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Josh Hamilton has alcohol relapse


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QUOTE (DirtySox @ Feb 2, 2012 -> 09:27 PM)
Reportedly, Kinsler was with him too which makes it even worse.

 

 

jonmorosi Jon Morosi

Gerry Fraley reporting Ian Kinsler was at the bar in an apparent attempt to persuade Josh Hamilton to return home.

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QUOTE (whitesox901 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 04:12 AM)
None of our business. pisses me off this is in the media.

 

Does the opposite bother you, players who have carefully crafted images, massaged by their PR firms, so that they can be better spokespersons and sell you s***?

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QUOTE (whitesox901 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 04:12 AM)
None of our business. pisses me off this is in the media.

 

This could have the same effect on Hamilton's career as an injury would. He is gonna be a FA next season and will be looking for a big payday. It is the media's business.

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QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 07:03 AM)
This could have the same effect on Hamilton's career as an injury would. He is gonna be a FA next season and will be looking for a big payday. It is the media's business.

Like it or not, this directly impacts next season's MLB pennant. Last "Relapse" year was a down year for him too.

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QUOTE (whitesox901 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 03:12 AM)
None of our business. pisses me off this is in the media.

He's had serious problems with drugs and alcohol. The extra set of eyes on him probably helps to keep him in line. I understand what you're saying, but it probably is actually good for him in his day to day life to know that if he falters in his sobriety, he won't be able to lie or deny it.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 09:42 AM)
This would be the downside of having your story told over and over again as a story of redemption. People are all to happy to watch you fall.

True, but Hamilton doesn't really come off, to me, as a guy who acts as if he's beaten addicition. Most addicts (regardless of the vice) relapse at some point.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 10:43 AM)
JeffWilson_FWST Jeff Wilson

Josh Hamilton to address media at 1 p.m. at Rangers Ballpark.

 

That's probably a good sign. If he was still hitting the bottle or was ignoring the situation, he sure as hell wouldn't address the media.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 10:42 AM)
This would be the downside of having your story told over and over again as a story of redemption. People are all to happy to watch you fall.

I don't think anyone is happy. These are demons he will battle his entire life. The fact he's not dead or homeless is itself impressive. He could have been one of the all-time greats if he'd stayed clean.

 

Hopefully he will not miss much time the coming season due to this... his body is deteriorating quickly due to the damage he'd caused, but man, those first couple years in Texas were something. When I visited Dallas a few years ago, I attended a game in Arlington, and their playing "The Natural" music when homers are hit is awesome. Hamilton hit two bombs to the upper deck, and that music playing after was something.

 

One aspect of his game that was underrated was his outfield range. That dude galloped like a horse in the outfield and got to EVERYTHING. The Rangers won that game (against the Astros) 16-8.

 

Anyway, I doubt too many are rooting against Hamilton. It is, however, news.

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QUOTE (Middle Buffalo @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 10:48 AM)
True, but Hamilton doesn't really come off, to me, as a guy who acts as if he's beaten addicition. Most addicts (regardless of the vice) relapse at some point.

 

As someone who has been close to it, I don't think any addicts has every completely beaten addiction. You can go 20 years clean, but you still have to fight against every day.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 09:51 AM)
Yeah, but he gets portrayed as one, which seems to be enough.

Sure. But I don't hold him responsible for the media's coverage. When he's healthy and sober, it's a good story for people who struggle with or know someone who struggles with addiciton. It's kind of like the Tim Tebow stuff. Half of the guys on tv talking about Tebow are saying that they're sick of talking about Tebow blah blah blah. Well, then stop talking about it.

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QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 10:54 AM)
I don't think anyone is happy. These are demons he will battle his entire life. The fact he's not dead or homeless is itself impressive. He could have been one of the all-time greats if he'd stayed clean.

 

Hopefully he will not miss much time the coming season due to this... his body is deteriorating quickly due to the damage he'd caused, but man, those first couple years in Texas were something. When I visited Dallas a few years ago, I attended a game in Arlington, and their playing "The Natural" music when homers are hit is awesome. Hamilton hit two bombs to the upper deck, and that music playing after was something.

 

One aspect of his game that was underrated was his outfield range. That dude galloped like a horse in the outfield and got to EVERYTHING. The Rangers won that game (against the Astros) 16-8.

