Josh Hamilton wasn't himself during his time with the Angels, and he knew it.
Hamilton says he wanted to talk to Angels owner Arte Moreno about his performance, but was kept from doing so by the team's front office.
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The now-Rangers outfielder played for the Angels from 2013 until this past April, when he was traded. He says he made several attempts to talk to Moreno, but was blocked each time.
"I tried to reach out to the owner, Arte, and talk to him and tell him, 'You know what? I'm working my butt off, and I want to be the guy that played against you for all these years.' I was always turned down by the general manager and team president," Hamilton told ESPN.com. "They said they would let him know."
Hamilton's tenure with the Angels was marked by disappointing and often erratic play. He hit .255 with 31 homers in two seasons after signing a five-year, $125 million deal. The end of his tenure was marked by an admission of a drug and alcohol abuse relapse and offseason shoulder surgery in February.
"Same thing after this incident and after surgery," Hamilton said. "I talked to [Angels GM] Jerry DiPoto. 'You know Jerry, I'd love to talk to Arte and reassure him that things are OK,' and he turned me down again.
"I did what I needed to do to be a responsible man and employee and reach out to him, and I was always denied that opportunity, so my hands are clean."
Angels officials declined to comment on Hamilton's claims.
The former AL MVP is currently rehabbing with Double-A Frisco as he recovers from shoulder surgery.