Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton, who has battled drug and alcohol addictions, said Friday he "had a moment of weakness" at a Dallas bar on Monday night because of a "personal reason with a family member" and drank.
Hamilton apologized to his family, teammates, fans and the team in a news conference on Friday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
"It was just wrong. That's all it comes down to," Hamilton said. "I needed to be at a different place. I needed to be responsible. I was not responsible. Those actions of mine have hurt a lot of people I'm very close to."
Hamilton would not elaborate on the personal issue that spurred him to drink.
He said he did not use drugs and that he's passed two drug tests since Monday, adding he expects to meet with Major League Baseball doctors in New York soon.
Hamilton said he was out at dinner and ended up ordering three or four drinks. He called Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler and asked him to come join him, but said he didn't tell Kinsler that he had been drinking.
"I did not drink in front of him," Hamilton said. "We finished up at this restaurant that was closing and decided to go across the street to another place that stayed open. We talked baseball, family, life, all these things."
About 30 minutes later, Kinsler was ready to go home. Hamilton said his teammate dropped him off at the other restaurant.
"His words were, 'I'll see you later. Don't go back out or anything, all right?' " Hamilton said. "I did exactly what I told him I wouldn't do. I went back to the place we had just left and had some more drinks."
Hamilton didn't say what happened next, but admitted that when he drinks "there's a point that comes where a switch flips and you never know when that's going to be flipped."
Hamilton said the episode is a reminder that he must stay vigilent in staying on the right path.
"I cannot take a break from my recovery," Hamilton said. "My recovery is Christ. My recovery is an every-day process. When I take that one day off, it leaves me open for a moment of weakness and it's always been that way.
"For everybody that I've hurt, for fans, kids, people that have addictions that look up to me, I apologize to you. When you're doing this, you don't mean to hurt anybody, but you're only thinking it hurts yourself, but I know it hurt a lot of people."
Hamilton's wife Katie posted a couple of messages on her Twitter account earlier in the day.
"Truly appreciate all the encouraging & supportive tweets we've been getting," one tweet said. "God is Faithful and forgives -- so thankful that you all are."
Another tweet read: "Showing us such love and encouragement during this time."
Hamilton has battled to stay sober since an incident in a Tempe, Ariz., bar a little more than three years ago.
Then, he was photographed drinking with several women and those pictures went viral about seven months later. Hamilton spoke to the media about it at that time and apologized, saying: "I hate that this happened."
Hamilton immediately called the Rangers and Major League Baseball, and passed a drug test shortly thereafter and went through league-sanctioned counseling. Hamilton also made sure his support system was fully in place, including having Johnny Narron, his "accountability partner" at the time, with him at spring training and through the rest of the season.
Hamilton, 30, was banned from baseball in 2003 for drug and alcohol use while in the Tampa Bay organization. He was reinstated in 2006 and is drug-tested three times a week.
Right now, Hamilton and the Rangers are still in the process of finding a new "accountability partner" after Narron left the club to become the Milwaukee Brewers' hitting coach. Hamilton's father-in-law, Michael Dean Chadwick, was planning on assuming that role for Narron but didn't want to leave his teenage daughter as she gets closer to finishing high school.
The Rangers have expressed an interest in signing Hamilton to a long-term extension, though both sides agreed that if a deal wasn't in place by the time spring training starts later this month, that they wouldn't talk during the season to avoid potential distraction.
Hamilton, the 2010 American League MVP, has worked to avoid even the smell of alcohol, something his teammates have respected. They have even catered their postseason celebrations for him (and former teammate C.J. Wilson, who also did not want to be around alcohol) by having ginger ale and water showers before breaking out the champagne after winning a playoff series.
When discussing his last relapse in August 2009, Hamilton said it was the first drink he'd had since Oct. 6, 2005, the day he vowed to stay sober. Drugs and alcohol helped delay Hamilton's track to the big leagues despite being the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1999 by the Tampa Bay Rays. He did not make his major league debut until 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds.
First and foremost, I respect the hell out of what Josh Hamilton for trying to make bigtime positive changes in his life. Nobody doubts the talent and work ethic the guy has. And they shouldn't No. 1 draft pick and former MVP. But this just reaffirms the facts that us Average Joes already knew: you have to drink to survive. Plain and simple. "A personal issue with a family member" prompts 3 or 4 drinks. Ya call up a buddy have a heart-to-heart about "all things". Buddy goes back to his perfect fucking life and you get smashed at the bar you were just at. It's not global fucking news. It's called Tuesday. I mean Jesus H, I meet my mom for lunch and I get the shakes. My sister texts me "You need to call Dad," I grab my coat and start walking to the bar. Toss my keys in the mailbox cause I'ma need a ride home.
Josh Hamilton USED to have such a terrible addiction that he literally unable to function in a league where 80% of the players are buzzing on Redman. In the last 6 years he's drank twice. And there are fucks on ESPN saying that this should be a "serious concern" when Hamilton goes into contract negotiations.
What?
It wasn't like he was doing whipped cream lines off skank titties...like last time. The guy takes 3 drug tests a week. Drugs are bad (ya heard it here first, kids) they affect your ability to perform your job. That's why you have a contract. What am I missing here. Give the dude some reason not to do drugs. Hell give him 100 million reasons. But, don't pretend like a professional athlete that gets shitty every once in a while is any reason to doubt their abilities. It's fucking baseball. Shit ain't rocket surgery.
shut up and chug a beer (if you're not pregnant).
One Name Two words: Wade Boggs.
No comments:
Post a Comment