His story is one that every person dreams of; being at your absolute worst and rising out of the ashes back to the top of your game. For Josh Hamilton, the Texas Rangers' outfielder, he is now living the dream.
Hamilton grew up with baseball. Thriving in high school, twice named Gatorade’s High School Player of the Year, he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999. From there he played on the Rays minor league team until 2000. Prior to the 2001 season, his decent into drugs began and his baseball future began to slip away.
From 2001-2004, Hamilton played in only a few games and was suspended by Major League Baseball for violating their drug policy. At that moment, it seemed as if Hamilton’s baseball life was over.
He went to rehab and began to train again in 2006 under heavy watch of MLB. He was drafted in the Rule 5 draft by the Chicago Cubs. The Rule 5 draft is to prevent teams from obtaining too many young players for minor league teams when other teams would play them in the pros.
After the Cubs obtained him, he was quickly sent to the Cincinnati Reds where he played 90 games and had a batting average of. 292. In a trade with the Texas Rangers, Hamilton finally acquired the success he had always longed for.
In 2008, the Rangers traded Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera for Hamilton. This move proved to be his claim to fame. With 21 home runs and 95 RBI, he is setting the pace for the rest of the baseball world. As if his year couldn't get any better, he was elected to his first All-Star game with the most votes among outfielders.
He went on to participate in the Home Run Derby and would shatter the record for home runs in one round by hitting 28. Although he didn’t end up winning, Hamilton still knew the impact of what happened.
When asked how he felt after the Home Run Derby he simply replied, “I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
This year Hamilton has not only shown humility but also proved to people that no matter who they are, they can overcome the troubles in their life and come out standing on top.
9 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment
AJ Jarnicki 11 months ago
Why does everyone have to thank a man who isn't real?
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Daniel Abbas 11 months ago
lmao.
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Brandon Heikoop 11 months ago
Nicely written.
Why is it Hamilton is being forgiven for throwing away the life that his "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" gave him, while Barry Bonds is hung from a cross?-heh
Shouldn't we praise Bonds for trying to improve the game of baseball by making himself the best player he could possibly be (albeit, illegally) and crucify Josh Hamilton for ruining what undoubtedly would have been an incredible career-HOF maybe?
"On this day, redemption is spelt R-O-N"
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Emily Diekelmann 11 months ago
I understand where you are coming from completely but the difference between the two in my eyes is that Hamilton screwed up and came out of it and is now thriving. Bonds cheated, got caught and is still dancing around the subject like it never happened. Its a very sensitive issue that can be debated until we both turn blue.
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Brandon Heikoop 11 months ago
Emily,
But put yourself in their shoes.
Bonds is being called a cheater, if he 'comes clean' about the issue, there's a good chance that all of his accomplishments will be entirely tarnished and everything he worked for will be thrown out. Additionally, none of us know the exact pressure that major leaguers are under to use steroids.
By comparison, Hamilton, the media is acting like he made one error and fixed his life right away. Which is entirely false. Hamilton, and I suppose us as fans today, are lucky that his family is such a forgiving bunch who were willing to forgive and forget all the misery he put them through.
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Darnell Burton 11 months ago
"Why is it Hamilton is being forgiven for throwing away the life that his "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" gave him.."
My guess is it has something to do with his acceptance, accountability, and openness as it pertains to mistakes he has made in his life. Americans respect people that are able to confront their own faults, rather than attempting to brush them aside or try and keep them in the past. Hamilton surely "threw away" a few years of his life. To say that he has completely "thrown his life away" is an example of extreme judgmental hyperbole.
"...while Barry Bonds is hung from a cross?"
See above re: openness, honesty, respect, etc.
"Shouldn't we praise Bonds for trying to improve the game of baseball by making himself the best player he could possibly be.."
That's an interesting spin - making Bonds out to be an altruist. Really interesting spin that I cannot disagree with more.
"...and crucify Josh Hamilton for ruining what undoubtedly would have been an incredible career-HOF maybe"
Hamilton received his fair share of "crucifiction" when he was an active drug abuser. He's making an honest effort to right his previous wrongs - I don't think the general public has any interest in continuing to rub his face in it, so long as he continues on his current path of honesty and openness.
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Brandon Heikoop 11 months ago
1. So if Bonds comes clean people will not call him a cheater and he will be ushered into the hall of fame?
2. I have a tough time suggesting that those who were using steroids were not using them to perform at the highest level they were capable of. If everyone (as is pretty much the case) was using steroids, baseball was better for it. If this is not evident by the product on the field, I argue that it is based on the people entering the stands in record numbers during the McGuire/Sosa race.
3. How many people were throwing fake needles at Barry Bonds when there wasn't any real proof that he had done steroids?
4. We THINK Hamilton is being honest and open. We are believing that he is but we don't really know. The media doesn't really know but they are choosing to believe it. This is similar to Barry Bonds, whom the media instantly accused of using steroids without any proof, simply because most media persons HATE Barry.
To me, it seems like a double standard. Hamilton's career should be just as tarnished as the steroid users. That is, unless people come around on the fact that the legal issues have nothing to do with the shame and guilt people are placing on the users-which I have always believed to be the fact and case.
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Z zzzzzz 11 months ago
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Melissa Diekelmann 11 months ago
Congrats Bubba!!! I'm so proud of you!! :)
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Bryn Swartz 9 months ago
Pretty good article. Hamilton sure does have an amazing story. The Home Run Derby was awesome. Love the fact that he's a Christian also.
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