Famous Baseball Players

Baseball Players

Mike Hampton

Michael William Hampton (born September 9, 1972 in Brooksville, Florida, USA) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who plays with the Atlanta Braves (2003-present). He bats right-handed and throws left-handed. Previously, he played for the Seattle Mariners (1993), Houston Astros (1994-99), New York Mets (2000) and Colorado Rockies (2001-02).
Mike Hampton was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 4th round of the 1990 draft. He first broke into the major leagues in 1993, but had a disappointing start. After the season, he found himself traded to the Houston Astros, where he would become a star. 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. He broke through with a 22-4 record, best in the National League, and a 2.90 ERA. He picked up his first of five Silver Slugger Awards and narrowly finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting to Randy Johnson.
Entering the final year of his contract, Hampton was dealt to the New York Mets in the wake of his big season. He went 15-10 with a 3.12 ERA and helped the Mets greatly in 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 appearance.