Every Hero Has His Obstacles

Click on the title to read a great article by ESPN's Peter Gammons.

Like most of you, I sat and watched the Home Run Derby last night and was blown away by Josh Hamilton. Just the show he put on itself was amazing, but when you throw in his story, it's like watching a movie that would be too corny if it weren't true.

There are a lot of yokels out there who don't want to give much credit or any second chances to drug users or people who throw away a great gift such as incredible athletic talent. I know, because I'm often one of those yokels. I hate seeing seeing someone that can do the remarkable care more about their next high than their next home run, next diving catch, next touchdown or slam dunk. But it's easy for me to sit back and point a finger, because I've never had the grasp of drug addiction hang on to me and not let go.

It's easy to not feel sorry for drug addicts. True, often times people are a product of their own environment, and it's true that some people feel they have no where else to go. But they are the ones who make the decision to start drugs. They, themselves, start the addiction. And then they, and only they, are the ones who have to make the decision to help themselves and stop the addiction.

I sat alone in an office and watched the Derby Monday night and found myself literally applauding and yelling in amazement at the long, majestic homers he launched into the Yankee Stadium night. I felt like a kid watching someone who's only a year older than me, and it reminded me that despite all the negatives and all the black clouds over the past 15 years, baseball is still the pure, American pasttime that can bring us together and root for the underdog.

I read through several negative comments to Gammons' article about glorifying addicts or convaluting the Hamilton story because he claims he has to take a buddy with him everywhere he goes for accountability (people claiming if he needs accountability, he hasn't truly beat his demons). I think it shows responsibility. For some people, temptation is their greatest fear.

But in the grand scope of things, I think Josh Hamilton can be considered a hero. He's the story of second chances, that people truly can change. Only time will tell if he turns out to be a true star and the five tool stud everyone thought he was in the late 90's, or if he'll flame out. I'm certainly rooting for the former. He's the one player that could play for my least favorite teams (cough, cough, Red Sox or Cubs) and I'd still root for him to do the impossible. Because, at least for one night, there were no fans of the Yankees or Red Sox or Rangers or Cardinals, just fans of the game.