Josh Hamilton Sasso Sports/Society

1. Josh HamiltonSassoSports/Society

2. 1999 • Josh Hamilton was considered a baseball prodigy from the time he was 6 years old • Hamilton was widely considered the best high school player in the country…possibly ever • Considered a superior prospect to Alex Rodriguez at that stage of their career (Rodriguez was the 1st pick in the 1993 draft) • Much debate about whether or not Hamilton would be drafted as an outfielder or a pitcher • 18 years old, 6’4”, 190 lbs- 97 mph fastball

3. 1999 • After a lot of debate, Hamilton goes #1 overall (Tampa Bay) • Other notable players in the draft: Josh Beckett (#2), Barry Zito, Brett Myers, Carl Crawford, Justin Morneau • Out of all the players drafted, Hamilton was considered “Can’t miss” • "I think character may have been the final determining factor. You read so many bad things about professional athletes these days, but I don't think you ever will about Josh.“ – Mark McKnight, Rays regional scout • Received a gigantic $3.96 million signing bonus

4. 1999 • First professional stop is Princeton, WV • Appalachian League- Designed to eliminate the weak • Both of his parents quit their jobs to come on the road • This doesn’t sit well with many people in the Rays organization • Feel as though he is not getting the space to grow

5. 1999 • Hamilton has a monster season at Princeton • Earns a promotion to Hudson Valley for the NY-Penn League Championship run • Struggles a bit, but team wins league championship • It’s the only championship that he has won at any level of baseball

6. 2000 • 2000 is a breakout year • Playing for Class A Charleston Hamilton puts up huge numbers • He is chosen as Tampa’s Minor League Player of the Year • Chosen as the top overall Minor League Player by Baseball America (biggest honor you can receive in the minors) • Selected to represent the US in the All Star Futures game • Invited to Major League Spring Training for the 2001 season, with a shot to make the Rays

7. 2001 • Hamilton had set a goal to be on the Rays within 3 years of the draft • Had an excellent shot to make the team in 2001 • Manager Larry Rothschild wanted to keep Hamilton, but the Front Office didn’t think he was ready • He was slated to start the season at AA Orlando

8. 2001 • Driving home from a Spring Training game, Hamilton and his parents are involved in a car accident • Dump truck ran through a stop sign/red light • Father suffers a fractured skull, Josh injures his back, mother (driver) is unhurt • Parents return to North Carolina

9. 2001 • 20 years old • For the first time ever, he is truly on his own • First time he is dealing with injury, though the team is not convinced his injury is physical (several doctors could not find anything wrong with his back) • Unable to play- has a terrible, injury shortened season • Whether real or imagined, there is a bit of a disconnect between Hamilton and his teammates • Nearly $4 million in the bank • He will be spending a lot of time away from the ballpark

10. 2001 • Hamilton had always wanted a tattoo, frequent topic of discussion with Carl Crawford • Shortly after they played together at Princeton, Hamilton got his nickname tattooed on his bicep • He very quickly got 5 more- Mom was not real happy about that • In 2001, Hamilton begins to enter a pretty dark period • Begins simply hanging out at a local tattoo shop • Would sit in the chair for hours at a time letting the artists work on him • Will end up with 26 tattoos • Doesn’t really hang around with teammates, so he decides to go out with the tattoo guys • Has his first drink and snorts his first line of cocaine on the same night • Convinced himself that it was a one-time deal, then used again within the next week

11. 2001-2002 • Hamilton pretty quickly becomes a changed man • Very paranoid, shows many of the characteristics of a cocaine abuser • Rays are worried that he is depressed over his injury (he is an “investment”, remember?) • Decide to send him to a sports psychologist • While there, he informs the doctor that he had been experimenting with drugs • Doctor informs the Rays • Hamilton is sent to Betty Ford Clinic • Leaves after 8 days

12. 2002-2003 • Hamilton will return to the field in 2002, but this is not the same player • Still struggled with injury as well as his addictions to drugs and alcohol • Very distant from teammates • Struggles heavily on the field • MLB baseball was not enforcing random drug testing at the time, but MiLB was • Hamilton is selected, and knew he was going to fail his test • He failed and was subjected to a 15 day suspension • Suspended on July 10, 2002 • He would not play again until 2006

13. 2004 • http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/040218hamilton.html

14. 2004-2005 • Hamilton will play almost no baseball • Returns home to NC, where he begins to hang out with both addicts and dealers • Will be consuming nearly a bottle of Crown Royal a day • Will use an unbelievable amount of cocaine • Will also begin to smoke crack • Will continue to test positive enough times that MLB baseball will ultimately suspend him for the entire 2006 season • Alienates himself from parents, wife/children, in-laws • Only person he has left is his grandmother • It becomes a team effort to get between Grandmother and Grandson to get him healthy

