Is Josh Hamilton a Great Comeback Story?

(For a more complete version of his story I would recommend Albert Chen’s article The Super Natural at SI.com. It is a lengthy but good read that will provide you with more detail than what I present here, and prepare you to answer the questions I have posed and will pose in this article.)

With Major League Baseball’s recent scandalous past (accusations in Juiced by Jose Conseco, the Mitchell Report, A-Rod scandal, etc.), it certainly would be refreshing to see a player of this caliber (whose fall from grace demonstrates the probability of consequence through poor character choices) change the direction of their life, make their way back to the top and attempt to rebuild the character and integrity lost by making the right choices.

However, there are other perspectives. Some may say that any person with the enormous talent and opportunity that he had/has (and all the money, fame, and fortune that went with it), who makes the choice to hang with a seedy crowd, becoming an addict in the process, and possibly waste away an opportunity most will never see, is not deserving of any sympathy or noble status.

There are other individuals who have dealt with very difficult adversity and/or scaled what looked to be insurmountable barriers that were not their choice, and become something more through sheer will and determination, all without turning to drugs.

Jim Abbott (the one-handed major league pitcher) is one example that comes to mind. Even Dustin Carter, the high school wrestler featured in this blog: Video Demonstration of a "True Champion," fits well as an example.

So where does a story like this fit in the big picture of things? Is Josh Hamilton someone we should admire for the courage it takes to face and tackle his own personal demons, something so many others try but fail to do?

Does taking the proper steps, making the tough choices, and pulling oneself out of the gutter that drug addiction ultimately brings a person warrant the kind of respect normally reserved for individuals that tackle tough adversity without this burden of choice?

If he continues to maintain his ascension to the pinnacle of baseball elitism, should he be placed on a pedestal as a positive example that kids can use as a guiding light? Or is he just another highly-touted talent, a spoiled prodigy that had everything and flushed it all away, at least, it seems, momentarily?

Josh Hamilton: someone to be idolized, victimized, villianized, or something entirely different? You decide. All comments welcome.

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