Shut Up. It's Reasonable.

It’s unreasonable for a 30 year old man to need to be accountable to someone in order to ensure he doesn’t fall into trouble. I have no doubt about this. But it’s also unreasonable to waste away a ton of promise and potential through excess alcohol and drug use.

Oh Parkes.

Any sort of concern about Josh Hamilton's need for an "accountability partner" betrays a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of addiction and sober living.  Addiction is an illness and sobriety, once achieved, needs to be maintained. 

Of course it is unreasonable to ruin an infinite amount of talent and promise with excessive use of booze and drugs, but that is assuming there is any sort of reason involved in addiction.  It's an illness in which a person violates a fundamental aspect of the human condition-self-preservation.  His age has nothing to do with anything as addiction isn't age specific. 

Sponsorship is considered a vital part of AA, as well as Narcotics Anonymous.   Whatever "Jesus is my Homeboy" version Josh Hamilton employs is a variation of a pretty standard presence in the lives of many recovering addicts.  It would be like saying, "it's unreasonable for Hamilton to employ a personal trainer- he should know how to work out" or "it's unreasonable for Hamilton to employ a nutritionist- he should know what to eat." Sponsors are usually fellow recovering addicts who have gone through the 12 step process. Sobriety is something that needs maintenance. This is not unusual. It would be more concerning if Hamilton didn't have one.

It may be unusual for one's employer to have the addict's sponsor on the payroll, but I think it's been well established that these aren't usual people. There's a lot of money piled up around them. 

And whatever shady past Hamilton carries around with him, I think his play and his numbers over the past five years have made the Rangers satisfied with their investment.  If  (that's a big "if") the Rangers favour Fielder, it probably has more to do with age and injuries, not any kind of sobriety maintenance.