Hamilton displaying amazing toughness

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By Larry Hansgen, WHIO Radio 12:00 AM Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Let me start by saying I had not been a big Josh Hamilton fan. He was an incredibly skilled baseball player who nearly threw it all away because of an addiction to drugs and alcohol. I believe everyone deserves a second chance, and applaud the millions who deal with substance abuse and find the path to sobriety.

However, I thought Hamilton had been elevated to hero status, above those who stayed within the lines. The specialized treatment he received had irritated his former Cincinnati Reds teammates and had followed him to Texas, where the Rangers went so far as to have a champagne-free pennant celebration in the clubhouse last year.

But while I can’t imagine what it is like to battle the demons of addiction, I can relate to Hamilton’s latest battle. Hamilton is playing in the World Series with a sports hernia, which makes even the simplest movements painful.

I dealt with one in the spring, until having it surgically repaired in June. While I struggled to play golf with my buddies, Hamilton is performing on baseball’s biggest stage. I was riding in a cart and taking occasional swings at a stationary little white ball, and he is facing 95-mph fastballs, running the bases, fielding and throwing.

Perhaps most amazing of all, he is doing this without pain medicine as a result of his addictions.

I don’t know if Josh Hamilton is a hero. But I do know he is tough.

Contact this reporter at (937) 259-2071 or larry.hansgen@cmgohio.com.

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