Michael William Hampton, Jr. (born September 9, 1972) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
player. Hampton played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) as a
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
from 1993 through 2010. He pitched for the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
,
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
,
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
,
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
,
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
and
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
. He was the bullpen coach for the Mariners before resigning on July 9, 2017.
Hampton is a two-time
MLB All-Star
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
. He won five
Silver Slugger Award
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.
These voters co ...
s and a
Gold Glove Award. He was the
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
of the
2000 National League Championship Series, and he pitched in the
2000 World Series for the Mets.
Early life
Hampton was born in
Brooksville, Florida
Brooksville is a city in western Florida and the county seat of Hernando County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,719, up from 7,264 at the 2000 census. Brooksville is home to historic buildings and residence ...
when his father, Mike Hampton Sr., was 19 and his mother, Joan, was 16.
He was the oldest of three children. Hampton was raised in
Homosassa, Florida
Homosassa is a census-designated place (CDP) in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,578 at the 2010 census.
History
Homosassa is derived from a Seminole Indian name meaning either "river of fishes" or "pepper ridge".
In ...
, and attended
Crystal River High School.
In high school, Hampton was recruited to play
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
as a
defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
at
Notre Dame,
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
and
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
.
Career
Seattle Mariners
Hampton was drafted by the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
in the sixth round of the
1990 Major League Baseball draft. He made his Major League debut in 1993. After the season, he was traded to the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
with
Mike Felder for
Eric Anthony
Eric Todd Anthony (born November 8, 1967) is a former professional baseball outfielder.
Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 34th round of the 1986 MLB amateur draft, Anthony would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Houston Astros on ...
.
Houston Astros
Hampton became a starter for Houston in 1995, and kept his ERA under 4.00 for every season he was with the Astros. In 1999, Hampton had his best year, finishing with a 22–4 record, best in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
, and a 2.90 ERA. He picked up his first of five
Silver Slugger Award
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.
These voters co ...
s and narrowly finished second in
National League Cy Young Award voting to
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
. That season, Hampton batted .311 (23 for 74).
New York Mets
Entering the final year of his contract, Hampton was dealt to the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. He went 15–10 with a 3.12 ERA and helped the Mets reach the postseason. With two wins and no earned runs in two starts, Hampton was named the MVP of the
2000 NLCS. Hampton received a loss in his only
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
appearance.
Colorado Rockies
The
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
signed Hampton to an eight-year, $121 million contract on December 9, 2000. It was the largest contract in baseball history at the time. Hampton once claimed that he had chosen to move to Colorado because of "the school system", a statement that is often derisively referenced by sportswriters. The Rockies hoped Hampton, who had been one of the best pitchers in the league over the past few seasons, would be able to succeed in the tough pitching conditions of
Coors Field
Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995, the park is located in Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood, two blocks from Union Station. The ...
.
Hampton went 14–13 with a 5.41 ERA in 2001, often succumbing to control problems. The next season, 2002, Hampton went 7–15 with his ERA climbing to a league-high 6.15 and batters hitting .313 off of him. Hampton hit ten home runs and had a .300+ batting average over two seasons.
His best all-around offensive season came in 2001 with the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
, when he would hit .291 with seven home runs. The next year he hit three home runs and batted .344. From 1999 to 2003, Hampton would go on to win five consecutive
Silver Slugger Award
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.
These voters co ...
s.
Atlanta Braves
In November 2002, Hampton was traded to the
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
, then to the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
. Hampton won 14 games and got his ERA back down to 3.84 in 2003. He overcame a slow start in 2004 by winning 10 of his last 11 decisions and helping to propel the Braves to another division championship.
Hampton's 2005 season was limited heavily by injuries. He went 5–3 in twelve starts, but was lost for the rest of the season with an elbow injury on August 19, 2005. Hampton had
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
on September 25, 2005 and missed the entire 2006 season rehabbing.
The Braves were hoping for Hampton to be ready to rejoin the rotation in time for the start of the 2007 season. The rehab was on schedule until Hampton tore his oblique muscle on March 7, 2007, which was to sideline him until at least May. Soon after, the Braves signed
Mark Redman
Mark Allen Redman (born January 5, 1974) is an American former professional baseball left-handed starting pitcher.
Early career
A 1992 graduate of Escondido High School in California, he played baseball and football before attending The Master' ...
to be a left-handed starting pitcher for them in case Hampton was not able to return to action soon. After Hampton threw a bullpen session on April 8, the Braves shut Hampton down due to recurring elbow pain and said that he would see Dr. David Altchek, who had performed his Tommy John surgery in 2005. The next day, it was announced after having another left elbow procedure, that Hampton would miss the entire 2007 season.
Hampton began a rehab assignment on November 22, 2007 for
Navojoa
Navojoa is the fifth-largest city in the northern Mexican state of Sonora and is situated in the southern part of the state. The city is the administrative seat of Navojoa Municipality, located in the Mayo River Valley.
History
The city name de ...
of the Mexican Winter League. In the first inning, he attempted to make a play on a comebacker and left during warmups before the second inning, feeling discomfort in his hamstring. The rest of his rehab was left in doubt.
However, Hampton reported to "Camp Roger" on time in late January. He threw off the mound for
Bobby Cox
Robert Joe Cox (born May 21, 1941) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Cox played for the New York Yankees and managed the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays. He is a member of ...
and
Roger McDowell
Roger Alan McDowell (born December 21, 1960) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996. He played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dod ...
