Josh Hamilton Admits to Falling Off the Wagon

This makes me sad.

After tugging at the nation's heartstrings last season with his harrowing tale of addiction and triumph, Josh Hamilton confirmed that he fell off the wagon last offseason.

The picture above, along with many others, were posted on Deadspin earlier this weekend.

Instead of denying it or making excuses like many of his peers tend to do when faced with controversial situations, he admitted his mistakes.

"Obviously I'm embarrassed about it personally. For the [Texas] Rangers, I'm embarrassed about it and for my wife [Katie] and my kids. Obviously it was one those things that reinforce that I can't have alcohol.

"Maybe this will show people that if they are recovering and make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. You can get back on the right track. Hopefully I can use God's glory to show that I do have struggles. This just lets me know that I need Christ more than ever."

Hamilton said, after a day of training in Tempe, Arizona, he went out to dinner and decided to have a drink. Before he knew it, he was intoxicated. He does not remember what happened that night, including if he used drugs. But his drug test came up clean two days later (he is tested three times a week, even in the offseason).

To his credit, instead of sweeping it under the rug, he immediately took care of his business. He called his wife Katie, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and Major League Baseball the next morning.

Calling Katie Hamilton was the hardest part.

"That stirs up a lot of feelings. It's tough. Obviously Katie and I have a strong relationship and I hate that I put her through this."

Hopefully this is just a blip on the radar, and Josh will continue living a clean and healthy life.

[Image via Deadspin]