Josh Hamilton won't be disciplined by MLB

awesome! great job mlb

Rival Mariners fan but I feel there should be a reward for self reporting. Have all these players denying PEDs and getting away with it but when caught the hammer comes. Self report receive a lessened sentence.

This was not PEDs correct? He self reported he lost to his addiction again and put himself in treatment?

That should not be punished.

he should be punished for violating substance abuse policy, but MLB lost in arbitration

“The issue of whether Josh Hamilton violated his treatment program was submitted to the Treatment Board established under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the statement began. “The MLB representatives and the Players Association representatives on the Treatment Board deadlocked on that issue, with MLB taking the position that Hamilton violated his treatment program and is subject to discipline by the Commissioner.


“Under the procedures of the Program, an outside arbitrator was appointed to break the tie, and the arbitrator ruled that Josh Hamilton’s conduct did not violate his treatment program. As a result of that decision, the Office of the Commissioner is not permitted to suspend or impose any discipline on Hamilton. The Office of the Commissioner disagrees with the decision, and will seek to address deficiencies in the manner in which drugs of abuse are addressed under the program in the collective bargaining process.”


A four-person treatment board created by the joint drug program, which includes one lawyer and one medical representative each appointed by management and the players’ association, deadlocked 2-2 on whether Hamilton was subject to discipline. That caused the need for an arbitrator to break the tie.


The arbitrator said only that Hamilton was not subject to discipline and did not give reasons for the decision, the person familiar with the case said.

Good to hear. Hamilton is obviously willing to ask others for help, and the last thing he needs right now is free time.