RELAPSE: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s star left fielder, Josh Hamilton, slips into a drug and alcohol relapse that goes unpunished by the MLB.
By Franklin Racobs, Staff Writer
In late February, the media revealed that Josh Hamilton had suffered a relapse in his battle against substance abuse. Hamilton’s consequence for his first substance abuse problem with cocaine and alcohol was a suspension that lasted from 2004 to 2006. In 2006, he returned to the league and went on to become a five-time all-star and win the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2010 for the Texas Rangers. On December 13, 2012, Hamilton signed a five-year, $125 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Angels fans have been anything but pleased with the performances that they have seen from their pricey all-star. When the Angels made the playoffs last season, they were swept by the Kansas City Royals in a three-game series. Hamilton was 0-13 at the plate during the series, which earned him boos from the home crowd. At the start of the offseason, Hamilton had a shoulder surgery and was expected to return in May of the 2015 season, but after word got out about his relapse, fans truly started to question whether or not it was a smart choice to pay him $125 million.
Recently, the Angels received news that the arbitrator ruled that the MLB cannot punish Hamilton for his problems involving alcohol and drug abuse. This came as a surprise, considering Hamilton was suspended from the league when he was going through his first substance abuse problem.
Hamilton is expected to return from his shoulder surgery recuperation around May. But the question remains: do the Angels even want him back, considering that they were expecting him to be suspended from the league? C.J. Wilson, a starting pitcher in the Angels rotation, feels that the team would have been eager to have Hamilton return from his surgery if he would have performed at the level of talent of which they know he is capable. In Wilson’s eyes, this talent included “hitting .300 with 35 home runs a year.” He believes that “that’s the player they paid for.” Angels’ slugger Mike Trout recognizes that the team misses Hamilton and “hope[s] everything works out.”
Now that the Angels’ season is underway, fans will have to wait and see when and how Hamilton will make his return.