The Challenge For Michael Beasley

August 30, 2009 · Filed Under Offseason · Comment 

Michael Beasley faces a tough road aheadThe recent reports of Michael Beasley checking himself into a rehab clinic have been making the rounds and it seems that, as usual, there are some discrepencies in what is reported and what is actually going on. This is not a Dave Chapelle situation. This is probably more along the lines of a Jeffrey Allison situation.

Jeffrey Allison, you remember him, right? The Marlins top pick in 2003. He was slated to become another Josh Beckett. He had the electric arm and was named the player of the year – a prime prospect and phenom for the game.

Then tragedy struck – his addiction to OxyContin, exetending back into high school, took over. He became a mess. He had an overdose of heroin and didn’t pitch at all in 2004. He came back and pitched for the Marlins minor league affiliate Greensboro back in 2005 but suffered a near fatal overdose in 2006.

Today is a different day for Allison, who has been able to turn things around since those dark days about three years ago. He may not have the mid 90’s fastball anymore, but he has evolved into a pitcher. He has grown wiser with time and it is that introspection that has lead him to this point in his life – a place of positivity.

Allison is still climbing the ladder within the Marlins system. He may get a callup – currently he is pitching for AA Jacksonville. After putting in 120 plus innings last year, it is about creating a routine and developing consistency. Much like Josh Hamilton, Jeff Allison is showing that professional athletes with drug addictions can get it right.

This is where Michael Beasley needs to get right – we should commend him on recognizing his addiction and that he needs help. Professional help should be sought – most people can’t even do their taxes without a professional and they certainly shouldn’t try to overcome a dangerous addiction without help and guidance.

What does this mean for Beasley’s future? Obviously, he has to get right in his own personal life – you can’t be a high profile professional athlete without being grounded in some way. The fact of the matter is young athletes are not prepared for this sort of thing. How could they be? They are lured into the hype of playing a sport at the next level, but given very little preparation for the lifestyle. The NBA has a program in place, as do the other major sports leagues. It is still up to the individual to utilize the lessons and implement them. Beasley was warned, last year, with Mario Chalmers as they both were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Now, this is for real – Beasley has checked himself into rehab and is doing so away from Miami in a change of scenery.

The challenge for Beasley is to stay the course. How did Jeff Allison come back? He surrounded himself with the right people. “I’ve turned all the negativity into a positive,” Allison said. “I made the decision to surround myself with really nice people. I’ve got a nice and beautiful girlfriend and her family. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The other major obstacle is developing trust again – with yourself. Allison talked about not being able to trust himself and Beasley, while getting himself help, is demonstrating that same place in his life right now. “There was a time, when I was younger, when I had no direction or sense of self-worth,” said Allison. “Those were the times the organization didn’t trust me. They had good reason, because I didn’t trust myself. If you can’t trust yourself, why would anyone trust me? It’s taken a long time to trust in myself.”

That is the crux of the problem – these young players don’t have a way to sense a real value about themselves. Everything is so overblown and over-hyped that reality becomes almost cartoonish. Without a real reference point for what is of value – from monetary to emotional value – how could one expect a 20 something to understand what’s at stake? The fact that Beasley is getting help is very positive. His love of comics and Sponge Bob were red flags that ended up costing him the #1 pick overall. If he doesn’t get help now, it will be a huge mistake – not just for his career, but more importantly for his life.

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