Don’t Call it a Comeback…

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Josh Hamilton has been here for years. Well, it depends on how you define the word, “here.” Josh Hamilton’s talent has been “here” for years. The rest of him took quite a long and rocky journey to finally make it to the big leagues.

At this point, you’ve probably heard some of Hamilton’s story, but here a short recap: Hamilton went from one of the most hyped high school prospects in the nation*…to #1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1999 MLB Amateur Draft…to cocaine and heroin addict…to baseball drop-out…to recovering addict…to working the wood chipper for his brother’s tree service business…to Rule 5 Draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds…to MLB outfielder…to MLB All-Star with the Texas Rangers…to the hero of the 2008 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby.

Not such a short story? How can it be with so many twists and turns? Talk about ups and downs, and once again, that is the short story. Back in 2007, ESPN the Magazine ran an amazing article on Josh, after he made his triumphant return to baseball. He has come a long way, and as he tells it, he is finally winning his personal “fight with the devil.”

Watching him hit 28 mammoth home runs during the first round of last night’s Home Run Derby, I was filled with a sense of joy. I have no connection to Josh, but I found myself rooting for him to succeed. Rooting for him to drill each pitch even farther than the last. I think that it was his joy and happiness that was coursing through the veins of almost every fan in Yankee Stadium last night. His humble approach to life, now that he has come back from the depths of addiction, makes it hard to root for anything but his success.

So where does this story go from here. Only time will tell. Addiction is a very serious thing that affects millions of people. No matter what he accomplishes on the field, he will be faced with that addiction for the rest of his life. But regardless of what’s next for Josh, I know I’ll be rooting for him, because if we changed places, I know that he would be rooting for me.


*Josh Hamilton was named the Top Prospect at the 1998 Team One National Showcase


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.