Josh Hamilton...is he done?

[bouncer]

One rumor I read josh had a relapse involving cocaine.

[1963Topps Set]

Is he done? The real question is did he begin?

[Jayworld]

He had several really good years for the Texas Rangers, including an MVP year, and was in the All-Star game every year; many surmise that his rash of injuries, especially of late, could be due to the drug abuse he engaged in early in his career. He was starting to show signs of breaking down the last year or so with the Rangers, and he has been far from productive as an Angel.

Is he done? I think so. Did he ever start? Of course, with the Rangers....

[packs]

He's also 34 now, so you have to factor that in. I hope he's not finished because he's always been a nice guy with the fans and seems to really appreciate what he has.

I don't see how you could question his ability though. When he did play, he averaged 32 homers, 112 rbis and .292 average over 162 games. Pretty solid performance, though brief.

[Econteachert205]

If it is a relapse, especially in the severity of his case before, it would be nice to see people treat it properly as a disease and be supportive of him.

[7nohitter]

I feel bad for the guy. His addiction got the better of him, but I hope he's able to bounce back. However, as stated above, he IS 34 and he has not had a 'great' season in two years.

[CMIZ5290]

Yes, he is done...I would be shocked if he recovers and becomes a player half what he used to be...

[SmokyBurgess]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

If it is a relapse, especially in the severity of his case before, it would be nice to see people treat it properly as a disease and be supportive of him.

+1

[egri]

I have an aunt who has struggled with alcoholism and mental illness. In the decade-plus that I've been aware of what was going on (I'm 20, so it didn't register when I was younger) I've noticed that she oscillates between stretches of sobriety and drunkenness, and that the trend has been for her sober time to decrease while the length and severity of her drinking spells increases. Hopefully Hamilton can turn it around, but I would not be surprised to hear more stories like this in the future.

[dgo71]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

If it is a relapse, especially in the severity of his case before, it would be nice to see people treat it properly as a disease and be supportive of him.

While I agree in principle they need to be careful about the precedent they set with whatever the arbitrators decide. If it were someone more villified than Hamilton, would the public be OK with rehab and treatment over a suspension. That's not the talk I was hearing when it concerned A-Rod last year. They have to be consistent in the application of their rules, now and going forward, so this could be a potentially sticky situation.

[Bocabirdman]

Originally Posted by dgo71

While I agree in principle they need to be careful about the precedent they set with whatever the arbitrators decide. If it were someone more villified than Hamilton, would the public be OK with rehab and treatment over a suspension. That's not the talk I was hearing when it concerned A-Rod last year. They have to be consistent in the application of their rules, now and going forward, so this could be a potentially sticky situation.

ARod does not suffer with addiction. He was just looking for an edge over growing old. There can be NO comparison and the disciplinary action taken by MLB should come from a completely different place. One is sick, the other, a cheat.