One of the best sports moment I can ever remember happened last night as Josh Hamilton hit 28 first round home runs in the home run derby. 28 easily beat the old record of 24 hit by Bobby Abreu. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to stand there and hear 50,000+ chanting your name.
What makes it so awesome to me was not the 28 home runs or even the distance he was hitting them, but rather the fact that this guy had thrown his life away. He was heavily into drugs and alcohol and been written by most everyone connected with baseball. He was suspended by MLB and had to appeal and even go to meet with the commissioner before being reinstated. Last night was just the culmination of a journey; it was evidence of God giving someone a second chance.
I sat there, almost in tears, watching a guy who went from “rock bottom” to the “top of the world”. “Congrats Josh, I don’t care who’s name is on the trophy, you are the real winner, and your story is an inspiration to me and my family. ”
Oh, and next time someone tells you there’s no such thing as second chances you tell them to ask Josh Hamilton about that. 
That’s funny because when I was watching it I was thinking of that day you were here in RI parking the whiffle ball into the neighbor’s yard lke 30 times thinking to myself: “Wow, Jarret’s come so far from that crummy life he used to have – this is great!”
Thanks Jonathan, I forgot about that great moment in “Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby” history…it was great to hear Toby and Kendall chanting my name!