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Mike Hampton
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 161 of 1252 players
Michael William Hampton
Born: September 9, 1972 at Brooksville, Fla.
Throws: Left Bats: Right
Height: 5.10 Weight: 180

Mike Hampton was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on September 17, 2007, August 21, 2008, September 13, 2008, March 26, 2011, May 13, 2019, and March 3, 2020.

First Mets game: March 29, 2000
Last Mets game: October 22, 2000

Share your memories of Mike Hampton HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY: murphy I hope like hell the Mets re-sign Hampton. He plays the game with a ferocious intensity. I don't think Hampton is going to sign with an AL team. He likes hitting too much. He's a great fielder, the best hitting pitcher in the game, and, when throwing strikes, is a dominant mound presence. Please take our $15 million per year Mike....New York isn't such a bad place. Brian Although it's mid-November, and the season unfortunately for us ended on a sour note, we do have things to remember. One thing is how Mike Hampton turned his season around and gave us some very important wins. One of the biggest being the NLCS clincher against the Cardinals. I only wish that we could've gotten the ball to him again to pitch a Game Six at Yankee Stadium. He probably would've pitched the second biggest game of his life. Here's to hoping that the organization can come up with a way to give the man what he wants, and convince him to re-sign with the Mets for a few years. What we need is good solid pitching, not some idiot named Rodriguez with all his stupid demands! Mr. Sparkle Just admit you went to Colorado for the money. Just admit it. Don't give me this "I did it for my family" bs. Colorado is a great place to raise a family, please. And what's wrong with New York? You don't have to live in the city pal, there are plenty of places on Long Island, in Westchester, Connecticut or Jersey that have great schools and a relaxed way of life. Maybe you can't handle the media is that it? All that stuff about wanting to play closer to home was bull I guess too. And if you're not a cold weather pitcher good luck in Denver. If you don't have an era over 7.00. Here's hoping you blow your arm out and never pitch again! Adam December 11, 2000 Good riddance. He never wanted to play for the Mets anyway. His attitude was bad and he was a hot head. He obviously has a bad agent if he is going to Colorado. It is going to destroy his arm. At least he will be able to count his money. Alex December 13, 2000 Yeah, I'll always remember Hampy for getting us to the World Series, but then, I'll always remember Hampy for defying all logic and going for the money. Closer to home? BS. Warmer climate? BS. Play for a competitor? BS. Whatever, have fun screwing over your career jerky. I hope you get hammered. Either way you're gonna get your money. Won Doney December 21, 2000 I was a fan of his until he signed with Colorado. How would he have a better chance of helping the Rockies go to the World Series than helping the Mets? He said some things after he signed with the Rockies that chnged my opinion of him completely. Pitching in Colorado could ruin your career. Look at Masato Yoshii. Jon January 18, 2001 Hampton's gonna be one of those players Met fans will always talk about. An absolutely terrific pitcher most nights, but one who ultimately was out for himself. Sad, really. Richie January 31, 2001 If you noticed him in candid dugout shots, this guy never seemed to care about being a Met. Seemed like he was always last guy off the bench for the big moments, the game-winning hits, etc. They can start lining up the coolers for Hampton in the Rockie dugout...they'll be getting a workout when he gets knocked out in the second and third inn DENNIS February 25, 2001 Good riddance to this left-handed piece of ___. I Knew from the beginning that he had no interest in the Mets or New York. He came here so he could possibly win 20 games again as well as a championship.this Way, he could up his asking price so he could get his money wherever he wanted it to be. hampton will not be missed because he was a mediocre pitcher at best. flushing flash March 8, 2001 I had to throw out my Let's Go Mets/Let's Go Yankees posters from last year's Subway Series because the Mets side has a picture of Piazza and Ventura lifting up the idiot Mike Hampton after the Mets beat the Cards in the LCS. Even then Hampton had this look on his face as if he was thinking "okay, we made it to the Series, now I can get the hell out of this terrible town." I was considering hanging the posters with the Yankees side face up, with the picture of Derek Jeter, someone who appreciates this great town of ours. Then I came to my senses and just threw the damned things out. Right now, in my eyes, Mike Hampton is Public Enemy #1. John Olerud may have wanted out of New York, but at least he gave us three good years and moved to his hometown of Seattle. Hampton isn't from anywhere near Colorado for crying out loud. Hey Mike, look at what happened to your former teammate Darryl Kile when he went to the Rockies. Damn near ruined his whole career. Kile made a great comeback last year. Here's hoping Hampton never gets that chance. John Rocker may be an a**hole but to his credit he never masked his apparent hatred and fear of NYC like Hampton did for an entire season. NL March 17, 2001 The thing is, he wasn't a big time competitor at all. Otherwise he might have been up to the challenge on Opening Day, in Game 1 against the Giants or in his WS start. Instead, he was a no-show. And wasn't this "tough guy" on the mound when Cardinal pitchers hit Payton in the head and broke Bordick's thumb and when Clemens threw the bathead at Piazza? Did Mr. Tough Guy send those teams a message? We KNOW what Jerry Koosman would have done. Mr. Sparkle March 27, 2001 I won't say the guy isn't that good of a