The Angels have taken a fair amount of criticism after GM Jerry DiPoto made a public statement critical of outfielder Josh Hamilton for his drug relapse and owner Arte Moreno threatened contractual action. DiPoto’s statement in particular didn’t sit well with Hamilton’s teammates, specifically pitcher C.J. Wilson, who is also the Angels’ union representative. Wilson was the only player willing to go on the record with criticism, saying DiPoto’s criticsm was “kind of disheartening”.
Wilson spoke more about the situation before Saturday night’s game against the Royals. Per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Wilson said, “It doesn’t seem like any bridges are being built — it seems like a fairly contentious situation.”
Discussing how teams have used language in contracts to govern players’ off-the-field activities, Wilson said that the Angels hired a private investigator to follow him after signing him to a five-year, $77.5 million contract in December 2011. Wilson said the Angels didn’t like that he rode motorcycles, and noted that his contract includes restrictions on “a bevy of things” including motorcycle riding, auto racing, spelunking, and cave exploration.
When told of Wilson’s assertion about the private investigator, DiPoto responded by saying, “That is 100% not true.”
