Hamilton will not be suspended: per DiGiovanna

[DMVol]

When the arbitration scenario came up, this was pretty predictable....baseball has never won an arbitration hearing on anything....The issue now, reading between the lines on DiGiovanna's tweet, is whether Arte is willing to eat the remainder of his contract....he might....

Edited April 3, 2015 by DMVol

[Thomas]

Still sounds like manged to not fail a test.

[WallyWorld]

@Ken_Rosenthal: #Angels statement on Hamilton is a fail. His “conduct” should not be matter of public discussion. What I just wrote: http://t.co/HRQSEqEWvK

[ukyah]

i am one who knows that drug addiction is a disease. this sends a horrible message. consequences for your actions is one of the basic tenants of recovery, not to mention adult living.

[beatlesrule]

Interesting turn of events. I still think he won't play as an Angel this year

How exactly? They are still paying him and unless he retires, they are going to put him on the 25 man roster. He makes way too much to not play.

[Guest]

@Ken_Rosenthal: #Angels statement on Hamilton is a fail. His “conduct” should not be matter of public discussion. What I just wrote: http://t.co/HRQSEqEWvK

We clearly don't know the full story. Ken should stfu.

[Docwaukee]

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.  

[James]

He was supposedly being drug tested three times a week...and spring training was about to start, so even if his off-season testing was more intermittent, the coke probably would have shown up. It wasn't a noble gesture at all. It was "hey, I'm going to get caught anyway, so let's try to earn a few brownie points."

This is all complete BS. This isn't a first offense for him, and they let him off the hook? Disgusting.

I don't think Josh would even say it was a noble gesture. Sounds more like an addict struggling but trying to overcome said addictions.

Do I believe some degree of punishment was in order? Yes. But he has not been let off the hook. His daily struggle is far beyond baseball which is why the organization was ignorant for signing him to such a contract that they did.

[yk9001]

@Ken_Rosenthal: #Angels statement on Hamilton is a fail. His “conduct” should not be matter of public discussion. What I just wrote: http://t.co/HRQSEqEWvK

 

Poor Hammy.  Everything and everybody is against him.  Such a martyr.

[Guest]

How exactly? They are still paying him and unless he retires, they are going to put him on the 25 man roster. He makes way too much to not play.

His presence alone is a distraction to the success of this ballclub. He's detrimental to the team in almost every aspect. The Angels would be better off keeping him off the field.

[bloodbrother]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/03/breaking-josh-hamilton-to-receive-no-discipline-in-the-wake-of-his-relapse/

 

The ruling was based on the arbitrator’s interpretation of Section 4© of the Joint Drug Agreement, which handles violations of a players’ treatment program. Under that section, a player is said to have committed a violation if the player: a. refuses to submit to evaluations and followup tests; b. (“consistently fails to participate in mandatory sessions with his assigned health care professional”; c. his health care professional tells Major League Baseball that the player is not cooperating; or d. the player tests positive for a drug of abuse.

 

None of these applied to Hamilton. Rather, Hamilton self-reported his use of cocaine to Major League Baseball. Said use was characterized to NBC Sports.com by a person familiar with the proceedings as a “slip” as opposed to a “relapse.” Hamilton had, in the past, been involved in isolated incidents involving alcohol, which likewise did not result in any discipline.

 

 

Hamilton is smarter than we realize. Turning himself in saved him millions

[WallyWorld]

Agreed little Kenny Rosenthal needs to STFU. I don't know where he gets off taking the Angels to task in this situation.

[nando714]

This thread has potential

[beatlesrule]

He was supposedly being drug tested three times a week...and spring training was about to start, so even if his off-season testing was more intermittent, the coke probably would have shown up. It wasn't a noble gesture at all. It was "hey, I'm going to get caught anyway, so let's try to earn a few brownie points."

This is all complete BS. This isn't a first offense for him, and they let him off the hook? Disgusting.

Why are you surprised? He is a famous athlete. Rules that apply to you and I mean nothing to him. Keep in mind too that he has a "disease" and therefore can't be held accountable for his actions. Plus, he found a loophole in the system so he technically never tested positive. I guess you are allowed to refuse a drug test if you tell them you used drugs. Manford is going to have to get the whole program fixed.

[Thomas]

 I guess you are allowed to refuse a drug test if you tell them you used drugs. Manford is going to have to get the whole program fixed.

 

If he had refused the drug test he'd already be suspended. I somehow doubt MLB just decided to skip the test on their own even with his self report.

[Ludwig Von Mises]

@Ken_Rosenthal: #Angels statement on Hamilton is a fail. His “conduct” should not be matter of public discussion. What I just wrote: http://t.co/HRQSEqEWvK

Rosenthal is off his rocker to blame the Angels.

 

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

 

This monumental thief screws the team over again, gets away with it, and it's the team's fault?

He deserves shit.

[Thomas]

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

[AngelsSurfer]

I don't think Josh would even say it was a noble gesture. Sounds more like an addict struggling but trying to overcome said addictions.

Do I believe some degree of punishment was in order? Yes. But he has not been let off the hook. His daily struggle is far beyond baseball which is why the organization was ignorant for signing him to such a contract that they did.

Lots of addicts deal with the same daily struggles that Josh does - and when they relapse and use, they get fired or suspended. He didn't. As per the commissioner, there will be absolutely no consequences for his employment status. He most definitely did get off the hook. Yes, it's a struggle. But as someone else here said, managing the disease of addiction is all about personal responsibility. He's been suspended for drugs before; he's fully aware of the consequences for using.

 

I don't think the Angels should ever have signed him, but they did - and I think that there should be consequences when someone violates the terms of their employment.

[Second Base]

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.

[AngelsSurfer]

Why are you surprised? He is a famous athlete. Rules that apply to you and I mean nothing to him. Keep in mind too that he has a "disease" and therefore can't be held accountable for his actions. Plus, he found a loophole in the system so he technically never tested positive. I guess you are allowed to refuse a drug test if you tell them you used drugs. Manford is going to have to get the whole program fixed.

If he'd walked into their office and confessed to using PEDS without any other evidence or a drug test, I wonder if they'd have been so lenient...

And acknowledging that addiction is a clinically recognized disease and acknowledging that addicts have to take personal responsibility and accountability for their actions are not mutally exclusive things. Accountability is a central theme of any 12-step program.

[fan_since79]

There's already a pall cast over this season, and it hasn't even started.

[Turd Ferguson]

So much for that Hamilton "slip up" being "worse than PEDs." 

[Blarg]

@Ken_Rosenthal: #Angels statement on Hamilton is a fail. His “conduct” should not be matter of public discussion. What I just wrote: http://t.co/HRQSEqEWvK

 

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.

[fan_since79]

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?

 

 

2014, OPS vs right-handed pitching:

 

Hamilton .695

Cron .731

[Hollyw00d]

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.

Uh, no he isn't. He'll hit the middle of the order based on past accomplishments and take away at bats from better and more disciplined hitters. I dont give a rats arse that he's a former MVP, that means nothing in 2015