Josh Hamilton: The Furthest Thing From An Inspiration

Damn, that's cold. I think overcoming drug addiction and realizing world-class potential are both inspirational, and together it's amazing. Big ups to Josh.

Very interesting post.

He was a complete disgust of a human being a while back, but the man has turned his life around and that means something.

Good objective article.
The media has done it's part in embellishing a story into more than what it is. Hamilton's story should be celebrated as a personal achievement, but not as a source of inspiration. Overcoming self inflicted adversity is not something I would consider to be inspirational.

He did inspire me to do this, so he's got that going for him.

he's about as inspirational as Lebron James (sport comes really easy to them, not exceeding their potential).

he's not even a drug deterrant. He's showing people that "you can smoke crack, and still make it big"

Actually, it is a disease. It's a cunning, baffeling and powerful one at that. Sure, Josh Hamilton brought it upon himself by begining to expiriment with drugs, but addiction itself is something that is uncontrollable. He went to rehab numerous times, most likely at the behest of his handlers, family, etc. Yet, he beat addiction, for now, this 8th time. No matter the money in his bank account, he hit bottom. He hit a bottom and was finally willing to reach out and receive help for his disease. Without going into the nitty gritty of the recovery process, it isn't easy. I'd love to see where you got all the details about his handler and the $20 max in his wallet, but kudos to Josh for recognizing that given his situation and status, he could very easly slip back into his addiction at any time.

This is a guy who got caught in the grips of a very powerful and real disease and lost a lot of his life to it and yet, here he is, finally living up to his potential. It's not on par with Lance and cancer, or your other examples, but it is something special and something that should be celebrated. Your views on the subject seem to come from a very narrow minded and purposefully cynical view of what this man has been through, what he has acheived, and what he represents to many, many people who are struggling with/have recovered from addiction related issues. Your entitled to your thoughts, but I feel I'm entitled to challenge their merits.

"After their eighth win in 10 games, on May 16 — the one in which Hamilton had five hits — a group of teammates, as they often do, went to a steak house to celebrate. But the hero of the game didn't join them. Since Oct. 6, 2005, the day his grandmother sat him down in her living room and confronted him about his addiction, Hamilton has been sober and drug-free, he says, and the 27-year-old follows strict self-imposed guidelines to stay that way. He rarely carries more than $10 in his wallet, and never more than $20. His friend Johnny Narron, hired by the Rangers, must always know his whereabouts. He never goes out alone at night, and never goes out with teammates after games. "In San Francisco, I went to Morton's steak house two nights in a row," he says, bringing this up as if it were a major step for him. Some teammates were there, too, but at a table on the other side of the room. Hamilton, who was dining with Narron, says, "I walked over to the guys and said hello."
Source- Sports Illustrated article by Albert Chen
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/albert_chen/05/27/hamilton

ShakespearD, does it bother you that people like this story or are inspired by it, and why is the "furthest" thing from inspirirng, why do you feel this way?

I guess my first problem with the story is that there are hundreds of things more inspiring happening each day. The single mother raising 3 kids on a small salary. The teacher who gives his all every day. The seven year old with Leukemia who undergoes chemo every two weeks and deals with all the stares. Maybe it's just me, but I find inspiration in people who overcome the curveballs life throws at you. Not the people who inflict the damage upon themselves, then call the damage a disease that they can't control.
My main issue with Hamilton and the reason why I felt compelled to write this article is his dealings with agent Matt Sosnick. Sosnick took Hamilton as a client when he was suspended and brought him back into the league. He took him on when no one had faith in him. According to Hamilton, he had a dream where Jesus told him he needed a Christian agent. So he turned his back on Sosnick, a Jew, firing the man who stood by him when no one else would. I can't think of anything more Un-Christian.
So it's two things for me. I find Hamilton's comeback from self inflicted wounds impressive, but not inspirational. I find him invoking religion to fire a man who stood by him disgusting. Hence said article.

thanks for replying, i see this situation in a whole new light.........i had a feeling there was more to your story then just the obvious he inflicted this awful lifestyle on himself and should not be praised for it

I think it is very inspiring, because Hamilton had everything and almost lost it all, but now is back on the top of his game and his life is under control. What's not inspirational about that to somebody who is down on their luck. It shows them that even somebody who was so far down in the depths had the ability to pick himself back up and regain his life.

