Josh Hamilton, who wowed baseball fans by smacking 28 balls over the Yankee Stadium fence during this week's All-Star Home Run Derby, is in recovery after an extended battle with alcohol and other drug addiction, including crack-cocaine use, ABC News reported July 15.

Hamilton, an outfielder with the Texas Rangers, was highly touted out of high school in Raleigh, N.C., and was the number-one pick in the 1999 major-league draft, chosen by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He received a $3.96 million signing bonus from the team.

But Hamilton began using drugs heavily, failed at rehab eight times, was suspended from baseball twice, and spent most of his money. "It really grabbed a hold of me, as far as the drugs taking over," Hamilton said.

With the help of his wife and grandmother, however, Hamilton finally got sober in 2005 and was reinstated to baseball two years ago.

"I stand on the green grass of major league outfield or batter's box with people cheering for me ... and ask myself ... 'How did I get here from there?'" Hamilton said.