Redemption Song for Josh Hamilton

In baseball, sometimes it's said that the hardest part isn't cracking the Major League lineup, but staying there. Because my frame of reference is based on the team I follow, I'll refer to a couple of guys from the Angels to give you a backdrop for this story. Recently, the Angels called up Nick Adenhart from the Triple A affiliate in Salt Lake City to fill the roster spot for the fifth starter in the rotation.

As the Angels have been looking to acquire a power bat the last couple of seasons through trade avenues, Nick's name had been mentioned in every potential deal because of the type of propsect that he is. He's climbed through the ranks in the minors and was 4-0 with less than a 1.00 era when he was called up. Last Thursday night I was at the game when he debuted and I was hoping for something like when Jered Weaver made his first start in the bigs against the Orioles a couple of seasons ago - a solid outing garnering a win. Unfortunately for Nick, his nerves revealed themselves and he was wild. I think he had five walks in the three innings that he pitched, and from the way the A's were hitting him that night you'd think he was serving up softballs, not fastballs. They gave him another shot this week against the Royals and although he wasn't as battered this time around, he failed to make it past the 5th inning. He'll probably return to Salt Lake in the next week or so to make room for another person who is looking to make his mark in the majors as well. Another teammate of his, Jeff Mathis, knows this story well.

For several years now Mathis has been one of the most highly touted prospects in all of the Major Leagues. As a catcher, many consider him to be one of the best defensive prospects while also possessing the ability to hit, a skill that's obviously important but comes secondary to how well a catcher can manage the game. Since 2005, Mathis has yo-yo'ed between the Angels and the farm team because of how difficult it is to sustain a prolonged presence in the majors. It looks like he's finally here to stay. These stories are common around baseball and for most players. Not every great player that plays today gets up to the Major League ballclub and stays there. So when you hear about a guy like Josh Hamilton it makes his story that much more remarkable.

After having a great spring training, hitting over .400, Josh Hamilton was able to secure himself a spot on the opening day roster of the Cincinnait Reds. On April 2, 2007 the crowd of the Reds welcomed Josh with a 22-second standing ovation. Although he missed a good portion of the season due to injury, he was still able to hit 19 home runs and stay in the running for NL Rookie of the Year. These is an uncommon experience for most ballplayers.

In the offseason the Rangers acquired Josh in a trade from the Reds in a deal that is widely considered one of those rare mutually beneficial deals when both ball clubs clearly improved with the new addition to the team. Currently, Josh is second in the American League with 7 home runs, and leads the league in RBI's. He was named American League player of the month for April. Not only has he been able to avoid any kind of sophomore slump, Josh has been able to thrive in his second season. Again, most players fail to experience the sustained success that Hamilton has been privy to thus far. Then again, most players are fortunate enough to not have to take the circuitous route that he has taken either.

I'm going to leave it to Jeff Pearlman of Sports Illustrated and ESPN to tell you the rest of his Hamilton's story. Here is Pearlman's story from a year ago about rediscovery for Josh Hamilton, and his follow-up story from this past week about the uphill battle that Hamilton still faces from some of the fans. I will, however, leave you with an excerpt that will hopefully entice you enough to read the stories; it is a great story:

Over the ensuing seven years, Hamilton went from golden boy to addict.

He replaced Gatorade with crack and bowls of Wheaties with lines of coke.

From afar, I watched with profound sadness. This was Josh Hamilton -- the guaranteed future star. My guy.

In June 2002, I flew out to California to profile Hamilton, who was struggling with Single-A Bakersfield. We grabbed a bite to eat at a diner near the ballpark, and I was taken aback by a striking physical change.

Though Hamilton still maintained his boyish smile, coating his arms were layers of tattoos, one more intricate and odd than the next. It seemed so un-Josh -- at least the Josh I had briefly known. When I asked him about the artwork, Hamilton went quiet. "Yeah," he said. "It was a mistake."

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