Rangers Outfielder and NC Native Josh Hamilton Wins AL MVP Award

As the grand finale of the 2010 MLB awards season, Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton took home the MVP award for the American League.

Hamilton, a native of Raleigh, is the first recipient on the Rangers since Alex Rodriguez won it in 2003. In addition to being the AL MVP and an American League Champion, Hamilton also earned himself the MVP award in the ALCS.

Although Hamilton and his Rangers teammates fell short of a World Series victory, they have won just about everything else they could have. In addition to Hamilton's recent honors, Rangers closer Neftali Feliz locked up the vote for American League Rookie of The Year.

Having received 22 of 28 first place votes, Hamilton set the bar with a league leading .359 batting average and .411 on-base percentage. In addition to outstanding offensive numbers, Hamilton also demonstrated an impressive amount of determination late in the season as he battled rib fractures to remain in the lineup going into the postseason.

With all of the accomplishments that they have made this year, both on team and personal levels, the Texas Rangers certainly have something to be invigorated about when they start camp in February. As far as what this means for the Crawdads, players like Josh Hamilton are setting a precedent for what it means to be a member of the Texas Rangers, giving the players in Hickory an example to follow.