Josh Hamilton: Rangers' Star Slugger Admits to Reported Relapse

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton admitted in a press conference on Friday that the reports of his relapse with alcohol earlier this week are absolutely true.

Hamilton was brutally honest about the incident. He said it all started when he ordered a drink while having dinner at a local restaurant, and things snowballed from there. He proceeded to have more drinks at the restaurant and then continued drinking at a nearby bar.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports has all the key quotes, one of which is this one:

It was reported that Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler was with Hamilton on Monday night, and Hamilton admitted that he was, but that Kinsler arrived unaware that he had been drinking.

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the story:

Wilson's Twitter feed also notes that Hamilton did not drink in front of Kinsler, but that Hamilton lied to him about going home when the two parted ways.

Per Wilson, Hamilton also said that he only used alcohol on Monday night:

Per Passan, Hamilton admitted that he is well aware that what he did was just plain wrong:

Passan also notes that the incident taught Hamilton a key lesson about his addiction:

Hamilton did not field any questions after giving his statement. Wilson has since posted a full transcript of it.

This is the second relapse Hamilton has experienced in the last three years. He was seen drinking at a bar in Tempe, Ariz., in January of 2009, and it wasn't long before stories and pictures of the incident hit the Internet and a firestorm ensued.

Though it was embarrassing, that incident did not derail Hamilton's baseball career. He won the American League MVP in 2010 and has helped guide the Rangers to two straight World Series appearances.

Hamilton's story of addiction and redemption is well known among baseball fans. He was drafted No. 1 overall in 1999 by the Tampa Bay Rays, but he was out of baseball by 2004 thanks to his addiction problems.

Hamilton finally made his major league debut in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds. His first hit was a home run.