Josh Hamilton meets with MLB officials about a disciplinary issue

[Coolout]

If I remember correctly the Halos did sign a fellow accountability partner. Shane Kelley (name?)who was with Josh in TEX.

With that being said, concerns are greater for his family than his career and the lunatics (no disrespect intended) who think they know the facts.

[ScottT]

Jose Mota and Roger Lodge analyzing this right now on AM830.

 

lol

 

Heard one of em take calls for three minutes.  Couldn't take it any longer. 

[AngelsFanSince86]

Not necessarily, but you can see how it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You keep saying to someone that they can't do anything right and you focus only on the things they did wrong, why would they believe in themselves at that point?

 

Yeah, but you can't blame others for that.  Addicts look for excuses like that to fuel their addiction and it is nobodies fault but their own.  You can't cater to their every whim and shield your opinions just because you are afraid of them being too fragile and relapsing.  If an addict wants to relapse they will find any and all ways to rationalize it.  I come from a large family rampant with addiction.  Some of them truly have demons they are dealing with.  Many of them are just selfish and love the high.  And barring some deep dark secret, Josh falls in that last category.  Addiction is sad for the loved ones that are affected by it, but feeling bad for addicts themselves only fuels their addiction and typically is more enabling then anything.  It makes them feel justified in their addiction. Josh is a grown man who has had every opportunity given to him to beat his addiction.  I do not feel bad for him for one second.  Most people have to worry about paying the bills, paying for their next meal, not being able to find a decent job because of their drug history, etc and that adds to the stress and can trigger a relapse.  Josh has not had to deal with any of these.  He has had thousands of supporting fans through the years, a supportive family, a supportive team, millions of dollars, and still has his job (as of now) despite many drug-related incidents.  He has access to the best treatment facilities in the country and had a personal accountability partner for years.  That he still CHOOSES a momentary high over everything else he has going for him is pathetic and I don't feel bad for one second.  He has 4 kids.  He needs to grow up and deal with his problem, even if that means retiring.  

 

Edit: Put the wrong amount of kids before.

Edited February 26, 2015 by AngelsFanSince86

[SoWhat]

@JonHeymanCBS Hear hamilton had relapse. Believe occurred a couple months back. Involved at least cocaine. Honorably, he confessed.

[jsnpritchett]

From Jon Heyman's tweets and MLB Trade Rumors:

 

"Importantly, Hamilton’s prior suspensions occurred before he was on the major league roster, which is presumably why Heyman writes that the 33-year-old would go into the league’s CBA-mandated first-time offender program rather than facing a more severe suspension."

[ELEVEN]

So 15 days... Should be good to go.

[bloodbrother]

Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS  Â·  15m 15 minutes ago

There's no word of a failed test. Word is, Hamilton told mlb about relapse. He'd be put in program as 1st time offender.

 

 

Since he didnt' fail an MLB drug test but admitted to using...does that mean the Halos still have to pay him while he's out and likely getting treatment?

Edited February 26, 2015 by bloodbrother

[Biergott]

My boy is crushed.  He got Josh's autograph at season seat holder picture day even though they weren't supposed to, posed for a great photo with both of my boys, then my oldest got to take the field with the players last season, and his player was Josh.  Josh actually kept my boy out there and talked to him for quite a while compared to the others that just autographed the ball and sent the kid away.  So while Josh isn't his favorite player, he was the first personal connection my kid ever had to a MLB player.  

 

The whole situation sucks, because Josh seems like a really nice person deep down, and I know most wanted him to succeed.  Business-wise for the Angels this could be a godsend in salary relief, team-wise I can't see any way that this can hurt the team either (chemistry, performance, etc), but I hate to see someone who can seem so genuine and nice, fail in so many ways.  

[Hollyw00d]

If I remember correctly the Halos did sign a fellow accountability partner. Shane Kelley (name?)who was with Josh in TEX.

With that being said, concerns are greater for his family than his career and the lunatics (no disrespect intended) who think they know the facts.

The facts are this.

Hamilton will be suspended for what is almost certainly a FOURTH failed drug test. Nobody has to, or should feel sorry for him. He doesn't have cancer, he's not suffering from ALS, he wasn't born with failing organs. Dude is a drug addict, and it was his chose to do away with the things and people that helped him not take drugs.

The other facts are the angels gave this guy 125 million, trusting that he would not only live up to it, but also actually be on the field and not in rehab somewhere.

He has failed to adhere to any of the commitments he made to this team, his boss, the fans, and even his own children.

[JAHV76]

I hope he gets the treatment he needs. I feel bad for his family. He needs to be out of baseball entirely and focus getting his life straightened out.

