Josh Hamilton just spoke to the media about his falling off the wagon on Monday night in Dallas.
Hamilton said he had “a weak moment” Monday night. Brought on by “personal reasons, with a family member.” He said he walked to a restaurant and had three or four drinks. He said he called Ian Kinsler. Kinsler joined him at the restaurant, but he did not know Hamilton had been drinking. “I can be sneaky and deceptive,” Hamilton said.
After the restaurant closed, he and Kinsler went to another location where Hamilton said he didn’t drink in Kinsler’s presence, but resumed doing so after Kinsler left. He said that there were pictures taken by people and that he assumes that they’ll leak out eventually, though there wasn’t any suggestion that they’re going to be particularly interesting or salacious.
Hamilton said that he he had two drug tests since Monday and says he is clean. He said alcohol is a different thing for him and “a switch flips.” He made no excuses. “It was just wrong,” Hamilton said. He said “90 percent of the time I’m fine,” but that not everyone is fine all the time. He said he’s going “to lean on some shoulders and, hopefully, we’ll get to a point where people can lean on mine again.”
All-in-all, Hamilton sounds contrite and accountable. He plans on meeting with the league and the union in New York and to consult doctors who have dealt with his addiction in the past. I’m not sure that there is anything else he could say or do at this point. It’s, as far as anyone not close to the situation can tell, all he can do and all you’d hope to hear from him.
I imagine that this is very similar to the sort of struggle every addict has. Except Hamilton, by virtue of who he is, is forced to do it all in public.
