Josh Hamilton is back

i wish redswriter were still around to set us straight...

 

I hope there's someone else here who realizes why this is so damn funny.

Anyway, I was reading something about Hamilton tonight and I remembered a fantastic enterprise series the St. Pete Times did on him during his first year in pro ball. I remember reading it and wondering how this kid was going to deal with adversity if his stage parents were constantly babying him and accompanying him everywhere.

I searched the St. Pete archive and found it...read it now with the benefit of hindsight and you can see exactly why he ended up so fucked up. There should be a BASW career achievement award for a story like this that lets the facts and the subjects spell out the story so clearly and so clearly foreshadows the subject's impending troubles. And the detail and writing here is just exquisite...one of those stories that's so well-written it alternately intimidates and inspires you.

These stories are long but well worth your time.

Part One: http://www.sptimes.com/News/102499/Worldandnation/Greener_than_grass.shtml

Part Two: http://www.sptimes.com/News/102599/Worldandnation/The_roughnecks_of_sum.shtml

Part Three: http://www.sptimes.com/News/102699/Worldandnation/Ring_the_bell.shtml

 

Thanks for those links BYH. Just finished reading those stories and it's eerie, especially the part about the tattoos. Classic case of an over-sheltered kid who when he finally broke loose, went nuts. Saw it in college all the time.

Great story.

EDIT: After reading the St. Pete Times stories, I went back and read the Washington Post story. (He blew $70,000 on drugs in 6 weeks!) I've wasted about an hour of work from reading all four stories, but I don't care. Well worth it.

Note to self: Do not hang out with people that work in tatoo parlors.

 

great stuff byh, thanks for those links. and the tattoo thing got me too

 

He'll start pounding them out of the park opposite field, like he did last night.

 

Ann Hull is certainly one of the best in the business. She nails every topic she approaches from baseball to luxury grocery stores to Walter Reed.

 

Another thanks to BYH for posting those Hull links. Tremendous stuff.

 

the real question is...should I pick Hamilton up on my fantasy squad, or is he still a year or two away from having a significant fantasy impact.

 

He will hit at least 18 HRs this year.

 

that was actually a fastball