Reflections on Baseball, Relapse, and Never Giving Up
As I sat watching ESPN on the weekend of the biggest game in sports, a headline scrolled along the “Bottom Line” that caught my attention. The brief headline stated that all-star and 2010 American League MVP Josh Hamilton relapsed on alcohol, as he was seen drinking in public.
Hamilton’s story is well known. He was drafted first overall out of high school by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1999 MLB draft. Hamilton was very successful early in his minor league career before an injury, and then substance abuse derailed his ascension to stardom. Hamilton did not play during the 2003 season for “personal reasons” and was suspended by MLB for numerous failed drug tests that cost him the 2004 and 2005 seasons. It seemed as though drugs and alcohol had cost the blue chip prospect his shot at a once promising baseball career, but he was able to find sobriety and his career began to flourish. After a trade to the Texas Rangers following the 2007 season, a sober Hamilton’s career took off. He was named to the American League all-star team each year from 2008 to 2011 and was named American League MVP in 2010.
Hamilton appeared to have a momentary relapse in early 2009 after photos of a shirtless Hamilton and several women surfaced. He addressed it by saying, “Obviously it was one those things that reinforce that I can’t have alcohol. I got away from the one thing that kept me on the straight and narrow and that was my relationship with the Lord. That should always come first.“ No other reports of alcohol or drug use had been made public until this week when Hamilton addressed that he relapsed again on January 30th, saying, “I had a weak moment on Monday night in Dallas, personal reasons with a family member. But I walked to a restaurant to have some dinner, and did just that, had dinner and ended up ordering a drink and probably had three or four drinks. Like I said before, I feel terrible about this because I feel like I let a lot of people down. I beat myself up for the last four or five days for this.”
Hamilton’s story is not the first one of its kind. Relapse is a daily battle for people in recovery. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states, “No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.” (pg. 60) As Hamilton puts it, “My recovery is Christ. My recovery is an everyday process, because when I take that one day off, it leaves me open for that moment of weakness and it’s always been that way.”
Recovery is an everyday battle, not just for Hamilton, but for millions around the world. Taking that day off can be the difference between staying sober and relapsing, keeping a job and losing it, maintaining a happy family and losing it. People make mistakes, even people that have the whole world watching their every move. These people do not need to be ridiculed, but need to be loved and encouraged. They need a chance to get up when they have fallen down and if they cannot get up on their own, they need someone there to pick them up until they are able to stand on their own. There are groups of people throughout the world that are willing and eager to help people with problems like Hamilton’s. I pray Hamilton and others in need will reach out to these people and stand tall once again.
Jordan Young, Heroes in Recovery Lead Advocate