Baseball people have long known the story of Josh Hamilton, but 2008 -- which now includes last night's thrilling Home Run Derby performance, not to mention a Sports Illustrated cover story and a hunt for the Triple Crown -- has made Hamilton a household name. He's a tribute to the power of redemption and determination and faith and other nebulous morals that get Rick Reilly warm in the britches, and what good is fighting your way back to the majors if you can't cash in on your ability?
Get ready, Mr. Hamilton. Baby, you're (about to be) a rich man:
"This is a marathon and we're very protective of not losing sight of that," Moye said. "In the beginning, we said we'd wait until the off-season to look at things, but if there's some association that works out before that, we'll obviously take a look at it. I've been doing this for 25 years and it's certainly the most amazing story I've ever come across. The baseball junkies definitely knew Josh, but I think America learned who he was last night," Moye said. "The phone has definitely been ringing."The one downside? Hamilton could still be seen as a risk -- is drug use, even conquered, something Gatorade and Nike want to associate their product with? I say yes. Not everyone can relate to the otherworldliness of LeBron James, but plenty of people can relate to the human strength required to beat a universal menace like addiction. Hamilton could be an endorsement beast not in spite of his past, but because of it.
