The Rangers Josh Hamilton may be getting a little too much respect from opposing managers lately, but it doesn't look like he's giving that same respect back to his fans.
Hamilton was in Boston over the weekend for the Rangers series against the Red Sox when he got word that his wife was going into labor with their child. Obviously Josh left Fenway to head to the airport to get home in time, but there were no flights back to Dallas until the next morning. Hamilton also didn't want to pay the $41,000 he needed for a private plane.
So, understandably, Josh wasn't in the greatest mood when he got back to the team hotel after the game, and he took that frustration out on a couple of fans.
Derek Kilduff told the Track he was one of five people waiting for the visiting ballplayers at the hotel, but when his girlfriend and 12-year-old nephew asked the jock for an autograph, he refused.
"My girlfriend continued to walk next to him telling him how my nephew was his biggest fan," said Kilduff. "Hamilton stopped, turned around, got into my girlfriend's face, about 4 inches from her face, and screamed, 'I have a kid on the way and I have to pack!' "
"All of the Texas Rangers players were standing there watching this, as a player came over and pulled Hamilton away from my girlfriend," the ex-Rangers fan told us.
"Everyone seemed to be in shock, including the people standing outside the hotel. I was in complete shock and speechless after that happened. My nephew was extremely upset. . . . Did he have to scream in her face?"
Yes, apparently he did have to scream in her face, Derek. You see, when you first asked for the autograph from Josh he said no. Then your girlfriend continued to follow him and pester him for the autograph. So you see, simply saying no did not work for Josh, but the yelling at her did.
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Considering the situation Hamilton was dealing with at the time, I don't blame him one bit.
