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Players' union angered by 'cowardly' leaks in Josh Hamilton saga
The Major League Baseball Players Association sprung to the defense of Josh Hamilton on Thursday, lashing out about "cowardly" leaks of confidential information regarding Hamilton's pending punishment.
On the record: We know Hamilton visited the league offices in New York City last week. Reports from anonymous sources have given us a number of additional details: That Hamilton relapsed with drugs recently, that MLB is considering how to punish him and, most recently, that a four-person panel tasked with determining whether he should be sent to rehab is deadlocked.
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Here's the statement from MLBPA:
"It is regrettable that people who want to see Josh Hamilton hurt personally and professionally have started leaking information about the status of his treatment program and the confidential processes under our Joint Drug Agreement. These anonymous leaks are cowardly, undermine the integrity of our collectively bargained agreements and in some instances have been wholly inaccurate.
"The Major League Baseball Players Association will use every right we have under the collective bargaining agreement to make sure Josh gets the help he needs, and the fair and confidential process to which he is entitled."
This is exactly the player's union job, so it's not at all a surprise that they're protective of Hamilton, but the tone suggests that they're particularly upset about these leaks. That's understandable, since Hamilton's isn't an ordinary case.
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He's been suspended for drugs of abuse in the past, missing parts of three seasons. We know what happened next: Hamilton cleaned himself up, became an MVP with the Texas Rangers and was held up as a feel-good story of redemption.
If Hamilton did relapse — and the credentials of the reporters involved make us believe their stories — then this is far more sensitive than a PED case. We've seen how ugly those get when they're taken public (see: Rodriguez, Alex), so the player's union is well aware that the more private this stays, the better.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
