Well gang another Baseball Star retired today during the Spring Training Season. Mike Hampton called it a career and ended his attempt to earn a roster spot with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Hampton will not be entering Cooperstown, and it is doubtful that his support will reach the five percent in his opening year of eligibility. With that said, there was a time when many pundits thought he had a shot. Hampton was the runner up for the National League Cy Young Award in 1999 and followed it up with a solid campaign with the Mets. It was here that Hampton would be signed by the Colorado Rockies and was the recipient of what was then the highest contract in baseball. It proved to be a struggle, and like so many other pitchers, Hampton failed to master the thin air of Coors Field. He remained an effective man in starting rotations, but was hardly worth the large contract he signed.
Still, Mike Hampton retired with a solid career record of 148 wins and 115 losses. He goes down in history as one of the best hitting pitchers of the past twenty five years, capturing the Silver Slugger Award five times and won the NLCS Award in 2000. He was also on two All Star Teams. Maybe it wasn't a Hall of Fame Career, but it is better than being known just for that bloated contract....it was wasn't it?
Comments powered by CComment