Josh Hamilton - Get Your Heart In the Game

Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton is out of the line-up for several weeks due to a shoulder injury sustained during a head-first dive at home-plate.
The injury occurred during a game with the Detroit Tigers wherein Josh was sent home after tagging up for a foul-ball pop-up.
Reports are that Josh was sent by Ranger third base coach, Dave Anderson and against Josh Hamilton's inner instinct.

Hamilton called the decision to send him "stupid".
He claims that while he tagged up at 3rd base, and Dave Anderson was yelling at him to go for home since no one was covering the plate, all he (Hamilton) was thinking was "I don’t want to do this, something is going to happen."

What?!
"I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS"?!!
"SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN"?!!

The absurdity of these thoughts lends insight as to why Josh Hamilton is so often injured.
In the heat of a game, most professional athletes are probably not thinking about injury.

Josh Hamilton's concentration needs to be better.
His fear of injury needs to be overcome.

L.A. Kings Right-Winger Justin Williams is currently injured with a dislocated shoulder because he got checked into the boards during a game against Calgary.
L.A. Lakers Center Andrew Bynum hyper-extended his knee when he stepped on another player's foot while running back on defense during last night's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

What do the Williams and Bynum injuries have to do with Josh Hamilton?
Nothing.  These situations are very different from Hamilton's.
And that's the problem.

If L.A. King's coach, Terry Murray, had been barking at Williams to chase the puck and center it for a scoring attempt right before the injury inducing body-check, I assure you that Justin Williams wouldn't blame his shoulder injury on the coach.
And rest assured that Justin Williams was NOT thinking "I don't want to do this. Something is going to happen" as he chased down the puck at center-ice.

When Laker Andrew Bynum was running back on defense last night, do you think he was thinking, "I don't want to do this. Something is going to happen"?
Of course not.
Nor will he blame Coach Phil Jackson for the injury...even though I'm sure Coach Jackson often preaches the importance of running back on defense to his players.

C'mon Josh, man-up.
It's OK to be injury-prone.
Professional sports is hard on a body.
But, it seems to me that your problem is with your head and your heart.

What's next?
Is Josh Hamilton going to refuse to step on a base for fear of twisting an ankle?

"Kids, A ball-point is sharp. I don't want to sign this. Something's going to happen."

Make Way For The BC Foo!