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After just finishing Beyond Belief, by Josh Hamilton, I can honestly say this is a book for anyone who has ever had to overcome any type of issue in their life or who has seen addiction affect someone they love. Or simply, just for the baseball enthusiast.

Here’s the thing– if you can get through the first two chapters of him telling you how good he was at baseball as a kid, then you are in for a good read. It gets to be a little much, a little too self-glorifying, but it serves its’ purpose- you get the point that this guy was blessed with a God given talent, and that despite everything he did to abuse it with his drug use, it was inevitable to avoid. The book explores the psyche of a man with an addiction while stil keeping it relatable to the reader.

We all know Josh Hamilton’s story. It’s one that is merely epic compared to that of others, especially because the story ended in a good place and we can see that for ourselves everyday when he suits up in a Rangers uniform and takes the field. I say “merely epic” because its based on the simple story of addiction, but becomes epic as you follow along with him toward his path to redemption and success.

Sidenote- when I read a really good book you can expect to find it in rough condition at the end. I underline good passages, and fold pages to mark things I may want to reference in the future. I write notes in the margins to help me find certain parts I may be able to compare elsewhere. And all that on top of reading the book while I’m working out and doing my cardio at the end of every work day- so the binding is bent, and there is some noticable wear-and-tear on it. The state of the book at the end shows its worth to me. The books that are damaged the most, have been passed along and reread numerous times, are the ones that I find so compelling that I share with others or reread many times. I expect this book to embody that state of being, as I already have a few people wanting to borrow my copy. The fact that it’s a hardcover helps prevent most damage, thankfully!

That being said, the first time I marked up a page was on the 83rd page of the book. This was the first time in the book that he acknowedges what he did as his own fault, even before it begins. He openly writes that he made the decision to use drugs because he was bored and asked to. The way he explains the first time using is one that anyone can identify with, even if you haven’t used drugs. We are all faced with temptations daily, sometimes not as extreme as others, but they are there. I think when we all are faced with these obstacles, a little voice in the back of our heads imagines the concequences… and sometimes we rationalize it, we ignore it, or we understand it. Either way, we are all the reason for our own mistakes and this part of the book helps you come to terms with that.

This book will help you be able to see the things that are presented before you on a daily basis and help you understand that you are given the option to succumb to or succeed that obstacle everyday. And while the moral values of this book are obvious, it still keeps a steady focus on baseball.

The following video is from the HR Derby in 2008.. we’ve all seen it, so don’t watch it. Wait until you’ve read the book. The video means so much more after you have been through that journey with him- after you know all the details, all the agony, the pain he endured, the pain he put his family through.. all of it. After you read his words and feel his life through the pages, then watch the video. It will mean that much more to you. Seriously, if you don’t get goose bumps, or if you don’t feel the least bit emotional while watching this AFTER reading the book, then I don’t know what to say. Actually… I’d have to tell you to stop coming to this site, because you probably don’t get it. Here, Baseball is Life. At this site, we understand that baseball is more than just a game. The players that are a part of the Major Leagues of Baseball are writing the history books everyday they step onto the field. This type of life is not measured by time, but by outs. It’s a different kind of life where we don’t let anything pass us by and we take each play, each moment, as it is and we appreciate it and embody the soul of the game and the players that make it enjoyable for us. Players like Josh, who understood what he was meant to do in life, not only to fulfill his own talent given to him by God, but to allow others to enjoy this remarkable talent. He plays, every single day, for us- the fans. He is one of the few put on Earth to spread a message through baseball, and if you don’t get that, then you are at the wrong site.

“No matter what I did to myself, no matter how much I punished my body, the game wouldn’t leave it,” Josh Hamilton, page 126.

“I remembered Katie’s words, way back when hope was hard to find. You’re going to be back playing baseball. Josh, there’s a bigger plan for you. Whe you come back, it’s going to be about more than baseball,” page 185-186

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