I do think Josh cracked under the increased pressure of the contract year. What looked to some like he wasn't trying I believe was an unconscious confusion brought on by the instability of the contract year. I believe 100% that Josh was giving it his all in his intentional mind, but we all know that if the heart isn't comfortable it can be very difficult to perform. I think Josh should admit this, that he had a difficult time dealing with this pressure, to himself first and foremost and then, secondarily, to the rest of Ranger land. I was also disappointed that Josh used the Biblical reference concerning "shaking the dust off" your shows when the people of a town don't accept you. I think it is clear that certain media types have given Josh a hard time for his religiosity. Ben and Skin and others in the media have made fun of Josh because he has said that he will attempt to do God's will when weighing where he will sign next year. All of this blended in to the media barrage after the Ranger's collapse, but for me it was confirmation of my previous suspicions, that some in the media give Josh a hard time on account of him being a Christian who is unabashed about sharing his faith in the public square. I felt that Josh reacted very badly to this negative attention by, intentionally or unintentionally, grouping the people in this "town" as those to which he should shake the dust off of his shoes in testimony against. I realize that it was a bad time and right after the season ending loss, but Josh should apologize, period. Most of the people of this town have been accepting of Josh and his Christian message, and for him to suggest otherwise because of some negative media attention he received is hurtful. The reality is that in almost any other town Josh will receive far greater scrutiny on account of Christianity and other issues than he did in DFW.

I am calling for Josh, whether he returns to the Rangers or not, to apologize for the way he used this Biblical passage. Even if he intended no harm that is certainly how it was received. I am also calling for Josh to admit that he had a difficult time with the contract year pressure,

The bottom line is that I want Josh back if he will make peace with Ranger land. Josh deserves better than the way he was treated by some in the media, and we deserve better than the way that Josh reacted to that attention. Again, people should make things right for the sake of doing the right thing regardless of whether Josh will be back or not. Its just not right when people who ought to value each other write each other off. I know its easy to point fingers and say mean things when you are hurting but people need to back off that stuff and do the right thing. Sometimes you have to be the bigger man, but that is what life is all about.

Make things right HOW? 40+ HRs and 120-+ RBI dont do it for ya?

You say it's easy to point fingers. Well that seems to be easy for you. Josh doesnt owe anyone anything.

Josh owes Rangers fans an apology for his hurtful comments employing this Biblical passage:

"Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words--go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."

Any Christian ought to know that Josh went too far in employing this passage against DFW. I realize some have given Josh a hard time, but that does not justify this sort of comment. Most have been accepting of Josh's message in this town. I've been very fair in my assessment here, anyone suggesting otherwise is just blatantly biased.

I would like to think that what Josh said was just something that slipped out at a very difficult time, after a season ending loss. Maybe that is just what I would like to think and not the truth.

Verily again I say to thou--Josh oweth not one soul a thing. Getteth overeth it.

Yeah, if that's what he said, he really over reacting. Josh is paid millions of dollars to play a game. He has it pretty dang easy. He hasn't been tortured or maimed for his faith like the people the passage were referencing. Josh is not a martyr by any means.

Rico, thanks for the laugh!

Joe,

I agree with you. The context of this passage has to do with preaching the Gospel of Christ. That faith in Christ alone was required for salvation. If the town were to reject that message then at that point the disciples should clean the dust off their feet and move on.

It was not the Gospel that Josh tried to preach that was rejected by this community, but the appearance of apathy and mentally leaving this team before the season was over. If Josh can honestly come out and say that he tried his best, was focused, and left all on the field then I would say "wow" because what we saw in 2010 and 2011 was completely different. Forget about the numbers, I'm talking about attitude. Remember the debates when people argued over weather the Rangers needed to tell Josh to tame it down in the field so he wouldn't get hurt. That didn't happen in 2012. He had a great Spring but after that something happened. Who knows what? Quitting tobacco? Battle with God? I don't know but he wasn't the same.

Hey, I believe Ranger fans would love to have the Josh of 2010/11 back. But that was not the Josh that got booed. And he wasn't booed because of what he said or preached. He was booed because fans stop believing he cared. So, it is the Ranger fans that are washing the dust off of their feet, as it them that Josh rejected, if he truly stopped caring.

MFix,

A little hyperbole at the end there...

I think Josh is normally quite consistent but the contract year got to him, troubled his heart.

