Josh Hamilton and the Grace of God

Have you heard the story of Josh Hamilton? The link is a story that Josh told to one of ESPN's writers, and it was written about this time last season. Since then, Hamilton was traded to the Rangers and has become one of the biggest and best stories in baseball. Two years ago, when he had just started breaking into the big leagues with the Reds, he had a dream that he was in the Home Run derby at Yankee Stadium. Last night, he was, and he went on a tear. I mean a serious tear; one that nobody in the history of the game has ever been on. He destroyed the previous mark of 24 HR's in a single round; hitting 13 in a row at one point, and finishing with 28.

Hamilton didn't end up winning the derby, but there is no doubt that it was his night. Never before has a crowd gotten so much behind a single player (who wasn't representing the home team) in the derby. But his story is phenomenal. It is a story that brings hope to those who are in the darkest of places; mired in the depths of addiction. And perhaps what seals the deal for me is that Hamilton is not using this as a stage for himself, but as a stage to give all the praise to God. He could very easily enjoy the limelight and talk about himself, but every opportunity that I have had to hear him speak, he has given all of the praise to God. And that is amazing.