As sad as the Josh Hamilton story is … it’s kind of refreshing.
Listen, I’m no proponent of alcohol or substance abuse. In fact, I downright loathe both. But the one thing that I continuously take away from the stories about Josh Hamilton and his “demons” is that he is human; that ball players are human.
So often we like to look at these players like they are of another species. Like they are athletic gods whose sole purpose in life is to entertain us, sign our items and live up to the contracts that some feel we the fans are paying.
But Josh’s relapse this week in a Dallas pub serves as a reminder that no matter how many home runs he hits in a Home Rub Derby, no matter how much he quotes the bible and praises Jesus Christ, that he is a human being.
We often forget that these players are fathers, husbands, brothers and friends.
Sure, they make money hand over fist and really should not have a financial care in the world. But still, they are human. They are subjected to the same issues that we ordinary citizens are: temptation and addiction. And at times — heck, most of the time — we forget that.
What we want to see in these self-professed “times of weakness,” is the ability for the offending person to own their mistake, seek corrective measures, and move forward.
Josh has already shown signs of the first two items on this list. And maybe as time passes and the 2012 season inches closer, Josh could move forward.
I’m just hoping that there isn’t a plethora of displeased fans who feel it is their place to chastise Josh at the ball park for his mistakes. None of us are perfect.
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