From AL MVP glory to cocaine addiction: Josh Hamilton's heartbreaking battle with substance abuse
Outfielder Josh Hamilton was the last MLB first overall pick on the 20th century. Despite rising to expectations and becoming one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball, his career will always be considered an example of a mammoth waste of talent.
Selected first overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999, Hamilton hit .300 with 13 home runs in 96 games during the 2000 season in the minor leagues. However, the North Carolina-native was involved in an automobile accident in 2001, leaving him with a series of major injuries to his neck. The accident was also a catalyst for the beginning of Hamilton's substance abuse, something that would plague him for the rest of his career.
By 2002, Josh Hamilton was heavily dependent on alcohol and cocaine. This prompted the Devil Rays to check their young prospect into the Betty Ford Rehab Center. However, after failing a 2003 drug test, it became evident that the team's efforts had resulted in little change to Hamilton's destructive behavior.
"Its not all about Talent & hard work. This man not only could of been in the hof but could of been an all time great. dude was a natural. Kids...... stay away from drugs. Josh Hamilton was ruined because of drugs. one of the most gifted players ever." - HittingDude
The next years would see little improvement for Josh Hamilton. In 2003, he decided to take a break of several years, as he still had not appeared in an MLB game. After a 2005 incident that saw Hamilton smash a friend's windshield in a stupor, the Tampa Bay Rays took him off the 40-man roster before he was suspended for the entire 2006 season for failing yet another drug test.
After he was released from the Rays, Hamilton became eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and was subsequently picked by the Chicago Cubs. However, aware of his bad reputation, the Cubs immediately sold Hamilton to the Reds for $100,000.
On April 2, 2007, Josh Hamilton would finally make his MLB debut, nearly nine years after he was drafted. In 90 games with the Cincinnati Reds, he hit a commendable .292/.368/.554 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs. Aware of his increase in trade value, the Reds shipped Hamilton to the Rangers at the end of 2007.
2008 was when Hamilton really began to take off. After securing the role of the starting center fielder for the Texas Rangers, Josh Hamilton went on to hit .304/.371/.530 with 32 home runs and 130 RBIs, the latter figure led MLB in the category. In 2010, Hamilton recaptured the attention of fans everywhere after posting a .359 average to win the AL batting title. Additionally, his 32 home runs and 100 RBIs that season were enough for him to be crowned the AL MVP.
"Josh Hamilton's 4 home run game" - slightly depressed rangers fans.
While many believed that Hamilton had finally left his checkered past behind him, dissapointment was on the horizon. Despite connecting for a career-high 43 home runs in 2012, that year also saw Hamilton relapse with alcohol.
Despite this, Hamilton was able to secure a five-year $125 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. However, the success that Rangers fans had become accustomed to could not be replicated in SoCal. Between 2013 and 2014, Hamilton eeked out a .255 batting average, and managed just 31 home runs across two seasons. Interestingly, Hamilton was present for the Angels' 2014 ALDS loss to the Kansas City Royals, which remains the last time that the Halos have seen postseason action.
After briefly reappearing with the Rangers in 2015, Hamilton relapsed again on both cocaine and alcohol. This effectively closed the book on a career that many think could have been historic if he had only kept it together.
Josh Hamilton has his own selfishness to blame for botched career
In 2019, Hamilton's name resurfaced again, this time for even more heinous reasons. Now unhinged, Josh Hamilton was charged with assaulting his eldest daughter. While the case was later settled, Hamilton succeeded in proving that he has no ability to keep himself on the straight and narrow. Despite being an incredibly talented ballplayer, Hamilton can only blame the man in the mirror for the horror show that his once-promising baseball career became.