Josh Hamilton Has Stepped Away From the Public Light Since Leaving Baseball in 2017

Former Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton was a phenomenal baseball player at the height of his career, snagging five All-Star titles, three Silver Slugger Awards, and was even the MVP of the American League in 2010. Josh was a key player in helping the Rangers get to the World Series in both 2010 and 2011, becoming a fan favorite by the 2012 season.

Unfortunately, Josh retired from baseball in 2017. After five successful years with the Texas Rangers, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2013, though his two years with that team were some of his roughest. His last year he returned to the Rangers before leaving the sport altogether. But what happened to Josh?

Though Josh was a baseball star, he struggled heavily with addiction, which eventually led to his downfall. After an accident involving him and his parents in 2001, his addiction to alcohol and drugs, specifically cocaine, began. It was also this year that he checked into rehab for the first time and attempted to get sober, though two years later he would be suspended from the MLB season for failing multiple drug tests.

From there, Josh continued to be barred from participating in baseball seasons, repeatedly failing drug tests. After many years trying to get sober, he was eventually back on the up and up in 2007; during this time, he was being tested three times a week for drugs, and he spoke openly about his struggle with addiction.

“You guys [the news media] help hold me accountable for what I do,” he told the New York Times that year. “If I mess it up by going out and using again, I’d be the biggest hypocrite in the world.”

Before committing to being sober -- and finally making his way back into the world of baseball -- he'd been to rehab eight separate times.

Unfortunately, Josh relapsed with alcohol in 2012, and then again with both alcohol and cocaine. The last time, he could not be suspended for testing positive for cocaine, as he voluntarily admitted to having the cocaine in his system, per Sports Illustrated. That said, that was his last year playing baseball professionally. The following years, though he was technically still signed with the Rangers, he suffered multiple injuries that ultimately forced him to quit the game.

Since leaving his athletic career behind, Josh's public image unfortunately has not gotten any better. In 2019, he was arrested and charged with injury to a child (a third-degree felony), alleging that he had assaulted his daughter. He was then indicted a year later on April 8, 2020, and the trial was held just shy of two years later.

Though his charge carried a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, he only received a year of probation, a $500 fine, community service hours, and parenting and anger management classes, according to Spectrum Local News.