15. 2006 • Throughout 2005-2006, Hamilton will work hard on his recovery • Religion becomes a TREMENDOUSLY important factor in his life • He will increase his weight from 180 to 230 (he was 220 when he began using) • Slowly and surely he will begin his comeback to professional baseball • Takes a job on the staff of the Winning Inning, a faith-based baseball program • Works odd jobs around the facility which then allows him to work out later in the day • After nearly 3 ½ years away from the game, his basic skills are still extraordinary

16. 2006 • MLB will actually reinstate him early on a special appeal at the end of 2006 • He will be subject to drug testing three times a week, year round, for the rest of his career • The Rays assign him to Class A Hudson Valley, where he plays 15 games

17. 2007 • The Rays will leave Hamilton unprotected in the Rule V draft • The Chicago Cubs will select him, and immediately trade him to the Cincinnati Reds • The Rule V draft states that the player chosen MUST stay with the big league team, or be returned to his original club • Reunites Hamilton with the Narrons- Jerry and Johnny • He is now officially a major league player

18. 2007 • Received extensive time in Spring Training; more than most players get • Made the Reds roster as the 4th outfielder • Constantly accompanied by Johnny Narron • Pretty good things happening for him

19. 2007

20. 2007-2008 • 2007- Played in 90 games for the Reds: .292, 19 HR, 47 RBI • Pretty solid considering he hadn't played in so long • With a lot of marketable outfielders, the Reds decided to trade Hamilton to the Rangers for pitching prospect EdinsonVolquez • Works out well for both teams and players

21. 2008 • Hamilton has a monster season • Named AL Player of the month in both April and May • Voted as a starter for the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium • Participated in the HR Derby; interesting story to that • Finished 7th in the League MVP voting • Stats: .304, 32 HR, 130 RBI • Salary: $396,000

22. 2008 Homerun Derby • Hamilton’s First Round • http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=3136482

23. 2008-2009 • The Hamilton phenomenon explodes • Hamilton’s Autobiography becomes a best seller • MLB Network develops it’s first original film based on Hamilton

24. 2009 • 2009 was not the year that Hamilton would have hoped for • Tinkered with his swing in Spring Training • Injured Early in the year crashing into the outfield wall • Spent large chunks of time on the DL • After a strong finish, his final numbers were: .268, 10 HR, 54 RBI

25. 2009 • During the middle of the season, compromising photos begin to surface of Hamilton drinking with several women in an Arizona bar • Hamilton publicly comes forward and announces that he had a lapse in sobriety, though he claims no drugs were involved

26. 2010 • To say Hamilton had a bounce-back season in 2010 would be an understatement • Named American League MVP • .359 AVG, 32 HR, 100 RBI • Texas won it’s first AL West championship since 1999 • The Rangers won their first American League Championship • They also advanced to their first World Series, losing to the San Francisco Giants in 5 games • However, he has found himself on the DL yet again: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100919&content_id=14849214&notebook_id=14850558&vkey=notebook_tex&c_id=tex

27. 2011 • A mixture of controversy and success • Suffered a freak broken arm in April that led to him criticizing a 3rd base coach • http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/news/story?id=6337836 • Missed over a month of the season • Still put up impressive numbers • .298 avg, 25 HR, 94 RBI • The Rangers again advanced to the World Series, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games • After the season, Johnny Narron leaves the Rangers to take the Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach position

28. Early 2012 • Hamilton’s issues with dependency resurfaced • Had multiple drinks at a Dallas area bar • Probably cost himself millions of dollars, as the Rangers broke off negotiations for a long term contract • Also created a stir by saying he “didn’t owe the Rangers anything”

29. Where to? • Lots of questions again surround Hamilton • He will turn 31 during the 2012 season • In 5 full seasons, he is a 4-time All-Star, a 2-time Silver Slugger winner, and an MVP • But is he reliable enough for a franchise to hand him a long-term deal?

30. A rough end… • The Rangers had an epic collapse in 2012 • Lost the AL West on the last day of the season to Oakland • Hamilton was largely booed in the 2nd half of the season • Made a huge error in the loss to Oakland • Followed that up with a poor performance against Baltimore in the Wild Card round

31. …and a new beginning • The Angels shocked the baseball community by signing Hamilton to 5-year, $125 million contract • How will it all play out, now that the expectations are even greater?