BaseballHappenings.com

Cincy: “Josh was almost too much straight-arrow. Most of the guys on the team, we partied a little bit, did some drinking, but you never saw Josh Hamilton at those parties. Never. Not a single time. Not a single time was he out past sunset.

“But I was always a little concerned because he seemed to be so unsure of himself. Even to his teammates, he seemed unsure of himself at times. He was soft-spoken, very shy. I remember him going off to Tampa to play catch and throw with Jose Canseco and Fred McGriff, two idols of the game, the day after graduation. Or it may have been the day before graduation. I don’t know; but I can’t imagine what he must have been going through at (barely 18) years old, playing pro ball and hanging with these mid-20-year-old guys.”