[Hollyw00d]

Hamilton is not a "good guy" or any kind of role model that kids can look up to, lets get that nonsense out of the way right now

[bloodbrother]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/02/josh-hamilton-meeting-with-mlb-regarding-disciplinary-matter.html

 

 

6:59pm: Hamilton’s meeting involves an admission to the league earlier in the offseason that he had used prohibited drugs of abuse, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). Hamilton, of course, has a well-documented history of addiction, leading Heyman to characterize the event in question as a relapse.

Importantly, Hamilton’s prior suspensions occurred before he was on the major league roster, which is presumably why Heyman writes that the 33-year-old would go into the league’s CBA-mandated first-time offender protocol rather than facing a more severe suspension. He would be entered into a treatment program and would be subject to a 15 to 25 game ban if he did not comply with that program.

That program — the specifics of which would be decided through a complicated process — would not necessarily result in any lost salary. The Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (often referred to as the JDA) provides that, if a player misses thirty days or less of time from his team due to the required treatment regimen, he is paid in full. Days 31 through 60 are paid at half rate, and any period of absence beyond that would be unpaid.

[Pablo]

The facts are this.

Hamilton will be suspended for what is almost certainly a FOURTH failed drug test. Nobody has to, or should feel sorry for him. He doesn't have cancer, he's not suffering from ALS, he wasn't born with failing organs. Dude is a drug addict, and it was his chose to do away with the things and people that helped him not take drugs.

The other facts are the angels gave this guy 125 million, trusting that he would not only live up to it, but also actually be on the field and not in rehab somewhere.

He has failed to adhere to any of the commitments he made to this team, his boss, the fans, and even his own children.

Not so.  He didn't fail a drug test - he came to the MLB to confess he had a relapse.  

[gotbeer]

Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS  Â·  15m 15 minutes ago

There's no word of a failed test. Word is, Hamilton told mlb about relapse. He'd be put in program as 1st time offender.

 

 

Since he didnt' fail an MLB drug test but admitted to using...does that mean the Halos still have to pay him while he's out and likely getting treatment?

 

If it's a first time offender.  Then going by what Jim B posted on page 5 and what DiGiovanna tweeted.  Then it would be counseling and extra testing.  Which would probably mean it's not a suspension, and probably would get paid.  

 

Until official, it could really go a number of ways.  

[shellback]

addicts/alcoholics wind up in 3 places due to thier addictions: jails, institutions or dead.

jh's kids deserve better.

my unfortunate opinion is that all the help being given him at this point is nothing more than enabling.

helping someone that wont help himself is a disease process.

[Hollyw00d]

Not so. He didn't fail a drug test - he came to the MLB to confess he had a relapse.

So that makes it better somehow?

He knew he was going to fail a test. He only confessed because he knew his career would be over and he would lose almost 90 million if he didn't.

[Ohtaniland]

So all of the people who bought season tickets based on the .300 / 30 / 100 just got f'ed

[Biergott]

Hamilton is not a "good guy" or any kind of role model that kids can look up to, lets get that nonsense out of the way right now

 Never said he was a role model.  Never said he was someone to look up to.  But he was a genuinely nice person, and took time to have a conversation with my son, where most others just went through the motions of a required job duty.  It made an impact on my son, and was a day he will never forget. That certainly makes him a "good guy" in my book based upon my personal experiences.  

 

And this is coming from someone who absolutely dreads the moment when Hamilton comes into the batter's box.  Especially with RISP or a key game situation.   

Edited February 26, 2015 by Biergott

[Jay]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/25/report-josh-hamilton-had-a-relapse-this-offseason-that-involved-at-least-cocaine/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

[tdawg87]

So all of the people who bought season tickets based on the .300 / 30 / 100 just got f'ed

 

So 0 people.

[beatlesrule]

So that makes it better somehow?

He knew he was going to fail a test. He only confessed because he knew his career would be over and he would lose almost 90 million if he didn't.

I highly doubt he would be kicked out. I don't see how him admitting he used cocaine before bothering to pee into a cup or whatever makes it any less severe.  His blood or urine would have tested positive.  He failed to abstain.  He is guilty regardless.  Of course, maybe he did find some loophole by admitting before a test that it would be positive.  The MLBPA will do whatever it can to make sure he is paid as much as possible regardless of him breaking the law.

[Pablo]

So that makes it better somehow?

He knew he was going to fail a test. He only confessed because he knew his career would be over and he would lose almost 90 million if he didn't.

No - just speaks to the end result.  If he didn't fail a drug test, then that directly affects any penalties, since they are based on failing a drug test.  

[ELEVEN]

So all of the people who bought season tickets based on the .300 / 30 / 100 just got f'ed

Anyone who bought season tix based on that, deserves to get F'ed.

[fan_since79]

Just got home from work and saw this. Unbelievable.

 

I'm not going to read all 15 pages of this thread. The first page was depressing enough for one day.

[eligrba]

Wish I had his contract.

 

Glad I don't have his demons.