Dick: Hampton turns down Braves

[gsuteke]

Hampton turns down Braves, signs with Astros

Free agent left-hander took less money to be closer to children

By DAVID O'BRIEN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, December 01, 2008

Now that he’s finally healthy, pitcher Mike Hampton is bolting the Braves.

The veteran free agent agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with Houston, taking less money than the Braves offered in order to be closer to his children in Arizona, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Hampton, 36, went 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 13 starts for the Braves this season, after missing nearly three years recovering from two elbow surgeries and other injuries.

He finally got healthy last summer and posted a 3.72 ERA with eight quality starts in his last nine games. The pitching-thin Braves hoped to re-sign him to an incentive-laden one-year contract.

Instead, Hampton opted for a slightly lesser deal with Houston that includes an opportunity to make about $2 million in additional incentives based on staying healthy and making starts, according to the two people familiar with the situation. He is going through a divorce and wanted to be closer to his children in Arizona.

The Braves paid the left-hander $48.5 million over six seasons, during which he made 85 starts and went 35-24 with a 4.10 ERA in 509 2/3 innings.

That works out to about $570,000 per start, $1.39 million per win, or $95,160 per inning, although insurance paid portions of his salary while he was on the disabled list.

Hampton made $78.5 million during that six-year stretch, the rest paid by the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins as part of the three-team trade that brought him to Atlanta in November 2002.

He signed a then-record eight-year, $121 million contract with Colorado before the 2001 season, and was traded after two disappointing seasons.

After going 63-31 with a 3.30 ERA in 133 starts over the four seasons before he signed the huge contract, Hampton went 56-52 with a 4.81 ERA in 147 starts during the eight-year deal.

Hampton pitched for the Astros for six seasons (1995-99), including his 22-4 season in 1999 when he was the Cy Young Award runner-up to Randy Johnson.

His new contract won’t be finalized until the injury-plagued left-hander passes a physical on Tuesday in Houston. The deal wasn’t expected to be announced until Wednesday.

[gsuteke]

Whether in Houston or Altanta he'd still be an airplane ride away from Arizona and his kids.

I really dislike that guy after we wasted so much money on him over the years and now he hauls tail.

It's not often I'd say this about a professional athlete but Mike Hampton owed the Braves

[Plainview1981]

Whether in Houston or Altanta he'd still be an airplane ride away from Arizona and his kids.

I really dislike that guy after we wasted so much money on him over the years and now he hauls tail.

It's not often I'd say this about a professional athlete but Mike Hampton owed the Braves

They should consider this a blessing. Dude did almost nothing for the franchise. Why would you ask him to comeback in the first place? When I heard the Braves were trying to keep him I was like: WTF?

Dude is a loser that hasn't been worth a damn in about a decade.

[TroyMcClure]

Whether in Houston or Altanta he'd still be an airplane ride away from Arizona and his kids.

I really dislike that guy after we wasted so much money on him over the years and now he hauls tail.

It's not often I'd say this about a professional athlete but Mike Hampton owed the Braves

I feel exactly the same way. But Hotlanta is right, this is a blessing. I don't care if he stays healthy and pitches till he's 42, to be really honest, he's not worth having on the roster if you are the Braves. You need stability in the rotation. The only thing Hampton provides stability to is the medical field.

[frosgrim]

Forget Mike Hampton.

Good luck with him Houston.

In spring he'll pull his little toe and be out until July. He'll then make one appearance and pull his other mountain.

Now the Braves can just go after a real innings eater. Sign Lowe or Burnett. Get the Peavy deal done after all the big FA signings.

Peavy

Burnett

JJ

Hanson

Campillo

Very good rotation.

[Vol4ever]

They should consider this a blessing. Dude did almost nothing for the franchise. Why would you ask him to comeback in the first place? When I heard the Braves were trying to keep him I was like: WTF?

Dude is a loser that hasn't been worth a damn in about a decade.

I agree. Dang I would have felt since they kept me around and was patient with the injury thing I would owe them at least this year. This is the state of our country, its all about me and screw everyone else!