Substance Impacted Josh Hamilton on Comparison

There’s a funny moment in the awe inspiring life story of Major League Baseball Legend Josh Hamilton. You see, Hamilton’s story is out of a movie script. The young phenom was the first overall selection in the 1999 MLB Draft out of high school to the Tampa Bay Rays. 

He was a five tool player that garnered expectations to be the next Henry Aaron. He once hit a home run in the minor leagues that allegedly became stuck in the mud well beyond the outfield fence some 550 feet from home plate. 

Well, as fate would have it, Hamilton’s story wasn’t all rainbows, butterflies, and homeruns. The newly minted millionaire wasn’t yet twenty years old, had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and would soon learn he is a substance impacted person. His addiction nearly killed him and all but ended his career. 

The story goes that he was sent to a Christian recovery center where he cleaned bathrooms and playing baseball was forbidden. His very first day to an unofficial practice after more than a year off the sport included a basic batting practice on the field. In his group, four other hitters rotated through a few rounds of five swings. Hamilton hit the first pitch well out of the field and subsequently four of the five swings were home runs. 

Sitting behind home plate observing was Hamilton’s girlfriend and future wife who had never seen him on a baseball field. After his first round, she called him to the back stop. “I feel so bad for those other guys,” she said.”

“Why?” responded Hamilton.

“Well, because they aren’t that good..” she offered. 

Hamilton grinned. “All those men are professional baseball players.”

His girlfriend was taken aback. “If I would have known you were that good, I really would have been mad at you for getting in trouble.” 

The moral of the story, of course, is we seem to be living in increasingly intensely comparative times. Social media and the rat race of life make human behavior often look like jockeying for some sort of pecking order. My advice? Don’t participate if you can. If you can’t avoid it, at least put yourself in position to be compared against the best. There’s no sense in fighting over 433rd place. 

PS – if you or someone you know is seeking sobriety, we host free three nightly workouts each week for folks who declare 48-hours of sobriety. Contact campbell@deucegym.com for details.