Josh Hamilton should retire from baseball, says his close friend

There are still many unknowns in the Josh Hamilton story. Reports say he relapsed and started using cocaine again. We don't know for certain that's true, nor do we know what action MLB will take against Hamilton, though it has been confirmed that he met with league officials Wednesday in New York City.

If the reports are true, then Roy Silver, a longtime friend of Hamilton's, says the Los Angeles Angels outfielder should just retire from baseball. Life is more important than baseball, as we'd all agree, and as Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown eloquently emphasized in his latest column.

So Silver, who helped Hamilton return to MLB after battling his addictions, told USA Today's Bob Nightengale that Hamilton's best move is to get off the baseball field.

"He needs to get his life back in order," Silver said. "Even three years ago, I told Josh that you might want to consider retirement. It seems like he's struggling with things. When you've been given three, four and five chances, and it's still not working, it's best to say, 'This is it.' His life isn't over, but his baseball career should be."

Silver was instrumental in piecing Hamilton's career — and life — back together after Hamilton missed the 2002-06 seasons while recovering from addiction. Hamilton, the top overall pick in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays system, accepted a part-time job at Silver's baseball academy — mowing grass, pulling weeds, even cleaning toilets — in exchange for use of the facility.

"I'm not shocked or surprised,'' Silver says. "People don't understand that this hasn't been easy for him, I knew something was not right for the last couple of months. The fact that he's turning himself in is a sign that he got tired of the same old spin cycle. He's trying to get well. He needs to get down and dirty with himself."

The Hamilton story is well documented: He's a former No. 1 overall pick whose addiction to drugs and alcohol crippled him. He was out of baseball, suspended for three seasons, then eventually allowed back into the league in 2006, as he got his life together.

The comeback story hit its apex when Hamilton won the AL MVP in 2010 with the Texas Rangers. He's in the third year of a five-year, $125 million deal with the Angels that has mostly been a disappointment. The 2015 season didn't start off well either, with Hamilton, 33, requiring shoulder surgery before spring training even started.

Hamilton's mostly been injured and unproductive since coming to Anaheim, and the way last year ended, with him going hitless in the ALDS, had to weigh on him going into the offseason. Silver told USA Today that he feared Hamilton had relapsed based on their most recent conversations:

"This has nothing to do with baseball,'' Silver said. "This is affecting other parts of his life. His wife and children, and other relationships."

Silver says he last spoke with Hamilton around Christmas time, but had a sickening feeling during their lengthy conversation that something was amiss, fearing that Hamilton was struggling.

"People that are depressed are very selfish,'' said Silver, who teaches ministry and has shared Bible study classes with Hamilton. "I'm sure there is anxiety and depression that goes with it. You forget about all of your responsibilities elsewhere."

Like we said in the beginning, there are still many unknowns to be sorted out. But putting Josh Hamilton the person before Josh Hamilton the baseball player isn't one of them.