The Sad Tale of Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton was drafted number one in the Baseball Draft.
Initially he couldn't live up to the billing.
He was hooked on all kinds of drugs.
He was homeless, penniless and really struggling to survive. He was cut from the team.
He had failed.
But Hamilton got the help he needed. He worked hard. He beat the addiction to hard drugs.
His story was heartwarming.
Hamilton rediscovered his talents with the Reds and then arrived at the pinnacle of the sport with Texas.
Hamilton dominated the home run derby in Yankee Stadium and he told the world that when he was at rock bottom he had envisioned the moment.
He spoke of Jesus saving him.
The sporting world embraced him.
Hamilton was MVP. He went to two World Series.
Yet the end of his time in Texas was strange.
He missed a game or two because he drank so much coffee (as the story goes) that he became dehydrated.
He tossed a ball in the direction of a fan who fell to his death in trying to catch the ball.
He loafed after a pop up in the playoffs and the Texas fans turned on him, booing him off the field.
But he got a huge free agent contract from the Angels, anyway.
Yet he seemed disinterested.
He got hurt.
There were whispers.
He admitted to having a drinking binge.
His wife and children stood by him.
The Angels talked of getting him more support.
He tried to hit again...looked lost at the plate.
But he'd been through it all!
Certainly he knew what was at stake. Surely his faith would pull him through.
Except it didn't.
Hamilton was at the league offices this week, coming clean about what is being reported as an alcohol and cocaine binge.
You know what is really sad?
The people who are kicking him now that he's down again.
Check out any of the stories about Hamilton's fall.
Fans want him out for breaking the rules. He's a junkie and they are telling him about it at every turn.
The media is on the prowl.
How many games should he be suspended?
Why was he too selfish to make it work?
He had the world...he chose the drugs.
It's so sad to me.
I hope that he makes it through.
I think he needs to do it as a regular human being though. He doesn't need baseball to survive. In fact, the pressure may be killing him.
It's a fine line, folks.
This isn't a guy who wants to be bad.
He's screaming out for help.
Here's hoping that people stop kicking him.
I have a sad feeling that they won't.
Initially he couldn't live up to the billing.
He was hooked on all kinds of drugs.
He was homeless, penniless and really struggling to survive. He was cut from the team.
He had failed.
But Hamilton got the help he needed. He worked hard. He beat the addiction to hard drugs.
His story was heartwarming.
Hamilton rediscovered his talents with the Reds and then arrived at the pinnacle of the sport with Texas.
Hamilton dominated the home run derby in Yankee Stadium and he told the world that when he was at rock bottom he had envisioned the moment.
He spoke of Jesus saving him.
The sporting world embraced him.
Hamilton was MVP. He went to two World Series.
Yet the end of his time in Texas was strange.
He missed a game or two because he drank so much coffee (as the story goes) that he became dehydrated.
He tossed a ball in the direction of a fan who fell to his death in trying to catch the ball.
He loafed after a pop up in the playoffs and the Texas fans turned on him, booing him off the field.
But he got a huge free agent contract from the Angels, anyway.
Yet he seemed disinterested.
He got hurt.
There were whispers.
He admitted to having a drinking binge.
His wife and children stood by him.
The Angels talked of getting him more support.
He tried to hit again...looked lost at the plate.
But he'd been through it all!
Certainly he knew what was at stake. Surely his faith would pull him through.
Except it didn't.
Hamilton was at the league offices this week, coming clean about what is being reported as an alcohol and cocaine binge.
You know what is really sad?
The people who are kicking him now that he's down again.
Check out any of the stories about Hamilton's fall.
Fans want him out for breaking the rules. He's a junkie and they are telling him about it at every turn.
The media is on the prowl.
How many games should he be suspended?
Why was he too selfish to make it work?
He had the world...he chose the drugs.
It's so sad to me.
I hope that he makes it through.
I think he needs to do it as a regular human being though. He doesn't need baseball to survive. In fact, the pressure may be killing him.
It's a fine line, folks.
This isn't a guy who wants to be bad.
He's screaming out for help.
Here's hoping that people stop kicking him.
I have a sad feeling that they won't.
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