This man wants to get paid

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"Pick me out a winner, Bobby"

As if you needed any other reason to get excited for the Texas Rangers, the thought that one of the more explosive players of the past five years was entering into a contract year and playing for, probably, his one and only big deal as a professional athlete had to get you pretty revved up.

Josh Hamilton is happening.

Already off to a tremendous year, Hamilton rewrote the history books tonight in a 10-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Tonight: 5-5 - 4 runs - 4 home runs -1 double - 8 RBI.

It's the 16th four-homer game in MLB history, the last coming in 2003 (Carlos Delgado). The 19 total bases is a new American League record for a game.

As for what's really important: Hamilton 8, Orioles 3, and it really wasn't that close.

And the bill for Hamilton continues to go up and up. A little over an hour before the start of tonight's game, writer Jim Bowden went on Twitter reporting that the Rangers and Hamilton were working toward a long-term extension.

As this goes on, it feels like it's going to get worked out mid-season, which seems crazy on Hamilton's end if his endgame is making a shitload of money. He'll get it with Texas. He could get more elsewhere.

Of course, none of us know Hamilton's motivations or intentions. If he wants huge cash in the winter, he'll not extend. If he wants good cash and a good team for the rest of his playing days, he'll sign.

Hamilton fast stats:

1
In American League in average, RBI, home runs, slugging and OPS. Second in runs.

.840
Slugging percentage. In his 2010 MVP year, he slugged .633.

1.298
OPS. In 2010: 1.044.

14
Home runs. He had 25 all of last season. Another two games in Baltimore and he might match it.

To put this in some perspective, you are dealing with a not-great pitching staff in a hitters park. He hit home runs off Zachary Phillips, a former Rangers farmhand, just up from the minors, and the ex-Ranger Darren O'Day, a  submarining righty. Hamilton was almost being set up to make history.

The Orioles relievers, last two games: 6.2 IP - 15 hits - 11 runs - 3 walks - 4 home runs.

Yes, it was an unbelievable night and I'm glad he's ours. But now is not the time to react and demand on Twitter that he should be extended immediately. He hurts his hip tomorrow and goes down for two months and we're singing a different tune.

****
There were other players. In fact, nine of them.

Most notably was Neftali Feliz, who rebounded beautifully from his worst start: 6 IP - 4 hits - 1 run - 2 walks - 8 Ks.

Seemed he relied heavily on his fastball often getting into the mid- to high-90s with it. Threw quite a bit of strikes (68 of 105) and simply was blowing away hitters. It worked. For now.

****
Nelson Cruz collected another three hits, including another double. As Jonah Keri noted in his weekly MLB rankings, an abnormal amount of Cruz's flyballs are getting caught or staying in the park (he also extolled the Baltimore Orioles). In theory, that changes. But you like seeing him comfortable at the plate.

His average has jumped from .216 to .250 in two days.

By the way, he looks strikingly thinner this year.

****
Finally, no one's goosing me quite like Elvis Andrus. He extended his on-base streak to 26 games tonight getting on four times and scoring all four times on Hamilton's bombs. He's hitting .319 and getting on base 40 percent of the time.

He is also close to walking (15) more than he's striking out (18). All apologies to Cruz and Hamilton, but Andrus may be more locked in than any of them.

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