3
2012
2010 MVP Josh Hamilton Falls Off The Wagon
An article by Craig Lerner
According to a report in the Dallas Morning News, Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, recovering from alcohol and drug addictions, had a relapse this week in his quest to remain sober.
According to individuals familiar with the episode, Hamilton drank alcohol Monday night at Sherlock’s Pub & Grill in Dallas. Teammate Ian Kinsler also showed up at the bar for what appeared to be an attempt to persuade Hamilton to return to his home in Westlake.
Hamilton, a four-time All-Star and the American League Most Valuable Player in 2010, can become a free agent after this season. He has said he will stop negotiations on an extension when he reports to spring training. It was not known how this incident will affect the Rangers’ desire to work out a long-term extension with Hamilton.
Teammates recognize the danger to Hamilton from exposure to alcohol. Out of respect for Hamilton, the Rangers used ginger ale rather than the traditional Champagne to drench each other while he was in the room for clubhouse celebrations during the last two seasons.
Hamilton dealt with personal tragedy last summer. On July 7, during a game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, he flipped a foul ball toward the left-field bleacher seats as a souvenir. A spectator, firefighter Shannon Stone of Brownwood, Texas, lost his balance reaching for the baseball and tumbled to his death. Hamilton has developed a relationship with Stone’s son Cooper, who was at the game, and the family.
Hopefully, it’s just a setback and he’ll straighten himself out with some help from his friends, family and teammates.
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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This is just too sad for words. A man who worked so hard to overcome his illness only to take this one step backward which, for many in his situation, becomes just the first of a series of steps back down those stairs and starting all over again.
Just an uneducated guess but a tragedy resulting from such an innocent act would easily overwhelm one with guilt and cause any of us to look for an ill-advised momentary escape. Unfortunately, for Josh, there cannot be that just one step.
I am really upset to hear this. This guy is a class act and has been through a lot. We still do not know the details, but I hope it isn’t anything like ’09. In the new update of his book, they talk about the ’09 relapse and he immediately called him wife and was crying hysterically. I can only imagine what the call was like this time around.
My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
Well said.
You know it’s interesting, speaking from someone who’s father is a recovering alcoholic he can go 10 years without a drink, have one and need to get drunk. However, once it is over he can go another 5 months or 5 years. So that being said lets not make a bigger deal of this than it really is. Just because he has had one night does not mean he is off the wagon nor does it mean that he is on it either.
Whose father not who’s before Kingman hunts me down…. LOL.
HAHAHA!!
Oh, man, that’s great.
Way too busy today for this fun though, I am sorry to say.
TRS, thanks for a great start to the day!
Fight the good fight!
As I was reading the comments I was waiting for a negative one because there always is, even on a post like this. This is a very sad situation. Don’t kick the guy when he’s down by attacking him over past situations. The man is completely aware of what he did back then. To call him a lowlife isn’t fair. I have first hand experience with this type of situation and believe me, it isn’t easy at all. I personally think he’s a class act. Look at all he’s overcome. Now he has to live with the guilt surrounding the death of a man. I will be praying for Josh and his family. Maybe this incident was just an obstacle and I hope and pray that he gets by it and reports to Spring Training healthy.
I am really astonished with the lack of empathy people have towards others and just the utter amount of ignorance about life that commenter’s have on this site. How did such a collective of vomit’s make it here of all places. Referring to someone dealing with addiction as a lowlife or “Metsie” last night out of frustration that he lost a Mets arguments, called me either unemployed or a public employee as a insult.
Peter, do you really have no family members that have dealt with substance abuse, or do you and you just turn your back on them and treat them like trash.
Very Sad, I hope he finds the strength from within to keep up the fight.
Very sad news.. Hope he gets back on track.. this is like a gooden tragedy all over..
He’s had relapses before. That is the nature of addiction. You’re never cured. You just have to accept your human frailty and find people who can help support you through your recovery.
Hopefully, this was just a bump on a long road.
Dwight Gooden
Daryll Strawberry
Keith Hernandez
Lenny Dykstra
Wally Backman
I hope Hamilton gets well but the reality is that he is facing a very long, tough road.
Peter, how can you be so judgmental? What if this were you’re son or brother? Would you be so cruel and callous? Unlike many addicts he has, and is legitimately trying to get sober. This is not something you beat overnight and it’s gone for good. This will be a lifelong battle for him. Is it disappointing that he had a relapse? Of course it is. But the fact is, relapses are going to happen along the road to recovery. Josh Hamilton deserves empathy and support from the fans instead of callous, judgmental attacks on his character.
Did I get deleted?
Apparently so….as my comment was in response to yours. Which I thought was fine.
I’m thinking yours got caught up in deleting the nasty ones tat should have been taken off.
I know I’ve made the big time then!
You think I would of been deleted, I called people “Vomit’s”.
Unfortunately, when recovering addicts like Hamilton trying to stave off temptation of drugs and alcohol. The temptation is too great and whatever happened that night for Hamilton was too much for him to pass up to drink. Hopefully, its not true but he will eventually admit that he drank that night and will continue his sobriety process. I hope for his sake that he continues to stay off the drugs and alcohol that almost derail his baseball career.
He might just fall into the Mets’ price range.
Hamilton already had a press conference now on MLB network about his latest relapse and confirmed that he drank last Monday night. He didn’t take any questions from reporters after the press conference.
It’s a very sad story and you just got to wish Hamilton all the best and hope he stays strong. One thing I want to mention, the MLB Network had a special on a few years ago about Hamilton, and his teammates, Kinsler and I think Michael Young spoke about Hamilton and helping him out. After seeing that, the respect I have for Kinsler & Young is immense. Two good guys helping out a fellow teammate & human being. Good stuff.