Rangers fans boo Josh Hamilton, who could be moving on

• Josh Hamilton went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Friday
• Frustrated Rangers fans booed Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP
• Hamilton, now a free agent, said the odds are 50-50 on his return to Texas

ARLINGTON, Texas — Instead of the cheers he generated for five seasons in Texas, Josh Hamilton heard a shower of boos in what could be his last game as a Ranger.

Hamilton was booed heartily after grounding out in the sixth inning of Friday's American League Wild Card Game, a 5-1 loss to Baltimore that ended the Rangers' season.

At that point, the fans' impatience with Hamilton's impatience at the plate boiled over. Hamilton had seen just five pitches in three at-bats: a double play grounder, a caught-looking strikeout and another weak grounder back to the pitcher.

Hamilton heard more boos in his final at-bat in the eighth inning when he struck out on three pitches, swinging at the last one.

"I've enjoyed playing with these guys, the most fun I've ever had in my life playing baseball," said Hamilton, who becomes a free agent. "The fans, I mean it's been a good ride. No matter how the team is going or the boos, I still love them."

Contract negotiations between the Rangers and Hamilton, the 2010 American League MVP, were tabled in May.

Hamilton said after Friday's game that the odds are 50-50 on his return to Texas and said he would give the Rangers the chance to match any offer.

"I always (said I) would love to stay here," said Hamilton, surrounded by a mob of reporters in the Rangers' somber clubhouse. "They understand that and they know that. We talked earlier in the year, didn't get things worked out so we said we'd wait until the year was over. … We'll see what happens."

What happened to Hamilton in 2012 was a capsule of his time with the Rangers, which featured stretches of elation combined with bouts of frustration.

Hamilton hit .395 in March and April with nine homers and 25 RBI. That coincided with the Rangers getting off to a blazing, 17-6 start.

The average dipped to .344 in May, but the production continued to climb with 12 home runs and 32 RBI.

A natural cooling-off period in June turned into an absolutely frigid July when Hamilton hit just .177. The Rangers likewise fell off in July with a 9-14 record.

In the final month of the season, Hamilton missed five games because of eye problems later diagnosed as a condition brought on by consuming too much caffeine.

When he returned, he struggled in the field and at the plate.

The lasting image of Hamilton's season could be a dropped fly ball in Oakland on Wednesday. The error allowed the go-ahead runs to score in a game that decided the AL West title.

Hamilton appeared to track the ball casually, then was slow to retrieve it once it hit the ground. Afterwards, he had an animated exchange with manager Ron Washington in the dugout.

Hamilton said Friday that he "gave it my all" every time he suited up for the Rangers.

The Rangers have also given much to assure Hamilton's comfort. His well-documented troubles with substance abuse and his knack for coming up with bizarre injuries would test the patience of many clubs.

Now Hamilton will test the free agent waters and see if another team is ready to get on the rollercoaster.

"I haven't thought too much about it," Hamilton said. "(I'm going to) go home, spend some time with my family, figure out what's going on and enjoy them."