Josh Hamilton

THE TEXAS RANGERS will not be making any offers to Josh Hamilton before he hits the open market in free agency. Clubs have a chance to negotiate with their own prospective free agents, but Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said the team agreed with Hamilton's representatives that the slugger would test the market, so they'll wait to see how it shakes out. "If you've gone this far, you're going to test the market," Daniels said. "The realities are when a guy goes out and tests the market and it's this close, you're not going to pre-empt it. I think he's going to go out and test the market and see what's out there and get back to us. "No door has been closed.

BALTIMORE - Josh Hamilton became the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game, launching a quartet of two-run drives against three different pitchers in a history-making performance that carried the Texas Rangers to a 10-3 victory over the Orioles on Tuesday night. Hamilton homered off Jake Arrieta in the first and third innings, added another off Zach Phillips in the seventh and topped it off with a one-for-the-books shot against Darren O'Day in the eighth. During the last at-bat, Hamilton sent an 0-2 pitch over the centerfield wall.

The boos of Texas are upon Josh Hamilton. That's OK - the Los Angeles Angels slugger spurned the delights of Arlington for the bright lights of, uh, Orange County. But in yet another sign that we take sports way, way too seriously, Hamilton said his wife had to call for security before his first game back because creeps were shouting obscenities and personal insults at his family. But, remember, those Texas louts didn't ever boo Santa, just threatened a woman and her kids, so Philly fans can keep the rep as the worst in all the land.

DALLAS - The Dallas Morning News reported last night that Texas Rangers outfielder and recovering drug addict Josh Hamilton had a relapse earlier this week when he drank alcohol at a bar. The newspaper, citing unidentified "individuals familiar with the episode," reported that Hamilton was at a Dallas area bar Monday. In a statement to the newspaper, the Rangers said they were "aware of a situation, but we don't have further comment at this time. " Hamilton, 31, was suspended for more than 3 years for drug and alcohol use while in the Tampa Bay organization.

Who's Who Here is a list of just some of the athletes that Dr. William Meyers has either consulted with or operated on: John Abraham Brady Anderson Josh Bard Danny Briere Jammal Brown Sheldon Brown Brent Celek Jason Chimera Kevin Curtis Kyle Davies Kris Draper Patrik Elias Ray Emery Robert Esche Simon Gagne Nomar Garciaparra Tyson Gay...

Blame the blue eyes Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton , last season's American League MVP, has an explanation for batting .122 during the day and .374 at night this season. His blue eyes. "I ask guys all the time," Hamilton told ESPN-FM 103.3 in Dallas. "Guys with blue eyes, brown eyes, whatever . . . and guys with blue eyes have a tough time. " Hamilton also has an opinion about the Rangers' leading the AL West: "Amazing. " Texas, which went to the World Series last year, has six fewer wins than it had at the same point in 2010 and as many interleague losses even though it has played just half its schedule against National League teams.

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Texas Rangers say a fan died after falling out of the stands while trying to catch a baseball tossed his way during the game. The Rangers did not identify the man; they said he fell about 20 feet. The fan fell headfirst and landed behind a 14-foot-high wall supporting a video board that shows replays and scores from other games. The accident happened in the second inning after Oakland's Conor Jackson hit a foul ball that ricocheted into leftfield.

Roger Clemens said little publicly in the immediate aftermath of the Hall of Fame vote. More than a month later, he's willing to share his thoughts, about the vote - and more. About missing out on the Hall of Fame: "I'm not going to lose any sleep over it," Clemens said. "If those guys feel I deserve to be there, then I deserve to be there. If they feel I don't, then that's OK, too. " About country star Mindy McCready, who made headlines in April 2008 when she claimed a longtime relationship with Clemens: Clemens handed out a written statement that said, "Yes, that is sad news" about her apparent suicide.

In perhaps the biggest move in free agency this year, the Los Angeles Angels and slugger Josh Hamilton agreed on Thursday to a $125 million, five-year deal. Hamilton's $25 million average salary matches Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard for the second-highest in baseball, trailing only Alex Rodriguez's $27.5 million yearly average with the Yankees. The Rangers had hoped to re-sign the 2010 American League MVP, who led Texas to consecutive World Series appearances, in 2010 and 2011.

The boos of Texas are upon Josh Hamilton. That's OK - the Los Angeles Angels slugger spurned the delights of Arlington for the bright lights of, uh, Orange County. But in yet another sign that we take sports way, way too seriously, Hamilton said his wife had to call for security before his first game back because creeps were shouting obscenities and personal insults at his family. But, remember, those Texas louts didn't ever boo Santa, just threatened a woman and her kids, so Philly fans can keep the rep as the worst in all the land.

