Last week in the midst of all the hype of the Super Bowl a big news story got pushed off the shelves b/c it wasn't a football story. Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers violated his sobriety and had a few drinks at a restaurant in the Dallas area. This is a tough story to analyze Hamilton is a recovering addict, booze is least of his past vices. This is his second relapse in 3 years with alcohol, he gets drug tested 3 times a week regular and off season by Major League Baseball, so relapsing into drugs would be hard for him, also booze is easier to get your hands on. I have a couple of views on this personally and professionally.
First of all, I feel terrible for Josh. He has been fighting this since he got drafted in 1999, and has been suspended by MLB for over a season and a half. He has a wife and children so you have to hope he has the support system to help him through these times when he feels the need to use. As someone who isn't considered an addict I don't know where he's coming from and what his demons are, but I think sometimes he needs to make better decisions. Josh said the reason for the relapse was a family matter, maybe he needed someone outside the family to help him. I don't root for the Rangers, I in fact dislike them, but I root for Hamilton to stay healthy and sober and continue his career. Addiction isn't something to joke about, and the fact Hamilton admits he has a problem is a great thing. Sometimes, we need to separate sports from real life and this year it seems those two keep crossing each other, so it'd be nice if they would stop.
Now onto the professional part of this problem. The Texas Rangers have made mistakes this off season that have direct influences on Hamilton. For one they let C.J. Wilson go, the guy who lives a clean lifestyle, and along with Hamilton had the team have Ginger Ale celebrations before the champagne celebrations after clinching playoff series or division championships. C.J. was a direct supporter for Josh, and helped him on road trips by playing X Box and hanging with him while his teammates are at the bars and strip clubs. The second mistake the Rangers made was letting Hamilton's personal accountability partner walk away to become hitting coach for the Brewers and not hiring someone right away to spend the off season with Josh. These two losses had a huge effect on Josh violating his sobriety. In his time of need he called Ian Kinsler to have supper with and afterward Kinsler dropped Josh off and didn't worry about him, well Hamilton went back to the bar and started drinking. Had he one of the two closest people in the organization with him at the time he may not have gotten that chance to head back.
A thing though that most people missed is the fact the Rangers may have missed a huge free agent in hopes of getting Hamilton resigned next year. The Rangers who had a shot at Prince Fielder decided investing in Hamilton for around the same money was a better idea. So now because of this if your the Rangers do you still give Hamilton an 8 year deal next year or do you only give him 3 years, or do you put a clause in there about sobriety and risk the chance of alienating him. I know this is a lot to take in, but if your gonna invest 200 million plus in a guy you gotta know he's not gonna be facing suspension from the league, or be spending time in prison during this contract. I know Josh has a sickness and I hope he can keep beating it, but if he keeps having these little hiccups he's gonna run himself out of the league that he fought so hard to get back. Stay well Josh and get a support system that will help you since the Rangers didn't try to keep the one you had in tact.
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