I can tell you that some people appear apathetic when they are experiencing failure. It isn't because they don't care or aren't trying but rather because that is their unconscious defense mechanism. I actually do that so I know its a thing that certain people deal with.

I do think some despised Josh because of his Christianity but those people were in the media mostly and in the great minority. I cited Ben and Skin making fun of him because he wants God to choose his next team for him. That is just obnoxious bull shit. But of course for Josh to employ that passage in that way is just wrong. He should be guilty enough to apologize, but maybe he doesn't care. Or maybe he thinks he didn't mean it that way and doesn't care enough to clarify his comments. Maybe the Josh I came to know was only an image and not a reality, after all, I don't know him personally and he is a celebrity.

Rico,

First, that was very very funny.

Second, Josh does owe us an apology.

I was disappointed that Josh went out like that. It basically casts a dark cloud over his entire time here. Whatever good he might have done by preaching Christ and telling the story of his recovery seems tainted by that most obnoxious comment of his.

Verily I say unto the least of you[eric,keystone,scooby etc]: Casteth not the 1st stone.

RICO 2:14

Josh doesn't owe us any apology, and a bad finish to his stay shouldn't taint his extreme success story while he was here. Let him get his money elsewhere, be happy for him, and let's get back to focusing on our own business.

So he has to appologize to you because he made one statement that you don't agree with and which you think tarnished all the other good he did in the name of his faith? You must be really important. There are a few things he has done and said that I don't exactly side with but I don't think anyone owes me anything. I guess Im not a democrat.

Why does this matter? I will take the player that plays who I know nothing about. Because they're playing baseball. Their beliefs don't concern me. Thanks for the overly quiet service to the team, Adrian Beltre...because that's all I care about.

Joe, so you believe that those who interpret certain lines from a book differently from YOUR inte4rpretation can only be wrong? Iff that is the case than I owe YOU a huge apology.. the obvius FACT that only YOU could be correct in understanding what has been argued over for quite some time is truly incredible..

Joe, You are an example of why it is just SOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun to be in the USA these days. A person makes a statement that could be read in a plethora of different ways one of which NOT being anything directly related to YOU, and you are demanding an apology cause your little feelings are hurt. I believe Josh quit on this team and grew tired of the side show we watched play out with him but thats the beauty of sports. He doesnt owe us an apology, we simply dont sign him to come back. You should probably call Gloria Allred and give her the sob story of how you were offended and they will get in touch with CNN or MSNBC and Im sure you will get that apolgy soon.

@ Adam and truthserum:

Um...... Quite clearly Joe is an Evangelical far-right Republican. He's not a grievance-group liberal. He's a grievance-group, there's-a-war-on-Christmas conservative. Being a douchey idiot is a fully bipartisan sport.

Wow Scoobs ... that seems like an interjection of rather vehement angst.

BTW, I'm not an evangelical or a Republican, but I do share certain things with those groups.

Adam,

One thing is for sure, I am very very important ;)

Rico: "Verily again I say to thou--Josh oweth not one soul a thing. Getteth overeth it."

LOL, that's one of the funniest things I've read on here in a while.

Joe, I fully apologize for making assumptions and using loose language. I should have said "Conservative Chistian" not Evangelical Republican. My bad. And no angst. Just feel it's a duty to correct the FoxBots when they see someone from their side (which you are) making douchey and entitled moral pronouncements, which you do regularly, usually regarding Josh or Michael Young, often using the word "shit" in a manner I can only describe as aggressively stupid, and assume such douchey entitlement must be rooted in MSNBC-watching liberalism.

Scoobs,

I am fine with what you are saying here, just so long as you realize that you are making a moral pronouncement.

Scooby,
That's enough. Play nice or you will be grounded from the computer

I actually enjoy reading threads where Joe either 1. Calls out the entire fanbase/front office for not treating Josh Hamilton well enough, because he is a vocal Christian and therefor deserves better treatment than Tateyama, Michael Young, or Derek Holland (amoung others). Or 2. Calls out Josh Hamilton for not being a good enough Christian. When Joe, Christianity, and Josh Hamilton are involved, its almost always a good thread.

Also, I love how Scooby pretty much called Joe a stupid douchey NeoCon... and Joe's response is "I'm fine with what you are saying here."

I find the term foxbot hilarious, because all corporate run news is a farce. Fox is just honest about it.

No, Fox's slogan/concept/mantra is that its the only "fair and balanced" network... which is a lie.