 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Chris Hammond" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2024) |
| Chris Hammond | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1966-01-21)January 21, 1966 (age 59) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 16, 1990, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 29, 2006, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 66–62 |
| Earned run average | 4.14 |
| Strikeouts | 712 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Christopher Andrew Hammond (born January 21, 1966) is an American formerleft-handedpitcher inMajor League Baseball.[1]
Hammond was drafted by theCincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the1986 amateur draft. Hammond had not sustained considerable success until his revival as a relief pitcher with the2002Atlanta Braves. His career went through two distinct phases, one as a strugglingstarting pitcher/swingman and one as a reliever. Hammond used techniques common to"junkball" or finesse pitchers. His pitches included thechangeup (Hammond's ranged from 58 - 71 mph), his mostly flatslider, and his low 80sfour-seam fastball. Hammond was also a relatively good left-handed hitter as shown by his career .202batting average, .285on-base percentage, and four careerhome runs.
Hammond first appeared in the Major Leagues in1990 where he pitched three games for the Reds. The following season was his officialrookie season and hestarted 18 games posting a 7-7 record with a respectable 4.06ERA. His first stint with the Reds would come to a close in late March1993 as he was traded to theFlorida Marlins forHéctor Carrasco andGary Scott.
Hammond was a member of the inaugural Marlins team that began play in Major League Baseball in1993. In his inaugural season as a Marlin, he hit two home runs (one apinch-hitgrand slam), and pitched his way to a 4.66 ERA in 191 innings. In1994, he experienced somewhat more success (a 3.07 ERA) in a season shortened by injuries. After a mediocre1995 season, Hammond's career seemed to hit a nosedive. His first stint with the Florida Marlins would end in1996, where he totaled a 6.56 ERA and would face a demotion to thebullpen.
Hammond signed with theBoston Red Sox in1997, intending to return to his role as a starter. Instead, Hammond was utilized as a relief pitcher. In an interview in Yankees' magazine during 2002, Hammond revealed that the Red Sox offered this promise as a ruse to sign him.[citation needed] While Hammond's career was seemingly reaching its end, the Florida Marlins won the1997 World Series.
After being signed to a contract by theKansas City Royals, he was granted his release towards the end ofspring training. Just as they did in 1993, the Marlins signed him to be a starting pitcher. Hammond returned to the Major Leagues for three starts, compiling a 6.56 ERA in 13.2 innings. After this brief comeback attempt, Hammond had shoulder surgery and he retired for the first time. Hammond returned to a quiet family life inRandolph County, Alabama, where he purchased a 200+ acre horse-ranch with a 60-acre (240,000 m2) lake.
Hammond returned in 2001 as aminor league player for theCleveland Indians. At mid-season, he was released by the Indians and then signed to a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. Hammond was on Atlanta's major league roster in 2002. In 2002, Hammond pitched 76.0 innings in 63 games while posting a 0.95 ERA. Hammond became the fourth pitcher at that point in time to ever post an ERA below 1.00 while pitching over a full season with over an inning an appearance. Hammond also had a streak of nearly thirty consecutive scoreless innings during the season that helped him achieve this historic mark. At the end of the season, theNew York Yankees signed Hammond to a multi-year contract. While with the Braves, he continued to live inRandolph County, Alabama and commuted back and forth to Atlanta.
Hammond replaced the incumbentMike Stanton as the left-handedsetup man in the Yankees' bullpen.Joe Torre tried to use Hammond as a left-handed specialist because the bullpen lacked other left-handed pitchers. Hammond allowed the lowest percentage of inherited runners to score in the 2003 Yankees bullpen while posting a 2.86 ERA. He only had one appearance during the 2003postseason, pitching two innings without allowing anearned run during theWorld Series while facing the Marlins.
Hammond was traded to theOakland Athletics during the 2003 off-season. Hammond missed some time during the season due to a recurrence of shoulder injuries, but was able to post a 2.68 ERA in 41 appearances.
In2005, Hammond signed with theSan Diego Padres. Hammond had posted aWHIP under 1.00 until shoulder injuries nagged him once again. Hammond would finish the season with an ERA of 3.84 in 55 appearances.
Hammond returned to Cincinnati in 2006, where his career started; however, this was short-lived, as he was released on July 12. Hammond would end his 2006 season with a 6.91 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched.[2]
Chris resides inOxford, Alabama with his wife, Lynne. They have two sons and one daughter, Andy, Jake, and Alex. He is active in his church and founded the Chris Hammond Youth Foundation, a "Charity Organization to help Youth Through Athletics".[3]