On eve of Angels reunion, Josh Hamilton says he 'sleeps fine' regarding split

BALTIMORE — Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton can't wait for Friday, the first time this season he gets to square off against the Los Angeles Angels – the same team that severed all ties with him back in the spring following a drug relapse.

And it's not for revenge, but because "I get my girls for a two-week period starting at 9 a.m.," Hamilton told USA TODAY Sports through a bright smile. "I'm sure I'll be on cloud nine heading into the park."

For Hamilton, it's business as usual, except this time he will have his girls in tow, as he heads into a three-game series against the Angels at Globe Life Ballpark in Arlington over Fourth of July weekend.

"I don't think I can get any more up for it," he said. "I don't do anything more different than I usually do before the game.

"Maybe the focus is a little more there. But nothing to get back at a team for any reason, just like when I left (Texas). When I came back, I was like just treat it like any old road game. I'm going to treat this like any other home game. "

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Hamilton, who played in just his second game Thursday night since coming off the disabled list with a strained hamstring, says he's excited to talk to some of the Angels.

"It will be good to see the guys," Hamilton said of his former teammates. "All or most of them were behind me when we met in Houston and had lunch. Everybody was cool."

Angels manager Mike Scioscia hopes Hamilton takes it a step further.

"I'm hoping he'll take an opportunity to thank the teammates that supported him, and to reach out to (Angels owner) Arte (Moreno) and let Arte know that maybe some of the things he did weren't what he signed up to do," Scioscia told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday in Anaheim. "We'll leave it at that."

Hamilton, when asked if he has plans to meet with Moreno, says, "No, I've tried many times in the past, even when I played for him. I've gotten turned down. As a player, I wanted to reassure him that I was doing everything I could as a player that he paid for. They said they got the message to him, whether they did or not is his own dealing.

"I can definitely say I can sleep fine at night knowing I tried."

The Angels are paying more than $60 million of the $80.2 million remaining on Hamilton's five-year, $125 million contract, so eager were they to be rid of him.

In February, while recovering from shoulder surgery, Hamilton acknowledged in a meeting with Major League Baseball officials that he had a relapse.

After an independent arbitrator ruled that Hamilton couldn't be suspended, Moreno wanted to sever all ties with the 2010 American League MVP.

Then came the trade in late April in which the Rangers didn't give up a single player and only assumed about $7 million of Hamilton's remaining salary through 2017.

Hamilton was a five-time All-Star with Texas before he signed with the Angels after the 2012 season. He hit just .255 with 31 homers and 123 RBI and had a .316 on-base percentage and .426 slugging percentage during his two seasons, including missing 73 games in 2014 with injuries.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister is not worried about who the opponent is and says Hamilton will be ready no matter what.

"He loves to compete no matter what uniform he wears. For Josh's case, I bet you for the love of competing, he will go out on that field and play the way Josh plays."

Contributing: Joe Haakenson in Anaheim

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