Josh Hamilton has a relapse

[Seth Stohs]

The news came out that Josh Hamilton of the Rangers had some relapse last night. It is the second relapse he has had in his sobriety, the previous issue happening a little over a year ago. It has become a big story on Twitter. The media can be cruel, but they also need to report what is a big story, especially among Rangers' fans. As Patrick Reusse tweeted, it is a day to day struggle to say no to even one drink, and he's been sober for 30 years. Clearly, the blame goes to Hamilton for giving in to his disease, but how should the media handle this situation? He's proven that when sober he is a great guy, wonderful in the community and quite religious. But he is a human, prone to making mistakes as well. How should the media handle this?

[Parker Hageman]

I think it is a story in baseball circles because it may effect his potential earning power. Most of the story lines have focused on the fact the Rangers would be hesitant to give Hamilton a long-term deal based on his relapse history and what the toll may have been that the drugs/alcohol have taken on his body. That's a somewhat legitimate concern when deciding whether or not to lock someone up for 9/10 years.