Sunday, March 8, 2015

Doc Gooden prescribes a recipe to recovery for Josh Hamilton

If there is anyone that can relate to Josh Hamilton’s current off-the-field struggles, it is Dwight Gooden. The Cy Young Award winner derailed a potential Hall of Fame career due to his battles with his cocaine addiction, ending up in rehab multiple times during his playing days. This past Sunday at a public appearance in Queens, Gooden took time to share words of encouragement for the troubled slugger.

Dwight Gooden
“It’s very tough because Josh is a good friend of mine,” Gooden said. “A lot of times, you hear, 'He screwed up again.’ Drugs and alcohol are basically a disease. Nobody wants to do that.”

Gooden graphically detailed the negative effects of his drug usage on his career and family life in his 2013 book, “Doc: A Memoir.” Drawing on his experiences of recovering from a relapse, he dispensed some doctoral advice for Hamilton’s road to recovery.

“Right now he’s sick and he just has to get better,” Gooden said. “I’m definitely in his corner. The thing I want to say to Josh is, 'Get around your loves ones; just jump back on the saddle and get it going again.’”