I agree re: Sosnick. A very un- Christian thing to do.

You seem unable to overcome your bias against Hamilton. I am certainly as leery of born-again Christians as the next person, having experienced some pretty unsettling and morally questionable situations personally. However, the fact that Hamilton chose a "Christian" agent doesn't negate the fact that he fought back against a major addiction and, against incredible odds, overcame it. Hope that you can do the same regarding your view of Josh Hamilton.

Of course there are more inspiring things happening each day but the fact is that this is sports, and kids look up to athletes more so than some other types, no matter how inspirational their stories might be. We should at least be thankful that there is a story like this in baseball that shows kids the dangers of drugs but also the positive of the comeback.

ok if you honestly think that he is not an ispiration then maybe you should take some drugs for 3 years and try and play a sport. its probably the most incredable achievement other than overcoming a career ending injury.

i gotta agree somewhat with shakespeare...there are so many more stories in the world that are inspiring but do not get published...yea, he fought off drugs and is now making something of himself in the major leagues...but what about the kid who never took drugs but did not have the talent and works 60 hours a week to support his family. There are allot of people who had enough respect for themselves to not take drugs and show their children that average dad can be a hero and that baseball players are not heroes just because they can hit a ball 450 feet. I wish Josh the best and hope he continues being sober but i do not find his story inspirational at all. I find his story to be a warning at the least.

People seem to be getting a little aggro on this topic. Well, to be honest, I completely agree. It's impressive, yes, but not inspirational. Drugs are a powerful vise, I get that. But he did it to himself. I think Josh is a great player and the numbers he is putting up are amazing, but I won't sit here and pretend to be awestruck. And I'm not feeling the "go do drugs for yourself" argument some people have used (not a shot at you, HouseofBoston, but a blanket statement to all those who have argued the same point with me when this topic comes up), either. Why would I? I'm not dumb enough to put myself into that situation, unlike some people.

Also, firing your agent for being Jewish, in fact, does equate to being un-Christian

I have never been addicted to anything (unless maybe chocolate), and I can't imagine fighting an addiction in the public eye....and oh yes, also while playing on a major league team and leading your team in almost every statistical category while playing in your first full season. I'm not sure about this being an inspiration, but don't underestimate how powerful drug addiction is.

For more of my random thoughts on sports check out my articles on yardbarker and visit www.thesportsrotation.squarespace.com

My thoughts are up on the Sport-a-holics Anonymous morning radio show at YouCastr: http://tinyurl.com/sportaholic3 and yes I am too lazy to transcribe audio to text...so if you want my take...you'll have to listen

I posted a link to your podcast on our site.

http://www.tiricosuave.com/2008/07/23/josh-hamilton-follow-up-one-mans-podcast-take/

I'm sure Shakespeare will respond and I don't want to put words in his mouth but I think his big hangup (and maybe Shakes didn't make this point salient enough) was how Hamilton treated his agent, who essentially stuck with him through his addiction, helped him break back into the bigs and was subsequently let go after Hamilton found God.

If anything, Josh Hamilton is showing everyone that you can screw up, even to the point of wanting to kill yourself, and still decide that you want to turn your life around. He turned his life around just as much as you possibly can. I don't care about the religion thing. It seems to keep him going, so that's fine with me. If his story isn't inspirational I don't know what is.

I agree to a point. I think Hamilton's story is great drama and certianly interesting but ever time I think about it I realize he put himself in that position.

Anyone who can overcome drugs with the help of God and stand up and shout it out that their a christian and do whats right is a hero.
he is showing people that God forgives
and he rewards his people.

I overcame drug addiction with the help of the Flying Speghetti Monster. Can I be a hero too?