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Josh Hamilton

A photo of Josh Hamilton.

Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is a retired Major League Baseball player. He was the first overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[1] He was considered a blue chip prospect until injuries and addiction derailed his career in 2001. Prior to the 2007 season, Hamilton was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 Draft, and quickly sold to the Cincinnati Reds.[2] He made his MLB debut in 2007, and had a successful rookie season. During the off-season he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Edinson Volquez.[3]

After his torrid start to the 2008 season, Hamilton was named to the American League All-Star team. He also participated in the Home Run Derby, where he hit 28 home runs in the opening round, to break Bobby Abreu's record of 24 set in 2005. He finished second in the finals to Justin Morneau, but did hit the second most total home runs of any participant with 35, while Bobby Abreu finished with 41.[4][5]

Personal life[]

Family[]

Josh Hamilton is married to Katie (née Chadwick), the daughter of one of the men (Michael Chadwick) who helped him in his quest to get clean. They started dating in 2002, when Hamilton returned to Raleigh.[6] They married in 2004.[7] Katie has a daughter, Julia, from a previous relationship, and together Josh and Katie have a daughter, Sierra. They went through a period of estrangement when it became clear that Josh was using drugs again. After he got clean in 2005, he began seeing his family again. The couple is currently expecting another child.[6]

Recovery/Faith[]

Hamilton's struggles with drugs and alcohol are well documented. He finally got clean after being confronted by his grandmother, Mary Holt. Hamilton says he hasn't used drugs or alcohol since October 6, 2005.[1] When giving a brief summary of his recovery Hamilton says simply "It's a God thing."[8] He does not shy away from telling his story, speaking to community groups and fans at many different functions. He frequently and publicly tells stories of how Christianity has brought him back from the brink and that faith is what keeps him going.[7] His wife Katie sometimes accompanies him, offering her perspective on his struggles as well.[6] To go along with the provisions of MLB's drug policy, Hamilton provides urine samples for drug testing at least three times per week.[9] Rangers' coach Johnny Narron says of the frequent testing: "I think he looks forward to the tests. He knows he's an addict. He knows he has to be accountable. He looks at those tests as a way to reassure people around him who had faith."[7] Hamilton approaches the plate at Texas Rangers home games to the song "Saved The Day" by Christian group Phillips, Craig and Dean.[10] Josh also had help with his recovery, and with his return to Major League Baseball, from Richard Davis and his staff at Trademark Properties of Charleston, South Carolina. Josh even helped the company move the final home of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson across Greenville, SC, to an ideal West End display spot next to Fluor Field, home of the Class A South Atlantic League's Greenville Drive. This event was part of a TV special on the show The Real Estate Pros.[citation needed].

Statistics[]

Major League[]

Year Age Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP
2007 26 Cincinnati NL 90 298 52 87 17 2 19 47 3 3 33 65 .292 .368 .554 .922 165 0 2 4 4 6
2008 27 Texas AL 115 462 77 140 26 3 28 111 7 0 47 90 .303 .367 .554 .921 256 0 9 5 5 6
Totals: 205 760 129 227 43 5 47 158 10 3 80 155 .299 .367 .554 .921 421 0 11 9 9 12

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References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SI2
  2. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Rule5
  3. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Trade1
  4. Hamilton has record round, but Morneau wins Derby. AP (2008-07-14). Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
  5. Phillips, Mike (2008-07-15). Hamilton steals the show in defeat. Miami Herald. Retrieved on 2008-07-15.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Shroyer, Shawn (2008-06-01). Hamilton, wife share story with fans. MLB.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-20.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Grant, Evan (2008-02-29). Faith brings Texas Rangers' Hamilton back from the brink. Dallas News. Retrieved on 2008-06-20.
  8. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named HamESPN
  9. Crouse, Karen (2007-03-09). Finding peace, and looking for a job. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-06-20.
  10. The M Collective (2008-07-09). PHILLIPS, CRAIG & DEAN FINDS FOLLOWING AT TEXAS RANGERS’ BALLPARK. The M Collective. Retrieved on 2008-07-09.

External links[]

Preceded by:
Pat Burrell
First overall pick in the MLB Entry Draft
1999
Succeeded by:
Adrian Gonzalez
Preceded by:
David Ortiz (September 2007)
American League Player of the Month
April 2008, May 2008
Succeeded by:
J.D. Drew
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