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Josh Hamilton says Angels didn't allow him to speak with owner Arte Moreno
It's been nearly three weeks since Josh Hamilton was officially traded back to the Texas Rangers, but much of the conversation around the 2010 AL MVP remains about the events that led to his departure from the Los Angeles Angels with $83 million left on a five-year, $125 million contract he signed before the 2013 season.
Here's the latest drama: Hamilton told the media before his game with Double-A Frisco on Saturday that he wasn't allowed the opportunity to sit down with Angels owner Arte Moreno despite making multiple requests to talk to Moreno one-on-one.
From Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas-Morning News:
Hamilton spelled out in no uncertain terms that he tried on a number of occasions over the last two years to speak to Moreno about his hitting problems and other issues but was repeatedly told by general manager Jerry DiPoto that he would deliver the message.
“I wanted to talk to [Moreno] and tell him, ‘I’m working my butt off and want to be the guy that played against you all these years,’ but I was turned down by the GM and the team president. They said they would let him know,” Hamilton said.
“Same thing after this incident [his offseason relapse] and the [shoulder] surgery. I did what I needed to do to be a responsible man and employee and reach out to him. So my hands are clean.”
As our Tim Brown wrote after the trade went through, Moreno and the Angels had reached a point of no return with Hamilton and there wasn't anything the soon to be 34-year-old outfielder could say to change their minds. He was a disappointment on the field during his two seasons in Southern California and his offseason drug and alcohol relapse turned an already dire situation into one that was completely untenable, at least in the eyes of the Angels.
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Thankfully, that's all behind them now and both sides can move on. Hamilton went 4-for-5 for Frisco on Saturday as he continues to gear up for his return to the majors, and there's a distinct possibility he could be in the Rangers' lineup as early as Thursday.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
