April 29--REPORTING FROM OAKLAND -- Accountability continued to be a point of contention between the Angels and Josh Hamilton, the troubled outfielder who was traded to the Texas Rangers on Monday almost three months after he suffered a substance-abuse relapse that triggered an ugly dispute with the team.
Hamilton took strong exception to Angels owner Arte Moreno's comments suggesting that Hamilton lacked "accountability" by suffering a relapse that ultimately led to the Angels paying roughly $60 million of the remaining $80 million on his contract to rid themselves of Hamilton.
"I have no clue what he's talking about," Hamilton, who has a long and well-chronicled addiction to cocaine and alcohol, said at Monday's news conference in Texas. "[Moreno] knew what the deal was when he signed me. Hands down, he knew what he was getting. He knew what the risks were."
Angels Manager Mike Scioscia fired back at Hamilton before Tuesday night's game against the Oakland Athletics.
"Just hearing some of his comments, the one thing that I think is sad, and I'm a little bit disappointed in, is the fact that there wasn't any accountability, most importantly, to his teammates," Scioscia said of Hamilton.
"If you look at how much support he got in that clubhouse when he was struggling, whatever was happening ... no one ever questioned Josh's work ethic and him wanting to play well. I know he got a lot of support from the guys that are in that clubhouse. For him not to show at least a little remorse toward his teammates I just think is wrong."
Scioscia also took exception to comments Hamilton made about his support system in Anaheim. In 2013, his first season after signing a five-year, $125-million deal, Hamilton and the Angels retained Shayne Kelley as a full-time "accountability partner," but Kelley was let go after the season at the request of Hamilton's representatives.
Hamilton downsized the role in 2014, using family friend Boyd Bassham on road trips and leaning on his wife, Katie, and four daughters when the team was home. Hamilton filed for a divorce in February.
"A lot of my support system was kind of removed or pushed away, and other pieces were added, not all by my doing," Hamilton said. "So, I've taken it back to pre-2012."
Kelley will be retained by the Rangers in a full-time role this season.
"His support unit was totally dictated by Josh and his management team," Scioscia said. "They dictated what his support should be, and I think we went above and beyond to make sure he had all the resources that he needed. ... It's unfortunate he had his relapse, but I know we supported him in every aspect, whatever his needs were."
Scioscia said the Angels were ready and willing to continue to support Hamilton had he returned to the team.
"First and foremost, I'm still concerned about Josh the person," Scioscia said. "We had a bunch of tests and counseling ready to support him and make sure he had the tools to come back and meet the rigors of playing baseball. Obviously, with the trade, that has fallen onto Texas."
