63 Facts About Josh Hamilton

1.

Joshua Holt Hamilton was born on May 21,1981 and is an American former professional baseball player.

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2.

Josh Hamilton played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 2007 to 2015, most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive American League pennants in 2010 and 2011.

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3.

Josh Hamilton won an AL batting championship along with an AL RBI title.

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4.

Josh Hamilton was the first overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

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5.

Josh Hamilton was considered a blue chip prospect until injuries and a drug addiction derailed his career beginning in 2001.

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6.

In 2012, Josh Hamilton received more votes than any other player on the All-Star Game ballot, besting by approximately 3.

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7.

On May 8,2012, Josh Hamilton became the 16th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game.

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8.

Josh Hamilton, of majority Scottish heritage, was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, playing little league baseball alongside former South Carolina and Oakland Athletics catcher Landon Powell.

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9.

Josh Hamilton attended Athens Drive High School in Raleigh where he starred as both a pitcher and outfielder.

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10.

Josh Hamilton initially signed a letter of intent to play college baseball for North Carolina State.

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11.

Josh Hamilton's first stop in the minors was the rookie level Princeton Devil Rays of the Appalachian League, where he played 56 games.

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12.

Josh Hamilton later joined the Short Season Single-A club, the Hudson Valley Renegades, and helped lead them to their first New York–Penn League championship.

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13.

Josh Hamilton spent the 2000 season with the Charleston RiverDogs in the South Atlantic League.

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14.

Josh Hamilton was voted Minor League Player of the Year by USA Today.

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15.

At the start of his pro career, Josh Hamilton's parents quit their jobs so they could travel with their son.

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16.

Josh Hamilton only played 45 games in the 2001 season, split between the Charleston and the Orlando Rays, a Double-A team in the Southern League.

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17.

Josh Hamilton began the 2002 season with the Bakersfield Blaze, batting.

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18.

The Devil Rays noticed a change in Josh Hamilton and reacted by sending him to the Betty Ford Center for drug rehabilitation.

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19.

At the start of the season, Josh Hamilton showed up late several times during spring training and was reassigned to the team's minor league camp.

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20.

Josh Hamilton left the team and resurfaced several times, but eventually took the rest of the season off for personal reasons.

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21.

Josh Hamilton was hoping to return to spring training with the Devil Rays in 2004, though was suspended 30 days and fined for violating the drug policy put in place by MLB.

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22.

Josh Hamilton made several attempts at rehabilitation, and started off the 2005 season with hopes of being a star major league outfielder.

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23.

Josh Hamilton first started working at Silver's Academy in January 2006.

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24.

Josh Hamilton's duties included cleaning the bathrooms and raking the infield.

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25.

Josh Hamilton spent his nights sleeping on an air mattress in one of the facility's offices.

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26.

Josh Hamilton was allowed to work out with the Devil Rays' minor league players starting on June 2,2006.

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27.

Josh Hamilton played in 15 games with the Hudson Valley Renegades at the end of the 2006 season, his second stint with the minor league ball club.

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28.

Josh Hamilton ended up starting most of the season in center field after an injury to Ryan Freel, but was shut out in the voting for the Rookie of the Year, which was won by Ryan Braun.

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29.

In 2008, Josh Hamilton locked up the Rangers' starting center fielder job with a stellar spring training.

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30.

Josh Hamilton was featured on the cover of the June 2,2008, issue of Sports Illustrated, in a story chronicling his comeback.

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31.

Josh Hamilton was selected to participate in the 2008 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby the evening before the game.

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32.

Josh Hamilton selected 71-year-old Clay Council to throw to him during the Derby.

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33.

Josh Hamilton ended up hitting the most total home runs in the contest with 35, but lost in the final round to Justin Morneau, as the scores were reset.

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34.

In 2006, when Josh Hamilton was trying to get back into baseball, he had a dream in which he participated in a Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, but he could not remember how many home runs he had hit.

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35.

Josh Hamilton thus became the sixth player in history, and the first American League player in 107 years, to receive an intentional walk with the bases loaded.

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36.

In spring training, Josh Hamilton led all players in RBIs, with 27, and total bases, with 59, in 81 at-bats.

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37.

Josh Hamilton spent a portion of 2009 on the disabled list, with a bruised rib cage and an abdominal strain.

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38.

Story that brought some controversy emerged when it was revealed Josh Hamilton had gotten drunk in an Arizona bar earlier in the year.

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39.

In 2010, Josh Hamilton was moved to left field to put young outfielder Julio Borbon in center field.

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40.

Josh Hamilton was sidelined for almost a month and returned to play with only three games left in the regular season, hitting a home run the next day.

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41.

Josh Hamilton won the AL Players Choice Award for Outstanding Player in 2010.

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42.

Josh Hamilton avoided arbitration by signing a contract for two years and $24 million on February 10,2011, with the Texas Rangers.

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43.

Josh Hamilton was considered to be in a breakout season, batting for the Triple Crown and MVP.

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44.

Josh Hamilton was selected to appear in his fifth All-Star Game after accumulating the most fan votes by any player in the history of the All-Star Game selection process.

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45.

On December 13,2012, Josh Hamilton agreed in principle to a five-year contract, worth $125 million with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

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46.

Furthermore, all Josh Hamilton-related merchandise items were removed and recalled from all stores as well as an exchange program being set up.

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47.

Josh Hamilton was traded back to the Rangers on April 27,2015, for cash or a player to be named later.

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48.

On May 28 of the same year, Josh Hamilton returned to Texas for the first time in a Rangers uniform since leaving the team after the 2012 season.

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49.

Josh Hamilton received a standing ovation from the crowd and proceeded to hit a double on the first pitch he saw.

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50.

Josh Hamilton was married to Katie, the daughter of Michael Chadwick who helped guide him in his recovery from drugs and alcohol abuse for several years.

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51.

In early 2015, shortly after another substance-abuse relapse, Josh Hamilton filed for divorce from Katie after 11 years of marriage.

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52.

Josh Hamilton finally stopped using drugs and alcohol after being confronted by his grandmother, Mary Holt.

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53.

In May 2008, Josh Hamilton said he had not used drugs or alcohol since October 6,2005.

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54.

Josh Hamilton frequently tells stories publicly of how he believes that Jesus brought him back from the brink and that faith is what keeps him going.

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55.

Josh Hamilton wrote an autobiography called Beyond Belief which explains how he quit drugs and alcohol and found a relationship with God.

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56.

Josh Hamilton looks at those tests as a way to reassure people around him who had faith.

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57.

Josh Hamilton confirmed he suffered a relapse in early 2009 after photos were released in August 2009.

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58.

Josh Hamilton admitted he had very little memory of the night after getting drunk, and did not know about the contents of the photos.

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59.

Josh Hamilton did not see the photos after their release, but listened on the phone as his wife described them to him.

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60.

Josh Hamilton held a press conference on February 3,2012, to apologize for his actions.

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61.

Josh Hamilton was arrested on October 30,2019, and charged with injury to a child, a third-degree felony, after being accused of physically assaulting his oldest daughter.

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62.

On February 22,2022, Josh Hamilton was found guilty of an unlawful restraint under a plea deal, regarding a misdemeanor case that stemmed from the incident with his daughter dating back to October 2019.

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63.

Josh Hamilton was prevented from making any contact or communication with the daughter he attacked before during the time of his probation.

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