The Amazing Josh Hamilton
Disclaimer: This is not a post about technology.
Instead, it’s a post about one of the most inspiring stories around; the amazing comeback of baseball player Josh Hamilton, who set a record yesterday when he hit a staggering 28 home runs during the all-star game home run derby.
In and of itself, it’s a tremendous feat but it’s even more amazing when you consider Hamilton spent three years out of baseball while battling two terrifying demons: alcohol and drug addiction. At 19, he was the first overall draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays but before long he was doing crack and drinking a 26-ouncer in a single day.
Someway, somehow, Hamilton went to the absolute brink before saving himself and, along the way, his professional baseball career.
What makes Hamilton so different and refreshing is that he accepts his past, and he’s doing everything he can to make sure he doesn’t go back. Of course, once an addict, always an addict so the road ahead is far from certain. But you can’t help but pray that Hamilton can stay the course, and he’s an inspiration for millions of people battling their own demons.
If there’s a lesson to be learned by entrepreneurs, it’s the value of perseverance, faith and the willingness to learn from your mistakes. While few people will ever plummet to the depths that Hamilton experienced, watching what he does on and off the field should be inspiring for anyone struggling for success - be it personally or professionally.
For more on Hamilton, check out this recent cover story in Sports Illustrated.
Technorati Tags: baseball, josh hamilton
July 19th, 2008 at 7:51 am
[...] Hamilton is a baseball player with the Texas Rangers whose comeback from drug and alcohol addiction was capped in fairy tale style when he hit a staggering 28 home runs during the All-Star home run derby. Inspired by his comeback and performance, I wrote a quick post. [...]