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Do you trust him enough to draft him in the 2nd round?

According to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News, Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton was spotted drinking alcohol on Monday night at a bar in the DFW area.

What he drink and how much is currently unclear. Hamilton, a recovering addict, is supposed to remain completely sober as part of a pledge he's made to his family and the Rangers organization. A Rangers spokesman said in a statement to the Dallas Morning News that the team is "aware of a situation" but not ready to make a comment.

A little early February nip didn't hurt Miggy last year!

There was some news a couple of weeks ago that his father-in-law resigned a postion related to Hamilton's recovery.
I don't recall the exact title, but it made it sound like he was assigned to watch him.

If his father-in-law bails on him, there must be something going on.

If that's true, that is really sad. I have no idea what it must be like for recovering guys like him.

Rut- ro-

Josh Hamilton's father-in-law, Michael Dean Chadwick, decided not to accept the position as Hamilton's accountability partner due to "family considerations," the Texas Rangers announced Monday afternoon.

More on the Rangers
Richard Durrett and the ESPNDallas.com team have the inside scoop on the Rangers, the American League and Major League Baseball. Blog | ESPN Dallas

The club and the Hamiltons are discussing other options, but nothing has been decided yet.

The Rangers announced last week that Chadwick would take over that role, which was previously handled by Johnny Narron, who was also an assistant hitting coach with the team. Narron left this offseason to become hitting coach of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Chadwick said Monday that it was "heartbreaking" to call Hamilton and tell him he couldn't take the job, but said he felt like he couldn't leave his family in North Carolina and travel with the Rangers and Hamilton for the 2012 season. He also believes that Hamilton doesn't need an accountability partner right now. But a source said Hamilton will have one for the 2012 season, it just hasn't been determined who yet.

"It was a tough, tough deal," Chadwick said. "I let my heart get away with me. I wanted to go and be there for Josh. But I've got a 17-year-old daughter at home that needs me too, and I'm a home builder and have a company here. I sort of put the cart before the horse. It was heartbreaking to call them and say, 'Guys, I can't do it.' "

Hamilton, who has struggled with alcohol and drug addictions, did say the past few days that he didn't feel he needed an accountability partner and even the club has conceded that Hamilton is in a different place now than he was when he was traded to Texas from Cincinnati prior to the 2008 season. When that trade was made, Narron also came over with Hamilton to watch over him on the road.

"I feel like I was fine to not have anybody, but at the same time, if it helps confidence with the organization to have somebody or Major League Baseball to have somebody, helps their confidence in me, than I'm all for it," Hamilton said Thursday.

Chadwick was a big part of Hamilton's past, helping him get on a better path and recover from his drug and alcohol addiction early in his career.

"I think he's got that tiger by the tail," Chadwick said Monday. "If him and I could be together, it would be awesome because we get along so well. And if I thought that was the case that he would be in some sort of danger, I'd really reconsider."

I have been in recovery from alcohol, cocaine, crystal meth, etc. for over 27 years; I have also worked in the addictions field the past 17 years.; I posted this on the CDM BBS:

I am never surprised by addiction relapses; "cunning, baffling and powerful" I know some on here understand that. Relapse happens before picking up the first drink or the drug. Addiction is a "thinking/feeling" disease. Does he need to go to rehab for this "one" incident? Nope, do I think it is an isolated incident? Don't know, my guess, probably not. Josh's drug of choice is cocaine (crack cocaine) and one usually will relapse on a drug, not their drug of choice. I don't know what type of program Josh was/is working, but he needs to get back to doing what it is that was working for him in the past. If someone with the disease of addiction becomes complacent, danger lies ahead.

We all think about the fantasy baseball side of these things and how the on the field #'s will be effected when one of our players steps in it. This is natural, because we are diehard fantasy baseball guys who have been crunching numbers since we got our first pack of baseball cards.
I personally don't have a drug or alcohol problem, but have seen people struggle with these addictions and the affects can be crazy. Its hard because often times they can't focus on the great things they have in their life or how they are hurting others they love when they relapse and bad things happen.
Not to get all mushy, but if I had to bet on how Josh Hamilton will respond... I would bet he takes harbor in God once more, restarts his recovery program, wraps himself in his family more than ever and has a MONSTER Season! This guy clearly has great things to be thankful for, stay sober for, and much bigger things to accomplish AFTER baseball... Best Wishes to Josh!

I am devastated by this news, if it is true. We are hearing this from "unidentified " sources. It just sounds a little crazy that he would go out in public, in a bar in Dallas, and have a drink, when nearly everyone knows who he is and what he has been through. How do they know for sure it was alcohol? But, if it did happen, was he just sitting at the bar, alone, drinking a beer, was he with "friends" ? I am very skeptical. Also, go back to the end of last year and the incident with the man who was killed, in front of his son, after Josh threw him the baseball. If anything would cause me to go back to drinking, that would. One has to wonder, if this is all true, it probably isn't the first time, but probably the first time in public. I know many people with addiction and addicts conceal to the best of their ability. If he is out in public drinking, it is not a good sign.... But I will remain skeptical until I see a confirmation by reliable sources.

Good read:

http://jon-heyman.blogs.cbssports.com/m ... 2/34682213

Great press conference today by Hamilton:

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entr ... 2/34681590

Lunatic aka Big Jim

Well stated and from the heart, Pal. Thanks for sharing with everybody!

Greg Ambrosius wrote:Good read:

http://jon-heyman.blogs.cbssports.com/m ... 2/34682213

Great press conference today by Hamilton:

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entr ... 2/34681590

Gotta respect a guy who owns it. Thanks for sharing!

Very good read on Josh Hamilton's progress:

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/i ... n-makeover