Josh Hamilton Admits He Was Drunk in Newly Published Photos

Early Saturday morning, there was quite a stir raised when Deadspin posted photos of Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton at a bar with a group of women. While photos of athletes out in public having a good time are nothing new these days, this instance seemed to carry more weight given all we know about Hamilton's past.

While there was no evidence of Hamilton drinking in any of the photos posted, a recovering alcoholic hanging out at a bar with a bunch of women certainly causes you to wonder what was going on. As it happens, Hamilton confirmed later on Saturday afternoon that he had indeed been drinking on the night the pictures were taken.

"I'm embarrassed about it. For the Rangers, I'm embarrassed about it. For my wife, my kids," Hamilton said. "It's one of those things that just reinforces about alcohol. Unfortunately, it happened. It just reinforces to me that if I'm out there getting ready for a season and taking my focus off the most important thing in my recovery, which is my relationship with Christ, it's amazing how those things creep back in.

"Honestly, I hate that this happened. But it is what it is. You deal with it. I realized that, obviously, I'm not perfect, in this ongoing struggle, battle, that is very real. A lot of people don't understand how real it is.

"As soon as it happened, I called my support system -- my wife, the Rangers, MLB and told them what had happened. I was absolutely open and honest about it.

"I went to get something to eat. Obviously, I eat at restaurants that have bars in them all the time. I wasn't mentally fit to go in there, spiritually fit, and it just crossed my mind, 'Can I have a drink?' Obviously, I can't."

The incident took place in Arizona shortly before the Rangers began preparing for the 2009 season.

Hamilton's battles with addiction have been well-documented over the last few years, and it's not uncommon at all for somebody in recovery to relapse. A good sign for Hamilton and his continued recovery is that right after this incident happened, he knew he messed up, and he immediately tried to atone for his actions.

It's an example a lot of us would be well served to follow.

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