Josh Hamilton now faces punishment as a result of his cocaine relapse. Courtesy of Wikimedia
By Sam Belden
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton was supposed to have learned his lesson and redeemed himself, both in the eyes of the commissioner’s office and the fans.
Until recently, he was one of baseball’s bona fide redemption stories, battling his way into the game’s upper echelon after a lengthy struggle with alcoholism and drug abuse, but after last week’s revelations, it appears that the chances of him ever returning to an All-Star level are growing slimmer by the day.
Last week, Hamilton, 33, informed MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and other league officials that he had recently suffered a relapse, using both alcohol and cocaine. Apparently, he was wracked with guilt and took it upon himself to admit the transgressions. This is just the latest installment in what has been a well-documented struggle with substance abuse. After being sidelined by a car accident in 2001, Hamilton, then a minor leaguer with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays franchise, began hanging around a Florida tattoo parlor. Soon, he was deep within the throes of addiction.
In 2005, empowered by his Christian faith and buoyed by the support of a number of family members, mentors and teammates, Hamilton kicked his addiction, but not before failing three tests and earning himself multiple suspensions of varying lengths. Finally, in 2008, he caught on with the Texas Rangers, where he was an immediate sensation. Dallas-area fans, most of whom were conservative, admired his dedication to God and his conquest of addiction, while everyone admired his breathtaking power. I remember being 12 years old and watching him clobber a record-breaking 35 total homers at the 2008 Home Run Derby. From that night on, everyone knew that he was the real deal. Over the next few seasons, he won an MVP award and was a key member of the Rangers squads that brought back-to-back pennants to the franchise in 2010 and 2011. In the winter of 2012, he signed a five-year, 125-million-dollar contract with the Angels.
It’s certainly been a great ride for Hamilton since he rejuvenated his career in Texas, but it hasn’t been without struggle. In early 2009, he was photographed drinking at a bar and was accused of attempting to acquire cocaine. He claimed to have a poor memory of the night’s events, but he apologized and passed a subsequent drug test. In early 2012, he had two or three drinks at a local bar, and, once again, he apologized a few days later.
What’s different about this case is the fact that it is his first confirmed cocaine relapse. Cocaine is classified by the MLB as a drug of abuse, so the standard suspension for a first-time offender is 25 games.
But, Hamilton is not a first-time offender, and in deciding how to deal with this complicated situation, Manfred, who has sole discretion in deciding Hamilton’s penance, will undergo his first real test as the newly minted commissioner. While it is admirable that Hamilton turned himself in, reports indicate that he did so only when he realized that punishment would be inevitable (the league subjects him to multiple drug tests per week due to his history). Manfred has an obligation to be punitive, as cocaine use is an undeniable violation of the league’s drug policy. Yet, he must also be compassionate. Hamilton is not a hardened criminal; he is a well-meaning man who is remorseful and wants to improve, and he should be treated as such.
All three of Hamilton’s relapses have occurred in the early part of the calendar year, a time when the offseason is winding down and the players have been relatively idle for months. During the season, though, he hasn’t had a drug problem in almost 10 years. You do the math. Hamilton is a man with a very serious problem, and the MLB owes him its help and support. Baseball, the sport that helped to bring him out of his addiction and keeps him on the relative straight-and-narrow during the season, is a hugely positive influence in his life. To take it away from him, even for a relatively brief period, would do more harm than good. They’ve tried that. It didn’t work.
On top of having to deal with declining numbers and durability, Hamilton will now have to face the fallout of his actions. He deserves to have to make up for his actions, but this is a special case. Here’s hoping that he won’t be kept from the game that helped save him for too long.
