February 26th: A Fallen Angel

The report was that the offense was “worse” than Performance Enhancing Drugs. Most baseball players can’t commit an act worse than PEDs. Most players aren’t Josh Hamilton.

Hamilton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, had a relapse. The incident occurred a few months ago, according to reports, and while Hamilton did not fail any drug tests, he self-reported his crime against himself to Major League Baseball. He met with MLB executives yesterday to discuss course of action going forward, including a possible suspension.

Upon hearing the news, my heart broke. I read Hamilton’s biography. I have followed his career closely. I am a big fan of his, not because of his identity as a baseball player, but as his identity as a man. As I write this post, I’m wearing my Josh Hamilton jersey.

It is easy to be a role model when life is easy. It is so hard to work against your inner demons and be the best that you can be. Josh Hamilton is a man of faith. Josh Hamilton is a man of family. But Josh Hamilton is only a man.

Everyone is jumping to try to write down the sentiment that most baseball fans are feeling: this sucks. It sucks that a good guy got swept up in a bad thing. It sucks that so much hard work deteriorates because of a period of weakness. When Josh Hamilton fails to remain sober, the entire baseball community, players, coaches, and fans, fail right with him.

And baseball media hasn’t done him any favors. After two mediocre and injury laced years, the press has called him one of the biggest bust contracts in baseball history. They have put endless pressure on him to perform up to the dollar value that the Angels gave him. He has been the recipient of near-constant criticism. No wonder he was having a tough time.

We can’t go too easy on him, just because he has a tough history. He’s playing a game against the best in the world, and needs to be judged accordingly. But his strife reminds us that we aren’t dealing with robots who perform at our will. He is a real person, an honest to goodness human being, who can have his feelings hurt, which can lead to some tough stuff. In Josh’s case, really tough stuff.

While I understand that rules are rules, and the Hamilton will need to be penalized in some way, the baseball community owes it to Josh Hamilton to help guide him in the right direction, rather than cutting him loose. He self-reported his "incident." He came forward and did what he knew was right, even though it meant bringing upon himself a world of trouble. He needs to be commended for that. If I were in charge, his suspension would start immediately, regardless of his pre-existing injury. That way, when Josh is healthy, both physically and mentally, he can return to the game that he needs, and that needs him.

Josh Hamilton is an important part of the baseball community, and everyone involved needs to be there to support him. He had one of the greatest seasons in Major League Baseball history, and we owe it to him to get him back there, with a healthy dose of love, support, and guidance.

Americans love a comeback. Josh Hamilton was one of our favorite stories, especially in 2010. To see a man rise from the ashes and turn his life around gives you that great feeling, knowing that you just witnessed something special. While a relapse is a terrible thing for Hamilton to go through, it gives him, and all Americans, the opportunity to work toward and to look forward to his next big comeback. It’s about baseball, but it’s also about so much more.