Hamilton: Dallas-Ft. Worth not a 'true' baseball area
Former Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton told the CBS radio affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth on Sunday that the area is not a true baseball town.
Hamilton, who signed a five-year, $125-million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, heard boos from the Rangers crowd as the team collapsed the final week of the 2012 season.
"There are true baseball fans in Texas, but it's not a true baseball town," Hamilton said.
He added that Dallas has "always been a football town."
Hamilton resurrected his career with the Rangers after battling addiction problems. He helped them get to the World Series in 2010 and '11. However, Texas lost its lead in to AL West to the Oakland A's in the final weekend of the 2012 season and lost a one-game playoff to the Baltimore Orioles.
Hamilton dropped a fly ball in the final game of the regular season against the A's in losing the division title. Then, he was booed after going 0-for-4 and striking out in his last at-bat against the Orioles.
"They're supportive, but they also got a little spoiled at the same time pretty quickly," Hamilton said.
Hamilton said he expects a mixed reaction from the crowd when the Angels visit the Rangers this year. Their first meeting is April 5.
"It will be mixed feelings from the crowd," he 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."
Rangers manager Ron Washington said Hamilton is entitled to his opinion.
"I'm not answering anything that Josh said," Washington said. "That's Josh. Josh is an Angel. That's Josh's opinion. My opinion is there were 3.5 million fans that came through the turnstiles. That answers it right there."
