Slugger's story inspires

How anyone could watch Monday’s Home Run Derby and not pull for Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton is beyond me.
I don’t normally like to write about Major League players from teams not named the Royals, but I had to mention something about this kid.
His story is now legend. No. 1 overall draft pick, turned drug and alcohol addict, turned bust, turned reclamation project, turned American League leader in RBIs at the All-Star Break.
As someone who had some personal demons of his own to overcome, I found myself pulling for Hamilton and just watching in awe as he hit ball after ball out of Yankee Stadium – 28 first-round homers in total. And he hit every single home run off his 71-year-old former American Legion coach.
How can that not tug at the heart strings, just a little bit?
He lost in the finals, but he was definitely the biggest winner of the night.
Not only did he get a chance to truly show how talented he was, his story is now known. He has proven that people can beat drug addiction. People can beat alcoholism.
Kids can make stupid choices, get themselves on the wrong path, but still turn it around.
I guarantee you, I am not the only person who watched Monday night’s derby and left as a Josh Hamilton fan.
Not only did I come away impressed with his ridiculous amount of talent, but I was an even bigger fan of the humility and grace he showed in his first true taste of the spotlight since returning to baseball.
The strength he showed Monday was nothing compared to what it took to get there.