Roger Clemens said little publicly in the immediate aftermath of the Hall of Fame vote. More than a month later, he's willing to share his thoughts, about the vote - and more. About missing out on the Hall of Fame: "I'm not going to lose any sleep over it," Clemens said. "If those guys feel I deserve to be there, then I deserve to be there. If they feel I don't, then that's OK, too. " About country star Mindy McCready, who made headlines in April 2008 when she claimed a longtime relationship with Clemens: Clemens handed out a written statement that said, "Yes, that is sad news" about her apparent suicide.

In my last column I wrote that this was the winter of our discontent and that Super Squibb's Wing Bowl 21 bid was our only chance for a true champion in this city. Since that time just 2 weeks ago, somehow things seem to have become remarkably brighter. The rapid development of Nick Foles, Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox has given Eagles fans a reason to at least dream that they might live to see the Lombardi Trophy paraded down Broad Street. Sixers fans have seen the emergence of Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner as two young stars who just might lead us to another deep run in the playoffs, even though it's beginning to look like there's a better chance that Moses Malone will play center for us this season than Andrew Bynum.

In perhaps the biggest move in free agency this year, the Los Angeles Angels and slugger Josh Hamilton agreed on Thursday to a $125 million, five-year deal. Hamilton's $25 million average salary matches Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard for the second-highest in baseball, trailing only Alex Rodriguez's $27.5 million yearly average with the Yankees. The Rangers had hoped to re-sign the 2010 American League MVP, who led Texas to consecutive World Series appearances, in 2010 and 2011.

IN THE SPAN of 120 minutes on Thursday afternoon, two major league outfielders found new homes on two different coasts. Josh Hamilton, the prize of the free-agent market and apple of many a Phillies fan's eye, agreed to a 5-year, $125 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Hamilton got a Ryan Howard-sized contract to join a formidable lineup that includes Albert Pujols and Mike Trout. Ben Revere, a player many Phillies fans hadn't heard of 10 days ago, arrived at the home clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park for the first time less than 2 hours after the Hamilton news broke.

This is a post by David Murphy on the Daily News' High Cheese blog. WE'LL START with the caveats. The Phillies could have far more cash at their disposal than they are letting on. They could have an ownership group that is willing to risk 4 or 5 years on Josh Hamilton. They could be trigger-happy. Or the Texas Rangers could just be claiming interest in retaining Hamilton out of politeness. But absent a significant extenuating circumstance, I simply cannot envision a scenario in which Hamilton signing with the Phillies makes sense.

NASHVILLE - Ruben Amaro Jr. slipped into a sixth-floor suite at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel that doubles as the Phillies' headquarters this week and insisted there was no rush. Less than an hour earlier, Angel Pagan had agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract with San Francisco, and another Phillies outfield target was eliminated. "We move on," Amaro said. On the first day of baseball's winter meetings, the general manager said he still prefers to add a centerfielder via free agency and not trade.

NASHVILLE - At one point during Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.'s afternoon meeting with the media at the winter meetings, the idea of John Mayberry Jr. returning next season as the starting centerfielder was raised. Before a line forms at the top of the Walt Whitman Bridge or an angry mob shows up carrying torches at One Citizens Bank Way, you should know that Mayberry in center field is no better than Plan Z for Amaro, who said he went into this offseason with 10 Plan B's. Which Plan B comes to fruition between now and opening day in Atlanta remained a mystery on Monday as the winter meetings officially opened inside the vast Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, where holiday tourists, Tommy Lasorda, and John Kruk frequently crossed paths.

THE TEXAS RANGERS will not be making any offers to Josh Hamilton before he hits the open market in free agency. Clubs have a chance to negotiate with their own prospective free agents, but Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said the team agreed with Hamilton's representatives that the slugger would test the market, so they'll wait to see how it shakes out. "If you've gone this far, you're going to test the market," Daniels said. "The realities are when a guy goes out and tests the market and it's this close, you're not going to pre-empt it. I think he's going to go out and test the market and see what's out there and get back to us. "No door has been closed.

Texas Rangers centerfielder Josh Hamilton said Tuesday he is rooting for Detroit's Miguel Cabrera to win the AL Triple Crown. "As a fan of the game, I enjoy watching other guys succeed in what they do. " Cabrera started Tuesday leading the league with a .331 batting average and 133 RBIs. Hamilton had 43 home runs, one more than the Detroit third baseman. Hamilton led the AL in home runs and RBIs most of the season. Cabrera has made a push in September with nine home runs and 24 RBIs.