Josh Hamilton, a name in baseball
that almost everyone is familiar with and sadly relates it to drugs and
alcohol. A very talented athlete with impressive skills has marred his
reputation and leaves some people with a bad taste in their mouths. That all changed
when he was suspended from the League and the Angels resigned him for $125
million five year contract in 2010. After a two year suspension and a newly
rehabilitated lifestyle, everyone thought Hamilton was over his addiction and
was ready for a new lifestyle in the Big Leagues. That was up until this past
winter when he had a relapse that he reported to the League after it happened.
Just this past week an arbitrator ruled Hamilton had not broken any of Major
League Baseball’s drug policies and could not be suspended (Para. 5). Owner of
the Angels, Arte Moreno, however had a different idea of what should be done
with Hamilton. He states “We have a contract with Hamilton and that contract
has specific language, that he signed and that was approved, that said he could
not drink or use drugs” (Para. 7). However, the MLBPA denies that Arte Moreno
assertions “that the Angels had requested and received the approval of the
union to insert language into Josh Hamilton's contract that would supersede the
provisions of the Joint Drug Agreement and/or the Basic Agreement.” (Para. 8).
This provides a very sticky situation in what to do for Hamilton’s future. He
was not invited back for this year’s home opener and has not even been given a
locker in the clubhouse.
Do you think this is fair? The
League has stated he has not broken any of their policies on drugs, but Moreno
is stating that there is more in Hamilton’s contract that holds him to a higher
standard should he play or not? Does Hamilton deserve the $83 million dollars
that he is still owed?
Amanda Notley
Shaikin, B. (2015, April 11). Josh
Hamilton's contract could lead to battle in drug-relapse fallout. Los Angeles Times.
Looking into the Hamilton situation, I feel like the league is putting baseball before its players. Hamilton has had a history of drug use and even though he admitted to relapsing’s, he is putting his own future in jeopardy. I know when he was with Texas Rangers they did a great job of having someone help with him when he wasn’t on the field but now, I’m not sure what is going on. I don’t know if the Angels have the same support for him but this disease or illness; whatever you call it, is going to be damaging for him after baseball if he doesn’t figure out a way to stop this habit he has. I think he is a great baseball player but once he’s done playing I wonder what his life will be like. It seems like baseball is keeping him for the most part clean but what happens when the drug testing stops. That’s what I worry about and what are the ethical practices being placed on him with the Angels. If you ask me, this is not right and I feel like because he can play baseball he is still able to do what he wants. I really hope he finds the necessary help through baseball to help him for life after baseball.
ReplyDeleteConsidering Hamilton's history with drug abuse, I do not think that he deserves to receive such a high salary for his baseball talent. I think it is important for the league and the teams to highlight the importance of health and well-being over the talent a young man could provide on the baseball field. I cannot make a comment on the contractual issue because i have not seen the contract or the terms to which Hamilton and the team have agreed. I would hope that if there were a provision in the contract to address his drug abuse and it not being tolerated, that the MLBPA would step aside and treat this case individually for the benefit of the player. Though he has not broken any of the league's rules, if there is a personalized contractual obligation to stay sober, he should be terminated for breach of contract and not be renewed until he has proven that he has his life on track and can handle the strenuous lifestyle of an MLB player.
ReplyDeleteMarissa Tashenberg
I do not see any kind of misdemeanor by Josh Hamilton. As it was mentioned in one of the previous comments, substance or alcohol abuse should be considered as mental disorders and people who suffer from it should be considered sick. Even though Hamilton was considered rehabilitated, the risk of recidivism always exists with this sort of disease. The team should have considered the fact that he had a history with alcohol abuse before signing him. Moreover, I consider it immoral that they put the clause in his contract in the first place, since it shows that they do not acknowledge his condition as a disease. Just like a player’s contract can and should not be cancelled in case of injury or sicknesses, I think teams should stay with their players if they suffered from mental disorders. - Andreas Khüny
ReplyDeleteAthletes addicted to drugs is not surprising news anymore. Drug abuse itself has numerous harms to the human body and society; taking drugs not only erodes physical body features but also mind and consciousness. In Hamilton’s situation, he has a terrible history with drugs. I do not think it is unfair for Hamilton to perform at higher standards in the league. As a professional athlete, Hamilton is exposed to media and society, which means every behavior he made produced an impact to different degrees. If he had not been suspended, younger athletes may think that it is not a big deal to take drugs, which is not a good sign in developing youth sports. In addition, I also do not think Hamilton deserves the $83 million dollars when he was still suspended. Talented players should get a high salary, but I agree with Marissa that health and well-being are more important than the talent of a player.
ReplyDeleteIn sports history, many players get suspensions or money penalties from their professional league because of drug abuse. The legend of soccer player Diego Maradona who used to be suspended for 15 months is an example. Another soccer player is Mark Bosnich who received severe punishment from FIFA after a drug investigation. All of these cases show the attitude of the whole world on drug issues. Hence, I do not think Hamilton received unfair treatment.
Veeco Zhent