This Day in Baseball History
2007 - Reds trade Josh Hamilton to Rangers
The Texas Rangers acquire former top prospect Josh Hamilton from the Cincinnati Reds for pitchers Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera.
Hamilton, 26, was the No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft and ranked baseball's best prospect two seasons later before a substance abuse problem chased him out of the game for several years.
The left-handed slugger returned to baseball in 2006 and enjoyed an abbreviated rookie season with the Reds, clubbing 19 homers with a .922 OPS across 90 games in 2007. He was rewarded for his efforts by earning Rookie of the Month honors in April.
"The second season after being out for three-and-a-half years is an important season," Hamilton said following the trade. "This is maybe where I start becoming an established big leaguer."
Hamilton would break out in Texas, hitting 32 homers and driving in a league-leading 130 runs with the Rangers in 2008. It marked the first of five straight All-Star selections for Hamilton, who also secured the AL MVP in 2010 after hitting .359 to win the batting title.
Volquez performed well with the change in scenery too, pitching to a 3.21 ERA over a career-high 196 innings for the Reds in 2007. The right-hander's All-Star campaign included a personal-best 17 wins and fourth-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting.
Birthdays
1948 - Dave Kingman
1957 - Tom Henke
1960 - Andy Van Slyke
1972 - LaTroy Hawkins
1983 - John Mayberry
1987 - Khris Davis
1988 - Danny Duffy