Hamilton talked about life off the field, spending time with his daughters, and told the story about how the came to the decision to finally retire from the game.
"It's been good. I've been able to spend time with my girls and be a dad. (I) get to make up for some lost time with them. You know, see them play sports, take them to school. Just do all the things that a normal dad does."
"Oh man ... Yes (chuckling). Why are you asking me questions like that!? You know, I would be lying if I said I didn't wake up some mornings, or when I'm at a restaurant (watching tv) and when I see ballgames on, the feeling rises up inside me," Hamilton said. "Every day I think about it, and say I'm ready to go. But at the same time, I'm enjoying my girls so much. I'm enjoying being dad and being home and being dad, so it's easy (to say no).
"I would probably say never being a showboat or being cocky. Never pimping home runs. Just doing it and acting like you've done it before. The guys I watched growing up, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Paul O'Neill ... watching them being professional on the field and acting like they'd done it before ... So probably staying that way my whole career."
"Can I tell you a quick story? So when I decided to retire ... I was at the ranch, my girls were homeschooled at the time and I was praying for like a week about what to do, how to get them to school, this and that.
"I'm out there cutting firewood in the wintertime, and got an old ax chopping wood. And I'd take a chop and bust a log up, and immediately as I cut through it, God was like, 'you know you can be done?' And, I'm like, 'what do you mean?' And he's like, 'you know why you don't want to be done?' And, I'm like, 'no. ...' And he says, 'it's because you're afraid.' And, I'm like, 'afraid of what?'
"And he says, 'well baseball is the only thing you've ever known since you were three.' And I go, 'well, I haven't played in two years.' And he said, 'yes, but mentally, emotionally, physically, you've been preparing to get back to play. I got something more for you after baseball.'"
And I said, 'okay,' and I called my agent and said, 'I'm done.'"