You don't write a story about Josh Hamilton. You tell the Josh Hamilton Story.

Coming out of Athens Drive High in Raleigh, N.C., in 1999, he was all the rage.

Tampa Bay anguished over the decision to take either him or Josh Beckett, a hard-throwing right-hander out of Spring (Texas) High, with the first overall pick of the draft.

The Devil Rays, as they were known then before dropping the diablo portion of their team name, chose the prodigy Hamilton. The Florida Marlins selected the pitcher with the second pick overall.

The two "can't miss" prospects looked like they were on the fast track to the majors immediately in their pro debuts.

Hamilton hit .347 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs in only 56 games in rookie ball after signing quickly that summer. Beckett started his professional campaign in 2000 and struck out 61 against only 15 walks while carrying a 2.12 ERA in 59 innings.

Unfortunately, both came down with a host of injuries and their high-ceiling futures were in doubt for a split second.

Hamilton hurt his right knee in '00 and missed a majority of the second half. Meanwhile, Beckett had a slight tear in his labrum, biceps tendinitis, fraying in his rotator cuff and an impingement.

The two players' careers began to split drastically shortly thereafter.

Beckett was the World Series MVP in 2003 with the Marlins and added his second ring last winter as the ace of the Boston Red Sox.

In 2001, Hamilton had a car wreck during spring training which contributed to problems with his back and legs. When professional baseball players can't play take the field, they're often times thrown out of the loop. While the regulars are joking around during batting practice and competing on a nightly basis, their DL'd counterparts hit the training room, rehab centers and doctors' offices.

They're creatures of habit as it is and if a college-aged kid, or younger, is hundreds of miles away from home and can't participate in his livelihood, he's going to have to find something to do in his spare time.

That's where Hamilton started to drop off the map.

His time with the wrong crowd in a tattoo parlor in Bradenton, Fla., led to his introduction to cocaine on top of alcohol abuse.

Prior to that time and despite the laundry list of physical problems, scouts were still high on Hamilton.

In the 2002 version of the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, he earned glowing reviews as Tampa Bay's No. 1 overall prospect:

"A five-tool player, Hamilton is expected to excel in all phases of the game. He has outstanding power potential with great leverage, a quick swing and an ideal body at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. Despite his large frame and size 19 feet, Hamilton has good speed and is graceful in the outfield. A pitcher in high school who attracted interest from several teams for his 94 mph fastball, he has a plus arm that will enable him to play either right or center."

Of course shortly thereafter the analysis mentions his need to simply stay on the field.

The downward spiral was so massive, he went through his $3.96 million signing bonus like it was water until bottoming out in mid-summer 2005.

After waking up broke, surrounded by strangers and approximately 30 pounds lighter, Hamilton's grandmother Mary Holt stepped in and helped him find the path.

The closest thing to the modern day version of "The Natural" now travels during his offseason with his wife Katie telling his story and making a difference. He claims sobriety since the winter of '05 and carries barely enough cash on him to get five gallons of gas.

During Monday night's All-Star Home Run Derby, the slugger wrote another tumultuous tale by slamming 35 homers in only 59 swings with the baseball world watching.

The Josh Hamilton Story is a work in progress, but it's sure to be a must-read when completed.

Danny Parker is sports editor of the Times-Gazette.