Hamilton will not be suspended: per DiGiovanna

[Bobster7587]

I personally see this as beneficial for the Angels. I know you can't take money away from the argument, but let's pretend you did, who is Josh Hamilton in a baseball sense?

He's a former MVP that is left-handed so he balances the lineup and he provides the Angels with intriguing depth.

You obviously can't platoon Joyce with Ham, they're both left handed, so one would have to platoon with Cron at DH. But what if Cron is killing the ball the way I predict he will. Do you take that bat out of the lineup?

What if both Joyce and Cron are highly productive?

What if somehow Ham recoves fully and is the guy the Angels had at the beginning if last year, the true middle if the order presence. Then what?

These are good problems to have in the baseball sense. Yes it sucks he's a junky, yes it sucks he costs you 30 million a year. But if you get over that, he's a good baseball player to have on your team.

 

What if Hamilton continues to swing at absolutely everything that's thrown in his zip code? What if Scioscia continues to play him, and continues to hit him in the middle of the order? What if he continues to be a distraction and negative influence in the clubhouse? Then what? 

[ten ocho recon scout]

Rosenthal is such a complete worm. Hamilton did not receive any public trial. What Rosenthal and the rest of the media presented as their evidence to be weighed (without having the balls to say they were happy as shit to have something to report) is what public opinion is being formed from, not quotes from the Angels front office. Up until today the Angels organization has been pretty tight lipped about the entire situation and I'm sure Ken is pretty pissed he didn't get any quotes from his insiders.

"He deserved better as a recovering addict. He deserved better as a major leaguer. He deserved better as a human being."

Rosenthal is a disingenuous prick.

Beat me to it. Any reporter who complains someone else is speaking to the public about someone elses issues is a joke. And like you said, if the angels had given rosenthal the scoop prior to making their public statement, he would have jumped all over it

[Blarg]

2014, OPS vs right-handed pitching:

 

Hamilton .695

Cron .731

 

Hamilton vs left handed pitchers .884

 

CJ Cron Career vs left handed pitchers .751

 

I guess one comp doesn't always tell the full story.

[Angelsjunky]

Pretty sure there isn't even one player who is going to interpet this as the message

 

I'm pretty sure there is at least one player who is going to interpret it that way, probably more. Don't underestimate the prevalence of stupidity among professional athletes.

 

It also sends a message that if you do bad just confess.  

 

Actions deserve consequences.  

 

I take it that you're not Catholic?

[Angelsjunky]

Here's the upside: Hamilton works hard to come back and prove the naysayers wrong. He rejoins the club in X and kills the ball for Y months.

 

There's no denying that Hamilton, even now, has much higher upside than Joyce or Cowgill. The team is a better club with a healthy, revived Hamilton than without.

 

That said, this depends upon reconciliation with the team. Josh has his work cut out for him.

[NJHalo]

Time for Arte to make that call to Jeff Gillooly.

[Blarg]

I take it that you're not Catholic?

 

Catholic still believe that there are consequences regardless of confession. It is to do a spiritual reset but doesn't clear you from the laws of man.

[beatlesrule]

I'm guessing if MLB did forego the test after the self report that they won't be doing that again in the future.

This is what I meant. Obviously, no drug test was taken. This is the fault of the urine or blood collector or whomever is responsible for making sure his sample is tested. He never tested positive or negative. He was never tested so it's tough to suspend him. He found a loophole. For all I know, maybe if a player confesses he used illegal drugs before a test, the rules state that he can't tested. Basically, they have to redo the whole program now that Hamilton took advantage of the flaws in it.

[Inside Pitch]

Maybe this is some sort of bizarre ruse.  

 

Josh doesn't want to play anymore, but he also doesn't want to give up the money.  

 

He makes up a story that he did drugs but never tests positive.  he knows he won't be suspended and he knows this will fiercely piss off the Angels front office to the point he gets released.  

 

He rides off into the sunset with his 90mil and never has to step on to a baseball field ever again.  

 

This guy is going to try to Albert Belle his way into getting paid.    He's going to just string out the shoulder ailment.

[Taylor]

AngelsWin: The Internet hub of self-righteousness.

[yk9001]

AngelsWin: The Internet hub of self-righteousness.

 

Yes.  He does the coke and doesn't help the team.  And we are the bad guys.

[NJHalo]

While I would not want to be in Arte's position of having to pay him another 3 years, it makes it a much bigger waste of money if his presence diminishes the production of others around him.

[Taylor]

Yes.  He does the coke and doesn't help the team.  And we are the bad guys.

