“The roistering player is one type who is always considered expendable, which means — looking at it from the other point of view – always available. The player who drinks and gets around is looked upon as a bad influence. His career, according to folklore, is brief and tragic. I had seen a few things in my young, impressionable days that did not quite sort with what I had heard. I had seen Hack Wilson arise from a tub of ice and hit 3 home runs. I had wandered around Chicago with the 1939 Cubs and had seen them run away from the field. As long as they didn’t start buddying up with the young kids, the drunks didn’t bother me at all.” –Bill Veeck
Back in the early 1920’s, Hack Wilson was a promising outfielder for the New York Giants. Manager John McGraw refused to entertain his ongoing battle with alcoholism, and Wilson found his way on to the Cub’s roster by 1926. For the last 82 years, that drunkard Hack Wilson held the single season RBI record, and his plaque hangs at the National Baseball Hall of Fame with an unmistakable Cubs cap on his head. Bill Veeck never forgot Wilson’s contributions after the Giants handed him on waivers to the Cubs, and a large part of his success came from providing the “roistering” player a home.
News broke last night of ’s relapse with alcohol this week, which was following by a tirade of internet “I-told-you-so’s”. Those that were wary of a large Hamilton contract were vindicated by the news of the fallen slugger. The idea of an extension or long term deal has gone from expected to doubtful. The reporters will say that he is a bad influence, that his career will be brief and tragic, and when the 2012 season ends they’ll concede that his alcoholism makes him expendable.
If Bill Veeck were alive and running a baseball team, I’d imagine he would have been the first on the phone with Ranger’s GM Jon Daniels this morning. The perennial MVP candidate now has considerably less value than he did yesterday morning, and it’s quite possible that Ranger’s ownership finds Hamilton too much of a liability for the 2012 season. If Hamilton is on the trade market, he is a buy-low bat the Yankees should take advantage of.
After watching the incredible show Hamilton put on during the 2008 homerun derby in old Yankee Stadium, I’m not the first one to point out how his lefty power would fit perfectly in New York. His career .958 OPS against right handed pitchers speaks for itself. Assuming a trade in 2012, Hamilton would share the designated hitter and corner outfield duties, which may be for the best when dealing with a player whose bat has only been limited by constant injury. For those that don’t want to see Hamilton in pinstripes because of the relapse, I urge you to reconsider. The success of ballplayers with addiction problems is far too large to dismiss such a potent bat.
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9 Responses to Could Josh Hamilton Be On The Market?
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TIQ IQ
The thing is that people need to get their heads out of their backsides. The guy has a problem yes but the thing is that his relapse was after three years. People can make all the assumptions they like but as far as we know this is the first time in three years.
Baseball is literred with these types and as long as Hamilton sticks to his conditioning and stays away from cocaine, crack, and heroin then I’m not worried about him. The fact is that baseball is full of alcoholics, his manager got popped for cocaine and is getting rewarded with a contract extension. Not only that but look at the others David Wells pitched a perfect game hung over. Substance abuse is a hard thing to get over but people severely understate what it means to have the kind of work ethic Hamilton has and how that plays a role in beating these demons.
Even if everything you said is true they’re not just going to give him away.
The Rangers will ask for a lot particularly since they passed on Fielder at least in part because they wanted to preserve the option of extending Hamilton.
The alcohol relapse wouldn’t scare me off but the cost in prospects and salary plus the injury history is another story.
I heard the Mariners already sent Jon Daniels a singing telegram. A barbershop quartet sang, “Won’t you come home, Bill Bailey? Won’t you come home?”
Considering that we know of at least one time that he relapsed and baseball and the Rangers covered it up I have to wonder how many times this has happened over the past few years.
tho I dont believe it will happen, I would love to see Hamilton in pinstripes, depending on cost.
Sure he has a problem, but he’s human and like the rest of us, stumbles.the truth about him will come out when we see how he handles this stumble.
Whether or not we get him, I hope he comes outta this better then he went in it.
I’m far from an expert on alcoholism, so forgive me if I say something completely ignorant.
What counts as a relapse in this case? One drink? I understand that an alcoholic drinking at all is a slippery slope, but is one drink (if that’s what Hamilton had in this case) that big of a deal?
Like I said, my understanding of alcoholism could be WAY off, but as someone mentioned above, the injuries are a bigger concern in my eyes.
I think very few people have an idea as to how an alcohol relapse in the middle of a baseball season would affect Hamilton’s performance on the field. Just viewing the apology video, i get the feeling that Hamilton is sincere and maybe even rattled. Imagine if this episode happened in the middle of a playoff run. Imagine even the fall-out on a teammate who might find himself in Kinsler’s situation. That’s just too much a distraction.
Cashman just can’t roll the dice on a big, multi-year deal to Hamilton who’s probably headed to DH-land in a few seasons. There are options on the market that dont have carry these massive red flags.
It’s all a matter of money. 2 days ago, I’m guessing he would command 8/$180m?
The problem might be drinking, or just being emotionally unstable in general. He seems like a good guy, but I don’t know if you can gamble $160m+ on him.
This story. Ugh. To the guy up a few no relapse is one drink. A managebale one,is one DAY of drinks or hits. A bad ibe is one week. Disaster is a month. The thing us (and im talking from real ang ling term experience here) what no one realizes is the relapse rate,untreated is 90%. AA? 85%. Yup 85% of people in treatment relapse. This asdinine myth of total,lide long abstinence is one of the main,problems. It doesnt happen but,people who have no idea what the hell they are talking about go nuts. This impossible standard leads to shame and self hate, shame and self hate lead to,more relapses and so on. Almist all addicts relapse and almost,all addicts have jobs, have families and live productive lives. If people leave him the fuck,alone and dont make a national story of every relapse itd be alot easier for him. He will be fine if he,had people in his life to remind him they dont expect petfection. If his wife doesnt understand this though? He is in trouble. If you could get him cheap? Yeah because evrry one relapses. You just heat about this story cuz hes the first star athlete addict in,the age of smartphones.