This year’s MLB feel-good story: Josh Hamilton, a years-long crack addict, cleans up, leads the Texas Rangers out of the AL West cellar (currently in 3rd place behind the Angels and A’s and 7 1/2 games out of 1st, but who’s counting?) and starts for the American League in the All-Star Game, the last ASG ever to be played in Yankee Stadium.  (The Yankees move across the street to New Yankee Stadium after this season.)

Check out The Dallas Morning News’ coverage.

UPDATE 1:  Hamilton is currently in the first round of the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium.  He currently sits with 8 outs (of 10), and has just hit his 23rd home run, 1 shy of Bobby Abreu’s mark of 24 in 2005.  His 20th (or so) home run went for 518 feet, just shy of Sammy Sosa’s long ball mark.  More to come…

UPDATE 2:  Hamilton beat Abreu’s 2005 record.  Just hit # 25 in the first round.  Make that 26th.  Stay tuned…

UPDATE 3:  Hamilton just finished the first round with 28 home runs, just a few shy of the record for TOTAL home runs in the home run derby.

UPDATE 4:  Hamilton won the popular vote, but lost in the Electoral College.