11/05/24
February 04, 2012
Josh Hamilton Has Alcohol Relapse: Texas Rangers outfielder and former American League MVP Josh Hamilton can't take a drink at a bar without it becoming news. He had a relapse from his sobriety this week at Sherlock's Pub and Grill in Dallas, where he was seen with teammate Ian Kinsler. "Kinsler reportedly came to the pub after getting a phone call from Hamilton and becoming concerned," reports CBS DFW. Hamilton had Rangers coach Johnny Narron assigned to be his "accountability partner," but Narron left this off-season for a job with the Milwaukee Brewers. The first overall pick in the 1999 amateur draft, Hamilton was suspended from baseball three years for substance abuse. He's been negotiating a contract extension this spring.
I hope he manages to stay sober.
posted by insomnyuk at 04:15 PM on February 04, 2012
but I'd be more worried if he had gone on a three-day bender or been found passed out in an alley somewhere.
The problem is he's much more susceptible to exactly that than the average person when this happens, and he knows that.
posted by justgary at 04:18 PM on February 04, 2012
Hopefully he doesn't go on a week-long bad one during the most important series of the year like Miguel Cabrera. Hamilton is probably better off when the season (or spring training) gets going so he has more to focus on.
posted by dyams at 07:22 PM on February 04, 2012
I understand why this is news, but I can't see how it being in constant rotation on ESPN, et al is any help to Hamilton. Yes, we should get some insight into their personal lives in trade for the contracts they get, but I don't want to know this much about them.
posted by yerfatma at 07:48 PM on February 04, 2012
Perhaps he should begin taking antabuse. It would be a shame to have a promising career shattered by substance abuse.
posted by tbonanno at 09:30 AM on February 05, 2012
The kind of scrutiny he's under would drive me to drink. But it seems to be working for Hamilton so far. I like that a teammate showed up to help him. This seems like a pretty close-knit bunch in Texas.
posted by rcade at 12:20 PM on February 05, 2012
I don't want to say that it isn't a big deal given Hamilton's past and how he's trying to fight these demons, but I'd be more worried if he had gone on a three-day bender or been found passed out in an alley somewhere. His behavior in this case would been been considered reasonable and responsible by anyone else's standards, though his standard obviously has to be different. On top of that, he seems genuinely ashamed and contrite; it's not like a Steve Howe or Dwight Gooden case where they don't seem to care about fighting their problems. I don't think less of him after this.