Let's all hope that Josh gets the help he needs and can go on with his with or without baseball. He has a family that needs him for the rest of his left so good luck Buddy.
2
I'm an Angel fan. I was disappointed and amazed when the Angels spent so much money on 3 free agents--one of them Hamilton. I felt then and continue to feel it showed a lack of common sense and a lack of baseball sense. Obviously Josh Hamilton has not produced anywhere near the work and quality of work a "superstar" should produce.
No one knows how how much his personal problems have contributed to his problems on the field and inability to stay on the field. Everyone wants to talk about what a great guy and great team mate he is, but I'll say it--his performance on field against Kansas City in the play-offs was a joke. He should not have been in the line-up.
I hope Josh Hamilton gets healthy and stays healthy. I hope he produces for the Angels. And most of all I hope the Angels have figured out you can't buy a championship. I feel cheated by Hamilton, Wilson, and Dipoto. And it has nothing to do with drugs.
No one knows how how much his personal problems have contributed to his problems on the field and inability to stay on the field. Everyone wants to talk about what a great guy and great team mate he is, but I'll say it--his performance on field against Kansas City in the play-offs was a joke. He should not have been in the line-up.
I hope Josh Hamilton gets healthy and stays healthy. I hope he produces for the Angels. And most of all I hope the Angels have figured out you can't buy a championship. I feel cheated by Hamilton, Wilson, and Dipoto. And it has nothing to do with drugs.
3
He had surgery in early February? Didn't the Angels know he would need surgery on his shoulder before that? Let's start calling this 'Curt Schilling Syndrome' a condition characterized by a tendency to wait until the last minute, or forego surgery completely while collecting your entire multi-million dollar contract in return for providing no service to a team.
He was MVP the year the Giants beat Texas for their first World Series. Every time I heard him interviewed it was all Jesus Saves and My Lord and Savior. I thought it bizarre but was surprised he had a drug relapse.
A couple of great seasons and an off the charts home run derby do not, or rather should not confer "superstar" status on a player. But such is the age of sports today.
Josh Hamilton's is a tragic story, but one largely of his own making. Quite frankly, why the Angels do not fire him for cause is beyond me. His conduct is certainly detrimental to MLB and the Angels.
If he had a conscious, he'd retire on what he's made so far in his contracts. The fact that he hangs onto the millions still due him despite being useless to his team mates does not speak well for what remains of his character.
MLB and the Angels are doing him no favors by keeping him in baseball.
Josh Hamilton's is a tragic story, but one largely of his own making. Quite frankly, why the Angels do not fire him for cause is beyond me. His conduct is certainly detrimental to MLB and the Angels.
If he had a conscious, he'd retire on what he's made so far in his contracts. The fact that he hangs onto the millions still due him despite being useless to his team mates does not speak well for what remains of his character.
MLB and the Angels are doing him no favors by keeping him in baseball.
5
We wish the best for Mr. Hamilton and hope he is able to achieve long-term sobriety.
On the other hand, protecting alcoholics and addicts from consequences doesn't necessarily help. In the mental health world, it is known as "enabling," and in the long run, frequently makes things worse.
This is another example of the preferential treatment given pampered athletes. There are plenty of alcoholics and addicts who are really nice people but who do not get the benefit of paid protector, like the Angels got for Mr. Hamilton (not that it helped). Then again, you can ask yourself if the Angels were protecting a nice guy or protecting a multi-million dollar investment.
BTW, Mr. Hamilton's case is considered by some to be similar to A-Rod's. They are similar in that they were both drug violations. But Mr. Hamilton's is a very different kind of addiction, a very sad kind, for it is a progressive disease and ultimately fatal, if unchecked.
I wish people would stop worrying about whether Hamilton plays again. In the grand scheme of things, it is immaterial, and just confuses the issue. The big issue is whether he can get sober before doing further harm to himself or others. Sadly, that is out of everybody's control. All we can do is watch and wish him the best.
On the other hand, protecting alcoholics and addicts from consequences doesn't necessarily help. In the mental health world, it is known as "enabling," and in the long run, frequently makes things worse.
This is another example of the preferential treatment given pampered athletes. There are plenty of alcoholics and addicts who are really nice people but who do not get the benefit of paid protector, like the Angels got for Mr. Hamilton (not that it helped). Then again, you can ask yourself if the Angels were protecting a nice guy or protecting a multi-million dollar investment.
BTW, Mr. Hamilton's case is considered by some to be similar to A-Rod's. They are similar in that they were both drug violations. But Mr. Hamilton's is a very different kind of addiction, a very sad kind, for it is a progressive disease and ultimately fatal, if unchecked.
I wish people would stop worrying about whether Hamilton plays again. In the grand scheme of things, it is immaterial, and just confuses the issue. The big issue is whether he can get sober before doing further harm to himself or others. Sadly, that is out of everybody's control. All we can do is watch and wish him the best.
8
Very thoughtful and thought-provoking. Thank you.
Addiction is a disease of relapse. I wish him and his family only the best of luck in the difficult times ahead.
Is this a relapse of substance abuse? Or is it PEDs? No one seems to be talking.
This is very sad; it just doesn't seem as though he had the support system in Anaheim that he had with the Rangers. Hamilton was always in danger of a relapse, no matter how hard he worked to get back to the big leagues. Very sad, but it was great he did what he did with his second chance. Very fun player to watch at his peak.
Totally agree that it was great fun to watch him at his peak. This story should remind us that athletes, even as super-human as they can often appear, are human beings like the rest of us.