Josh Hamilton, MLB All Star outfielder for the Texas Rangers, hung out on Monday with David Letterman on 53rd Street outside of the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan, for a down and dirty hitting contest.
Also getting in on the action was Samuel L. Jackson, who did some pitching from the makeshift mound.
The 30-year-old guest athlete’s hitting demo, with foam baseballs, will air on Dave’s Wednesday, June 15 broadcast.
Hamilton signed a two year contract worth $24 million with the Rangers in February. His season got off to a rocky start when he fractured his right humerus in mid-April. The injury had him on the DL list until May 23, when he rejoined the team and hit a home run on the second pitch he saw during his first at-bat.
He struggled with drugs and alcohol for many years before getting clean in October 2005. The athlete did some backsliding two years ago, suffering a lapse in early 2009. He kept the secret for many months until incriminating photos surfaced in August of that year. Hamilton said: “Obviously it was one of those things that reinforce that I can’t have alcohol.”
The athlete’s wife, Katie Hamilton, has stood by her man through thick and thin. They have two daughters — view family photos.
Check out Dave’s red footwear and Josh Hamilton’s hitting demonstration below:
Photos: WENN