Josh Hamilton (baseball player)

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**Josh Hamilton**
Major League Baseball debut
Cincinnati Reds — No. 33
Outfielder
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
April 2, 2007 for the Cincinnati Reds
Selected MLB statistics (through 2007)
AVG	.000
HR	0
RBI	0
Former teams
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1999-2006) (minors) Cincinnati Reds (2007-present)

For other people with this name, see Josh Hamilton

Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981 in Raleigh, North Carolina) is a baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds. Hamilton, a left-handed outfielder, was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as the top overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft. While playing in the minor leagues, his career was derailed by drug problems for several seasons. He was reinstated by Major League Baseball in 2006 and made the Cincinnati Reds' Opening Day roster in 2007.

[edit] Baseball career

Considered by scouts as a future superstar, Hamilton was suspended for violating MLB's substance abuse policy on July 10, 2002. According to the rules of MLB's substance abuse policy, a player suspended for 25 or more days has failed at least two drug tests after being entered into the program, and has been using substances considered more severe than marijuana (such as cocaine, heroin or LSD). Under the rules of the drug program, players cannot be suspended for use or possession of marijuana.

Since the initial suspension, Hamilton has repeatedly failed to complete drug rehabilitation programs. His suspension, officially dubbed "indefinite," was overturned on June 1, 2006.

After participating in spring training drills for the month, Hamilton was fully reinstated on June 30, and began play on July 4 with the Hudson Valley Renegades against the Brooklyn Cyclones. In his first minor-league game in almost four years, Hamilton served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

He played fifteen games with Hudson Valley in 2006, batting .260 (13-for-50) with three doubles, a triple, and five runs batted in. He did not play after July 29 due to a season-ending left knee injury, for which he underwent arthroscopic surgery on August 11. ^[1]

Hamilton was featured in the July 2006 edition of the long running HBO series Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, where his drug problems and once promising career were profiled.

Hamilton was selected third overall in the MLB portion of the 2006 Rule 5 Draft by the Chicago Cubs because the Devil Rays did not place him on their 40-man roster.^[2] The Cubs then traded Hamilton to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money.^[3] In their coverage of the Rule 5 draft, Chris Kline and John Manuel of Baseball America called Hamilton "the biggest name in the Rule 5 in years". ^[4] In order to permanently retain the rights to Hamilton, the Reds must keep him on their 25-man Major League roster for the entire 2007 season.

Hamilton was one of the Reds' best hitters in spring training in 2007, finishing camp with a .403 batting average. As a result, he won a spot on the Reds' Opening Day roster^[5]; the Reds plan to use him as a fourth outfielder.^[6] He will act as great insurance with injury-prone Ken Griffey, Jr. on the team and backups Chris Denorfia and Norris Hopper getting injured.

Hamilton finally made his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs to a 22-second standing ovation on April 2, 2007 as a pinch-hitter for pitcher Kirk Saarloos and was later moved to left field. In his first at-bat, he lined out to left fielder Matt Murton who made a sliding catch.