He wants to tell his story

Josh Hamilton, the major league baseball player who grew up here, is a recovering drug addict and alcohol abuser. His comeback has been one of the best sports stories of the last few years.

So when news broke in August that photos had been posted online of his drinking shots and dancing with young women, it prompted hard questions from reporters.

Hamilton, who is married with three young daughters, was embarrassed by the incident, which occurred in January in a bar in Tempe, Ariz. But when the news broke seven months later, he still fielded reporters' questions, all of them, as he stood in front of his locker before a game.

"Nobody's perfect," Hamilton, 28, said in a phone interview this week. "You're going to make mistakes. It's how you handle them, how you own up to them. It was just another time I could tell people about Christ and how I can't live in the world without him. I keep stumbling when I don't stay connected with him. And even when you are connected, you stumble sometimes."

If you have read his book, "Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back," you wouldn't have been surprised at his candor.

"It's painful to recall these memories," Hamilton wrote. "I'm not proud of any of them, but I'm confident someone can learn from them. I'm confident there's a higher purpose, that everything happened so I can be here now, sharing my story. I need to turn this pain to joy."

In his book, Hamilton makes several references to reporters. This week, he said talking openly was part of his strategy to recover from his addictions. He said reporters keep him honest.

"They hold me accountable," he said. "It's hard for me to go into a bar and order a drink without somebody knowing what the story is. That part of it helps me."

Hamilton starred at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh and was the first player selected in the 1999 draft.

His professional baseball career got off to a good start but then Hamilton, who had been a straight-arrow teenager, veered off course. Cocaine, alcohol, Ecstasy - he had a miserable four-year period.

With the support of his wife and family (and eight drug treatment clinics), he recovered. He made the majors in 2007 and made the All-Star team in 2008 and 2009, although he missed much of this season with injuries.

Because of his past, Hamilton gets a lot of scrutiny from reporters. He doesn't like everything written about him. But overall, he says he's been treated fairly.

Hamilton decided he couldn't recover without complete honesty. Had he shifted blame, he says, he wouldn't be where he is today.

"Because I am so open and honest, 98 percent of [reporters] respect that," he said. "They've done a good job in relaying the message I want to get across."

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