Texas Rangers fans voiced outrage Saturday after the team honored former star Josh Hamilton, a player with a troubled past.
Before their matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies, the five-time All-Star was brought onto the field to receive his Rangers Hall of Fame jacket. But many questioned the move, given Hamilton’s off-field controversies — most notably his 2019 arrest for allegedly assaulting his daughter.
Six years ago, Hamilton surrendered to Texas police after being accused of injuring one of his three daughters by throwing a chair at her legs and hitting her with a closed fist. In April 2020, a grand jury indicted him, but in 2022 he pled guilty to unlawful restraint as part of a plea deal that dropped the indictment. He received one year of deferred probation, a \$500 fine, court costs, and was ordered to attend parenting and anger management classes.
Despite the incident, the Rangers had Hamilton throw out Saturday’s ceremonial first pitch. The team later posted on X, “All love for the legend,” which sparked backlash from fans — one commenting, “Does that include when he assaulted his daughter?”
Hamilton was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in August 2019, before the alleged assault occurred. The team began issuing Hall of Fame blazers in 2021, which is why he only just received his.
According to a 2019 police affidavit, Hamilton’s daughter said he flew into a rage after she made a comment he didn’t like, throwing a water bottle at her chest, shouting and cursing, then carrying her to her room and striking her legs hard enough to leave scratches. She also claimed he lifted her by her sweatshirt, ripping it, and hit her with both open and closed fists. Hamilton allegedly told her he hoped she’d tell a judge what a “terrible dad” he was so he wouldn’t have to see her again.
Hamilton, who has two other daughters with ex-wife Katie Chadwick Hamilton, was one of baseball’s brightest talents but also battled drug and alcohol addiction. Drafted first overall in 1999, he faced multiple suspensions and spent three years out of the game before debuting with the Cincinnati Reds in 2007. He joined Texas in 2008, won the American League MVP in 2010, and also played for the Los Angeles Angels before returning to the Rangers for his final season in 2015. Reports at the time noted further substance abuse relapses.
In an open letter before his Hall of Fame induction, Hamilton reflected: “I hope that people saw me as just… a real person, a human being, with his struggles and his challenges like everyone else. I wasn’t trying to pretend I was Superman or above anybody. I was just trying to do the best I could and be honest about what I was going through.”
