Matt Bush a former No. 1 pick in the MLB draft is currently in prison for alcohol-related charges. He’s widely considered to be one of the biggest busts in Major League Baseball history. He was drafted by his home team San Diego Padres as a teenage phenom in Mission Bay, California. Deemed the next big thing, and given a $3 million contract, he was cited for underage drinking just two weeks after signing his deal.
The alcoholism created numerous legal problems for Matt Bush, and his play on the field suffered too. He blew through all his money, despite being given numerous chances. The Padres cut ties with Matt Bush in 2009.
Matt Bush was given another chance with the Toronto Blue Jays, and yet another chance with the Rays organization, but he failed over and over. DUIs, a near fatal hit-and-run, it all leads to where Bush resides today: prison.
Gabe Kapler has a must read story on Matt Bush, via Fox Sports. Here’s an excerpt:
“You know, I’d have days where I’d go to the field to rehab from surgery and I’d have every intention of going back to my house, having a good meal, resting, being a professional and the next thing you know I’m stopping off and buying drinks and drinking without the intention of ever wanting to do it,” he said. “I ended up drinking more and more after telling myself, ‘I’m just going to have one or two drinks.’ The next thing you know, I’m all the way drunk and I can’t even remember how many I had. And that’s when I knew, yeah, I am definitely. This isn’t just a problem. I’m an alcoholic.”
Bush finds himself at a crossroads. Self-medicating with addictive substances to cope with the pressures of being a star athlete is nothing new. Ken Caminiti once described the seductive call of cocaine and heroin in eerily similar terms to Bush’s relationship with alcohol. The same year Matt Bush was drafted, Caminiti was found dead of an overdose.
While Bush recognizes his addiction, he also holds onto an elusive dream. After all, he’s still young. He, like Darr and Caminiti before him, has experienced the incarceration chapter of his story. Upon his release, currently scheduled for May 2016, he’ll be confronted with the inevitable allure to march into a gas station and select his drug, putting his and other lives at imminent risk.
Here’s the YouTube video embedded below, it’s a must watch. Matt Bush is a captivating cautionary tale:
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on national talk radio. Banks is a former contributor to NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, who’s been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)