 

I don't really want to see him on the field in an Angels uniform ever again, but I also hope the best for him in his personal life.

[Thomas]

This is what I meant. Obviously, no drug test was taken. This is the fault of the urine or blood collector or whomever is responsible for making sure his sample is tested. He never tested positive or negative. He was never tested so it's tough to suspend him. He found a loophole. For all I know, maybe if a player confesses he used illegal drugs before a test, the rules state that he can't tested. Basically, they have to redo the whole program now that Hamilton took advantage of the flaws in it.

 

Not necessarily. There may have been a test conducted which he passed. I believe what he took passes through his system very quickly. No personal experience but I have heard that it can be hard to catch. Catching someone happens but the odds aren't great. We don't and probably will never know if there was a followup test. But regardless unless there is a specific rule prohibiting a test after acknowledgement then clearly they better test after a self report.  Which again they may have already done.

[DMVol]

 That said, this depends upon reconciliation with the team. Josh has his work cut out for him.

Didn't see much reconciling potential in DiPoto's statement....

[yk9001]

I don't really want to see him on the field in an Angels uniform ever again, but I also hope the best for him in his personal life.

 

Now who is being the self righteous one?

[GregAlso]

All of you talking about him not testing positive realize cocaine only stays in urine and blood for about 3 days. The body processes it quickly and it is very possible that if the tests where once a week or further spread out in the offseason that it would not produce a positive test. Supposedly he did this sometime near the Super Bowl and therefore his spring tests would've never been positive for cocaine.

[AngelsSurfer]

I don't really want to see him on the field in an Angels uniform ever again, but I also hope the best for him in his personal

I doubt that anyone has ill will for him as a person. We're talking about him as a ball player and his obligations to his team.

[ELEVEN]

All of you talking about him not testing positive realize cocaine only stays in urine and blood for about 3 days. The body processes it quickly and it is very possible that if the tests where once a week or further spread out in the offseason that it would not produce a positive test. Supposedly he did this sometime near the Super Bowl and therefore his spring tests would've never been positive for cocaine.

For me it comes down to this. Hamilton was not on an active Super Bowl roster, so his time was his own.

I'm also glad my blood wasn't tested after that game.

[Amazing Larry]

All of you talking about him not testing positive realize cocaine only stays in urine and blood for about 3 days. The body processes it quickly and it is very possible that if the tests where once a week or further spread out in the offseason that it would not produce a positive test. Supposedly he did this sometime near the Super Bowl and therefore his spring tests would've never been positive for cocaine.

 

Ya coke goes through the system quickly. That's why I was really surprised when Washington got popped.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Tim Mead did tell us that Josh will have to spend quite some time in the minors before coming back. That the way he finished last year, he needs to show he can be productive before the team puts him back in the lineup.

 

Say goodbye to the playoff chances of the Salt Lake Bees.

[Mark68]

Here's the problem: Hamilton is owed $88.2 million for the next three years. This is certainly not an insignificant sum of money, even for Arte Moneybags. But he has to make a calculation on whether that $88 million is now a sunk cost, and how much that $88 million being on the team will cost him overall based on how much money he has invested in the on-field product.

 

So the question is, does Arte eat the remainder of Hamilton's contract, or does he roll the dice and hope that by having that player on the field won't cost him more than the $88 million left on Josh's contract.

 

Either way, popcorn's in the microwave.

[ELEVEN]

Here's the problem: Hamilton is owed $88.2 million for the next three years. This is certainly not an insignificant sum of money, even for Arte Moneybags. But he has to make a calculation on whether that $88 million is now a sunk cost, and how much that $88 million being on the team will cost him overall based on how much money he has invested in the on-field product.

So the question is, does Arte eat the remainder of Hamilton's contract, or does he roll the dice and hope that by having that player on the field won't cost him more than the $88 million left on Josh's contract.

Either way, popcorn's in the microwave.

BOOM goes the metaphor!

[Second Base]

Ok, Josh Hamilton has sucked, there's a "no duh" statement. But are you really unwilling to even assess whether or not Josh can help the team?

Do I think he's washed up? Yeah. I think Cron is better than him, Joyce and Cowgill. But am I so confident in that assessment that I won't even consider Hamilton as a potentially valuable addition? No, NO.

Let his shoulder fully heal, let him use this time to get his head on straight. Let him get some time in Arizona to see some pitching. Let him get his 20 game rehab assignment in the minors, AND THEN MAKE A DECISION.

[ELEVEN]

I'm gonna guess the 60 day DL is looming large.