The Natural

In case you missed it last night, Josh Hamilton, a year and a half back in to baseball (and in the top 5 in most of the league's statistical catagories), after missing three years with heroin and alcohol addiction, hit 28 home runs in the first round of the home run derby. I watch a lot of sports but this was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. 56,000+ people at Yankee Stadium were all chanting his name in unison, and everytime he responded with another home run. And they weren't just getting out over the wall either. They were bombed in to the middle of the top deck in right field, or off the scoreboard in dead center, 500 feet and beyond. The only thing he didn't do was grab a home made bat, hit a ball in to the lights and round the bases in a storm of sparks and thunder.

In the end he didn't win because they erase your totals when you get to the finals and he was probably a bit tired after crushing 20 more home runs than everyone else. But it doesn't matter. All anyone will remember from the entire event was his first round. It's rare that an athlete, when given the chance, totally embraces the opportunity and makes himself a legend. But that's why we watch and last night it happened.

Video below: