According to a Dallas Morning News report, Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton was spotted in a Dallas-area bar on Monday night.
Needless to say, he wasn't drinking bottled water.
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| Photo by: Getty Images |
Following that incident, Hamilton informed his family and the Rangers of his relapse, passed a drug test, and participated in a MLB-mandated counseling program.
The Rangers acknowledged this week's relapse by saying they were "aware of a situation," but would not comment any further.
Because of this, Hamilton's home run in Game 6 of the World Series - the one that should have clinched the title - is now a distant memory, and the previous uncertainties about him are once again back. Is he reliable? Can he stay sober? Is he a ticking time bomb?
With contract talks currently ongoing, the mere act of walking into a bar is incredibly self-destructive for Hamilton. The only explanation for his behavior is both simple and complex.
He's an alcoholic.
This will surely cause Texas to reconsider offering him a long-term contract. The same goes for other interested teams if he reaches the open market. He will be 31-years-old in May, and aside from the concern about when he might hit the downside of his career, teams will wonder about his will power, seeing as how it's safe to say every major league city has alcohol and drugs available.
As a fan of Hamilton's, I can only hope that this latest episode is just a temporary setback, and not a sign of things to come.
We all have our vices, the only difference with Hamilton is that he's a public figure. When a public figure admits their faults, they're put on a list of people like Tim Tebow where the public has this "I can't wait until they screw up again" mentality.
ReplyDeleteA few thoughts:
-What Texas bartender in their right mind serves this guy a drink?
-For alcoholics, how deep are the hooks of this disease? I mean, this guy doesn't want to screw up but his desires go farther than his head will allow.
-I'm really glad you didn't add the fan falling out of the stands as one of the reasons Hamilton fell off the wagon, like many other writers are doing. Extremely tacky.
-I would love for my team to "risk" spending a few bucks on this guy to roam the outfield. In my opinion, I'd rather have this guy who admits fault than some arrogant bastard who's knocking up a girl in each division opponents city.
Big fan of Hamilton's. Hope this disease doesn't get the best of him.
ReplyDeleteI know this will come off as me being insensitive, but I have a really hard time feeling sorry for someone who is affected by a "disease" when it's their own doing. Alcohol or drug addiction isn't like cancer. You have a say so into whether you get it or not. Just don't start using the stuff in the first place, and you'll never have a problem.
ReplyDeleteAt least Hamilton is man enough to own up to his mistakes and not run from them. That counts for something.
ReplyDelete