Even Josh Hamilton's Bat Is Doing Good

by Brandon Sneed

The man is just on fire. Everything he touches turns to gold. Rainbows rise from the earth on which he walks.

OK, not quite, obviously, but the point is: Josh Hamilton is having a great month. Last week he hit 9 home runs, pushing his season total to 18. Four of those nine came in one game, last Tuesday in Baltimore, which tied a Major League record matched only 16 times before. 

Before the bat with which Hamilton hit so historically (you gotta love over-the-top alliteration, right?) got shipped off to Cooperstown, the Rangers allowed fans to get their picture taken with it in exchange for a $5 donation. The photo shoot raised about $2,000 for programs like MLB's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Initiative as well as health-related programs hosted by the Rangers Foundation. 

"We wanted fans to be able to see something before it goes to the Hall of Fame," said the foundation's Karen Morris. "And as the same time give the fans a chance to help out the Texas Rangers' foundation." 

Hamilton hit eight of his home runs last week with the bat. Its final at-bat came in Sunday's game against the Angels, when it broke as Hamilton hit a run-scoring single. "She died a hero," he said. 

[ dfw.cbslocal.com ]