just a sec. Giggly sounds?
