Cesar Tordesillas

In a statement that could draw the ire of his former followers, ex-Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton said Dallas-Fort Worth area is not a true baseball town, even calling the fans that stood behind him through thick and thin as "spoiled".

"There are true baseball fans in Texas, but it's not a true baseball town," said Hamilton, who signed a five-year $125 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels this offseason.

"They're supportive but they also got a little spoiled at the same time pretty quickly," said the slugger, who added that Dallas has always been a football town.

"You think about three to four years ago (before two straight World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011). It's like, come on man, are you happier there again?" he added.

Rangers manager Ron Washington refused to comment about Hamilton's statement, saying he's entitled to his own opinion.

"That's Josh's opinion. My opinion is there were 3.5 million fans that came through the turnstiles. That answers it right there," Washington said.

Rangers outfielder David Murphy debunked Hamilton's claim, saying he was satisfied with how the fan base has supported the club the past three seasons.

"We've had an absolutely electric environment to where I think visiting teams coming to play us in Arlington probably view it as hostile a place as there is in baseball and that definitely plays to our advantage," Murphy said.

Hamilton's stint with the Rangers ended in disappointing fashion as the team lost a six-game lead over the Oakland A's in the AL West with nine games to play.

Hamilton dropped a routine fly ball in the final game of the season, allowing the A's to clinch the division title.

In the wild-card game, he went 0-for-4 and saw a total of eight pitches in the AL wild-card loss to Baltimore. Some fans booed Hamilton after he struck out in his final at-bat.

Hamilton expects mixed feelings from the crowd when he plays for the first time in Arlington wearing an Angels uniform on April 5.

"It will be mixed feelings from the crowd," Hamilton said. "People who really get it will cheer and the people who don't will boo. Either way, I'll do what I got to do to help my team win."

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Josh Hamilton Says Dallas-Fort Worth Area 'Not a True Baseball Town'