Josh Hamilton from a much younger time in his life. He fought off his drug addiction in his early 20’s, to become one of the best players in the game from 2008 – 2012. Following a recent list of injuries and personal battles, he has suffered a relapse in his addiction. Hamilton met with the MLB yesterday in New York, and has reportedly admitted to at least using cocaine.

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In the first two months of 2012 Josh Hamilton was putting up historic numbers and was on his way to a Cooperstown resume.  I even wrote a column on how he was the best baseball player on the planet.

I had evidence to support my statement.  In his 1st 47 Games, the man had 21 HRs and 57 RBI, while batting nearly .400, with an OPS that neared 1.200.  Included in those impressive totals was a 4 HR game at Camden Yards.

During my 30 MLB Park streak the 1st 4 weeks of the season, I saw Hamilton play four games.  He clubbed 3 HRs and added 3 doubles in his AB during the games I witnessed, and he hit one jack at Target Field that may have not landed yet.  This man was pistol hot. I had no doubt he would continue to post Hall Of Fame credentials in that  season, and for many years to come.

Right after that he quit chewing tobacco, and has been plagued with problems since.  He has left the Texas Rangers, been hurt and underperformed since signing with the Angels. 

Josh Hamilton’s 1st two months of the 2012 campaign were his best games ever as an MLB Player, but soon he found his demons overtaking his thought process. Fighting all kinds of bad habits and directly feeling guilty for an unfortunate tragedy may have caused him to spiral downwards towards drugs once again. He has also had several injury setbacks since inking his deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

Yesterday, MLB sources said he had a relapse of cocaine use during this past offseason, and that he met with league officials in New York to explain his wrongdoings.  Hamilton, now 33, is already on the shelf for his bad shoulder, but now may face disciplinary action for this setback.

I have nothing but compassion and sympathy for this guy.  He has fought off his demons, to all give us a glimpse of what his skills and talents are.  I fully see the comparisons that were put on him at a young age of Roy Hobbs character in “The Natural”.

Seeing what has transpired on social media since the news broke yesterday has been brutal.  Now, if you want to make a correlation between his struggles on the field with what the Los Angeles Angels are paying him is one thing, but to pile on him for addiction is another.  You can keep the two separate.

I have thought about Josh Hamilton a lot about since 1st hearing about this yesterday myself.  It must be tough to be in his shoes right now.  To have gone through what he did in his early career (missing out on several years of baseball due to drug use) and to come back and done what he has on a baseball field is remarkable in its own right.

We are talking about a 5 time ALL-Star, former AL MVP, former Batting Champion, who has pulled in 3 Silver Slugger Awards and had also led the league in RBI, SLG and OPS once in prior years.  His Career 3 Slash is still at .292/.352/.519 despite 2 sub par years in Anaheim.

You have to believe that all of that rampant drug use took its toll on his body from Age 19 – 24.  That his body is much older than his birth year age would indicate.

Texas had a great support unit for him installed there when he played, and having a manager like Ron Washington was the perfect circumstance for him to thrive, battling his own demons in a similar realm.  I think leaving Dallas would have been tough for Hamilton, and may have led to his downfall.

Not enough is also said to about the horrific accident in the summer of 2011, where he threw a baseball to Shannon Stone (a local firefighter who dies as a result of trying to catch that ball, before a fall ensured, causing a cardiac arrest.)  That would be a tough incident for any man to overcome in guilt, let alone someone with the past of Hamilton.

You throw in the next year quitting tobacco chew (trying to be healthy), and that is another thing he has had to overcome.  Nolan Ryan questioned his motive for doing that in the regular season.  It seemed a harsh stance from Ryan., but Josh did have problems for the last 4 months of that campaign after that.

Going through quitting tobacco myself at one point in life, I can imagine it must have made life extremely difficult.  But with mouth cancer recently being attributed to the death of Tony Gwynn, who is to criticize him for kicking that habit. 

Someone who is battling addiction have to face it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for every day of the year.  Add in some more things into the brain to fight through, and you can see where the human element had entered into this man’s psyche.

I give full credit to Josh Hamilton every time he has slipped in his Major League Career since his debut with the Reds.  This time included, he has come clean about his use.  That takes guts, and it does show he is aware of how much trouble he can get back in.  He is aware of his problem, which is step #1 in his recovery process.

It may just be that Hamilton will never regain his full talent between the lines, and perhaps his body will not ever let him compete at the same level he once did.  It is a total shame to think of what he could have accomplished if he had remained healthy all of these years.

There is no doubt that Josh Hamilton’s body is older than what his birth year would indicate. Doing drugs for years have to done some permanent damage to him. It is why he has occurred so many injuries in his MLB Career, and effected the amount of production he has been able to carry out in the last few years. it may just be that he is nearing the end of the line for his best days. If he never comes back onto the field and is like I saw him in the 2008 – 2012 seasons, that is okay by me. I will always remember what I did see in that time-frame. An immense talent, with worldly skills anybody would die for.  Albeit, I will always wonder how great he could have been, if he were healthy for his whole career.

Everyone has a right to say he has not earned his money in the time he has been with the Angels.  I am not saying that Hamilton is beyond criticism for his baseball play.  I am sure that even he realizes that this comes with the territory.  I just find an issue with people beating a man when he is down.  One that has at least proven he is willing to keep fighting against his demons. 

It has been a pleasure to watch him at his highest peaks.  I choose to remember his days in Texas right now, as opposed to what has happened since leaving there.  I fondly remember his incredible performance at the 2008 ALL – Star Game in New York City, and also all of the triumphant days he did have while in a Rangers uniform.

Texas has been to two World Series in their franchise history on the back of this man leading the offensive charge.  That fact can’t be lost when there is an eventually career synopsis for Hamilton.

Having said all of this, I fully hope that he keeps fighting his problems.  It is not how many times you fall, but how you many times you can get back up.  Hamilton still has a chance to be inspirational here.  There is life after baseball for him, and I truly hope he can reign in bad habits so he can be happy in his life.

Baseball fans have tonnes of compassion, and I am sure he has an army of people pulling for him in this regard like me.  I don’t care if he comes back to play in the Majors again.  I fully wish him a healthy recovery 1st before anything else happens.  I pray that he can stay strong for his family, and that he can live for the next years of his life clean from his battles.  If baseball is still in his coming days, I will still be rooting for him.

After a lot of time has passed, I will choose to think of his best days on the field, rather than harping on what could have been.

In the end, Josh Hamilton must make peace with himself, not worrying what others are thinking about him.  Baseball is just a game and there are more important things in life than that.

I am sure I am not the only fan to say this either “Thanks for the awesome memories you have already given us Josh.  I hope you can return to the field to play the game you love so much, but more importantly – I hope you find the strength to fulfill all the goals you set forth for yourself, in order to free yourself of your demons.”

No matter what the outcome, he is one of the most talented hitters I have ever seen play this game.

While Hamilton’s 5 year deal from the Angels may go down as one of the worst in history when it is all said and done, it is important to remember that baseball is just a game, and that this man has a wife and children. Those needs and his own personal health have to be the #1 priority here. I hope fans will show him some compassion.  Hamilton is a human being, and all of us need to remember that.

*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their partners***

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