 

Anyway, I doubt too many are rooting against Hamilton. It is, however, news.

 

you sir get a +1 from me for this

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Here is a transcript of the press conference:

 

My life in general is based on making the right choices, everything as far as my recovery, as far as my baseball goes, it’s all based around my relationship with the Lord. I look at it like this, you know how hard I play on the field and give it everything I absolutely I have. When I don’t do that off the field, I leave myself open for a weak moment and I had a weak moment in Dallas.

 

"For personal reasons I was with a family member, walked to a restaurant to have dinner, and ended up ordering a drink and probably had three or four drinks [at dinner]. I ended up calling Ian [Kinsler] just to come hang out with me. Ian did not know I had been drinking. Once I do drink, I can be very deceptive, very sneaky in a lot of ways, so while he was there I did not drink in front of him.

 

"[After the restaurant closed], we go across the street to another restaurant. We're talking baseball, talking life, how are families were, stay 25-30 minutes. He [Kinsler] drives me back where I need to be, quarter-mile away. His words were, 'I’ll see you later. You're not going to go back out, are you?' I said, 'No, I am in. I am good.' I did exactly what I told him I wouldn’t do. I went back to the last place we had just left and had some more drinks. Nobody saw me actually with a beer or drink in my hand. I can find ways where people don’t see it. That doesn’t excuse the fact.

 

"No drugs were used at all. I've had two drug tests since Monday, so I have no concerns there at all. Anytime I drink, there is a point that comes where the switch flips. It might be first three or four, or the 15th, and that’s what's so dangerous about it.

 

"Things happen to me personally that I’m not proud of , they are personal and being handled as that. ... I did take pictures with people, and it was just wrong. That’s all it comes down to. I needed to be responsible, period. And I was not responsible. Those actions hurt a lot of people who are very close to me.

 

"As far as baseball and the Rangers, they’ve shown nothing but support and told me they’re continuing to support me. I can not take a break from my recovery, my recovery is Christ, it’s an everyday process. One day off leaves me [vulnerable] for a moment a weakness, it's always been that way.

 

"For everybody I have hurt, fans, kids, people who have addictions who look up to me, I apologize to you. When you’re doing this you don’t mean to hurt anybody. As I know, it hurts a lot of people. I have a lot to look at as far as things going on, inside, not bad things, not things that are worrisome as far as me running back out going to drink. It's about getting to the point where I understand, I can’t take a break. Again, how hard I play on the field is how hard I need to take a relationship with my Lord. I just ask everybody who is watching and listening to pray for me, pray for my family because it never gets easy.

 

"I've put my wife through a lot. It's about time I become the strong one in the relationship, stepping up and being the man I am supposed to be. ... I am going to do a lot of soul searching. I have a great support team.

 

"Before I make that bad decision to take a drink, I just need to talk to somebody. It's OK to be vulnerable, it's OK to show weakness. People are here for that reason, and they've done nothing but support me. It's a blessing for me to have them in my life.

 

"I will be flying to New York to meet with doctors, Major League side and players [union] side. I'll talk with them about what happened, and continue doing my testing. Anytime this happens, you want to go back, visit things, see where you went wrong, and let everybody who helped you in the past know. I feel terrible about this. I let a lot of people down. There’s nobody that feels worse than I do. I am going to do everything I can to lean on shoulders.

 

"I am going to do everything I can to take the steps necessary, whether it's going to counseling, talking to somebody, everything is open at this point. I am hurt by it, tremendously, more so for my wife and my kids. Then to the Rangers organization, they’ve been nothing but great, supportive of me. It's awesome to work for somebody who really cares for you and not just what you can do for them.

 

"I am sorry it had to be this way. It’d be nice if it was talking about a contract, but we’ll put that on the backburner."

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QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 03:59 PM)
And at the risk of sounding like a selfish asshole, for us fans as well. Josh Hamilton is one of those guys that you'll stop whatever it is you're doing and watch him hit.

 

Exactly, he's one of the few people I make sure to tune into when he bats. I think the guy's awesome, it's great he's come this far from his addictions, but too bad about the relapse. I hope it's only a bump in the road on his quest to conquer this.

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