, both of whom were impressed with Hampton's steady progress. Hampton arrived a day before pitchers and catchers were due to report at Lake Buena Vista. He ran sprints and played catch with teammates, and continued to pitch off the mound, and threw to live batters:
Mark Kotsay,
Tim Hudson
Timothy Adam Hudson (born July 14, 1975), nicknamed "Huddy" is an American former professional baseball pitcher of Major League Baseball (MLB). After spending his college years at Chattahoochee Valley Community College and Auburn University, Hu ...
, and
Corky Miller
Corky Abraham Phillip MillerZingler, David"Corky Miller: What's in a name?" ''Minnesota Public Radio'': "The Bleacher Bums" (April 21, 2005). (born March 18, 1976) is a former catcher in Major League Baseball and currently coaches the Dayton Drago ...
.
On April 3, 2008, Hampton was scheduled to make his long-anticipated return to the Braves rotation in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. While warming up, however, Hampton strained his left pectoral muscle, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
On July 26, 2008, Hampton made his first major league start since August 2005 against the Philadelphia Phillies. However, he was soon injured again, and finished the season with only 13 appearances. His final 2008 stats included a 3–4 record and a 4.85 ERA.
Return to Astros
On December 3, 2008, Hampton signed a 1-year contract worth $2 million with the Houston Astros. Hampton could have earned another $2 million in performance based incentives.
Hampton chose to wear uniform #11 in his return to Houston to honor his old friend, longtime Astro
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David Ausmus (; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball manager and catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Ast ...
.
His #10 that he wore during his first stint with Houston was being worn by
Miguel Tejada
Miguel Odalis Tejada ( Tejeda; born May 25, 1974) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for six teams, most notably the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles, befor ...
. He pitched in the number four spot behind
Brian Moehler
Brian Merritt Moehler (born December 31, 1971) is a former starting pitcher.
Moehler pitched for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the sixth round of the 1993 draft, and assigned to the Ni ...
.
On September 15, 2009, Hampton underwent full
rotator cuff surgery to repair a tear and was expected to miss the entire 2010 season.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Despite initially being expected to miss the whole season, on August 21, 2010, Mike Hampton signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He returned to the major leagues with the Diamondbacks, throwing innings in ten appearances.
After the season, Hampton re-signed with Arizona to a minor league deal for 2011. On March 26, 2011, Hampton announced his retirement from baseball.
Hitting stats
In 423 games over 16 seasons, Hampton posted a .246
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(178-for-725) with 97
runs, 22
doubles, 5
triples, 16
home runs
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
, 79
RBI, 47
walks and a .356
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
. In 11 postseason games, Hampton batted .250 (5-for-20) with 1 run and 1 RBI.
Coaching career
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization
In 2013, Hampton was named the pitching coach for the Arkansas Travelers, the AA affiliate for the Angels, joining manager
Tim Bogar, who was his teammate for the Astros from 1997 to 1999. Hampton was not retained as coach after the 2013 season.
Seattle Mariners
After 2 years off from coaching, he was hired to be the bullpen coach for the Mariners, the team he played for his rookie year. He joined former Astros teammates
Scott Servais
Scott Daniel Servais ( '); born June 4, 1967) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who currently manages the Seattle Mariners.
A major league catcher for eleven seasons, Servais was previously the assistant general m ...
(1994–95) and the aforementioned Tim Bogar on the coaching staff.
He resigned on July 9, 2017.
Awards and accomplishments
*2-time
All-Star (1999, 2001)
*
2000 NLCS MVP
*Led NL in
winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
(.8462, 1999)
*Became the first pitcher ever to win the
Gold Glove Award and
Silver Slugger Award
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.
These voters co ...
s in the same season (2003). The Gold Glove also snapped then-Atlanta teammate
Greg Maddux's streak of 13 consecutive Gold Gloves. Hampton was the only National League pitcher other than Maddux to win a Gold Glove during Maddux's career from 1989 and onward.
*Hampton holds the record for most
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.
These voters co ...
awards for a pitcher, with five.
See also
*
Atlanta Braves award winners and league leaders
This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the Atlanta Braves professional baseball franchise, including its years in Boston (1871–1952) and Milwaukee (1953–1965). The awards are MLB-designated and other outside groups such as n ...
*
List of Houston Astros team records
The Houston Astros are a professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. They compete in the Western Division of Major League Baseball's (MLB) American League (AL). The Astros began play during the 1962 MLB season as an expansion team and w ...
*
Houston Astros award winners and league leaders This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the Houston Astros, an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL), having moved to the ...
*
*
New York Mets award winners and league leaders
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet o
Mexican Pacific Winter League o
Venezuelan Winter League
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hampton, Mike
1972 births
Living people
Arizona Diamondbacks players
Arizona League Mariners players
Atlanta Braves players
Baseball players from Florida
Bellingham Mariners players
Colorado Rockies players
Gold Glove Award winners
Gulf Coast Braves players
Houston Astros players
Jacksonville Suns players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Mayos de Navojoa players
Minor league baseball coaches
Mississippi Braves players
Myrtle Beach Pelicans players
National League All-Stars
National League Championship Series MVPs
National League wins champions
Navegantes del Magallanes players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
New York Mets players
People from Brooksville, Florida
Reno Aces players
Richmond Braves players
Rome Braves players
San Bernardino Spirit players
Seattle Mariners coaches
Seattle Mariners players
Silver Slugger Award winners
Baseball players from Atlanta
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico