Josh Hamilton’s move to the Angels gives the outfielder a chance to do something he never could while with the Texas Rangers — play in a real baseball town.
“There are true baseball fans in Texas, but it’s not a true baseball town,” said Hamilton, in an interview with the DFW CBS television station on Sunday.
Hamilton, who spent five seasons in Texas and led the Rangers to American League pennants, while also winning the 2010 AL MVP, was booed by home fans during his struggles at the end of last season, including the wild-card loss to the Orioles, and ended up signing a five-year, $125 million deal with the Angels during the offseason. Hamilton said that despite their success, Dallas has “always been a football town.”
“They’re supportive,” Hamilton said about the fans, “but they also got a little spoiled at the same time pretty quickly.
“You think about three to four years ago (before two straight World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011). It’s like, come on man, are you happier there again?”
The Angels will appear in Arlington for the first time on April 5 and Hamilton said he still expects to some love from the crowd that once adored him, even after being spurned for a division-rival.
“It will be mixed feelings from the crowd,” Hamilton said. “People who really get it will cheer and the people who don’t will boo. Either way, I’ll do what I got to do to help my team win.”