pitcher like a lot of you guys because to be honest he really is BUT, I do hope he is lousy in Denver and either blows out his elbow or just plain sucks for the next 8 years. I have 3 Met cups that I got from Shea last year on on them is a silhoutte of Hampton. I won't go so far as to trash them but I do drink out of the other side so I don't have to look at him. A**^%)e!!! murphy May 2, 2001 How are those Colorado school systems, Mike? The Mets will always be my favorite team. My second favorite team will now be a tie between whoever is playing the Yankees and whoever is playing against Hampton. The Mets bring him in and save him from a disastrous season in Enron Field and allow him to go to the World Series. He shows his appreciation by choosing the great school systems of Colorado. I guess the $120 million didn't hurt, either. Good luck seeing the World Series again, you creep. And Hampton was the most ineffective starter on either team in the World Series last year. Coach HoJo 20 May 12, 2001 Its very depressing seeing this low life in a Rockies uniform. I like a lot of you fans who visit this site hate Mike Hampton for pulling a Benedict Arnold on us, But seeing him in a Rockies uniform coupled with the fact that his new team beat us with ease and the fact that we are under .500 is very depressing. I hate too say it but his departure left a huge dent in our armor. Its a shame he didn't want to be here, its even more of a shame that the Mets front office just sat back and didn't lift a finger to get this team a suitable replacement. But wait a minute we have Steve TRASHsel the second coming of Tom Seaver, Praise the Lord!!! Mets4Life August 12, 2001 I'd like to document that today is August 12, 2000. After such a good start Mike Hamton numbers are as follows - 154 innings pitched 184 hits 100 runs against 12-8 record 5.13 Era .301 Opposing BA I hope your kids are getting a great education because you are learning a thing or too .... on what a horredous decision you made signing with CO Mr. Sparkle August 16, 2001 Just to set the record on this jerk straight lest anyone think pitching in Colorado is the reason for his inflated stats this year. He's made 12 starts at home so far, 13 on the road. Home record is 7-4, road is 5-5. ERA at home is 5.28, 5.40 on the road. He's pitched 76 innings at home and given up 89 hits. 81 innings on the road and given up 100 hits. He's given up 24 dingers total, 11 at home and 13 on the road. $15 million a year for those stats is a joke. Let's hope the Mets light him up at Shea next week. murphy August 22, 2001 I was at Shea Stadium last night to witness Mike Hampton's trimphant return to New York. Here is a first inning worthy of $121 million: Single, walk, RBI single, pop up (Zeile, of course), wild pitch, walk, fielder's choice (Payton, of course), hit batter, two RBI single by Ordonez, strike out of the pitcher. 41 brutal pitches. He followed it up in the second inning by giving up a 463-foot home run to Piazza that hit the top of the three-level TV tower in centerfield. A monster shot. It was a beautiful sight in an ugly year. It's a good thing Hampton picked those fantastic Colorado schools. His kids are going to need advanced mathematical techniques to figure out Hampton's escalating ERA. Shannon October 20, 2001 Liked Mike before his 20 game win season with the Astro's.Still like him to this day.He is up front and to the point. Mike Michela November 19, 2001 This guy wants to play in a warm climate and be close to home in Texas. So he goes to Colorado. Met fans did the right thing when he returned to Shea with a chorus of boos. Uncle Peanut February 21, 2002 I always think of the same thing when I think of Hampton. When he threw the last pitch against St. Louis in the 2000 NLCS and the Mets won the pennant, he just stood on the mound with his hands in the air. Waiting for his teammates to gather round and hug him. He didn't run to anyone, he let them all come to him. Well now all that comes to him are early showers. Have a nice career of 6.6 ERAs! Perndude April 15, 2002 This guy can't lose enough games in Colorado to make me happy. The funny thing is he is losing just as badly on the road. I guess he needs his daddy to take him walking again. Will always root against this self-serving ego-maniac no matter where he goes (unless he comes back to the Mets, which I hope he doesn't). I think it was better he turned the Mets down and went to the Rockies, considering he questioned the manhood of easily the best position player the Mets have ever had. If Hampton was such a tough guy, how come he didn't call Clemens out himself, or better yet plant a pitch into Jeter's noggin? Hope his kids end up in Yale as a result of the great Denver school system. Tony July 30, 2002 I read somewhere (and I don't know if this is 100% true), but the REAL reason why Mike Hampton left the Mets was because his wife was TERRIFIED of NY. From what I read, they stayed in a hotel near Central Park, and his wife and kids were in the park the day of the Puerto Rican Day parade, and that she actually witnessed the attacks on the women that were taking place that afternoon. Reportedly, she was so freaked out...that she wanted to be no where NEAR NYC. So Hampton blamed it on NYCs school system, as his reason for leaving, then blaming it on the attacks in the park that day. I mean...he could have moved to Westchester or New Jersey. Had to be something really bad to just want to leave the area altogether. Shari August 1, 2002 I have to agree that there was something more to his leaving besides a better school system. I know he didn't get off to a great start, but I liked him as a pitcher when he was here. I often say that there is obviously a front office/management problem with this franchise, which in turn makes us fall short in getting to the post season or in the post season. John Olerud supposedly loved New York, and suddenly he's homesick? There was definitely something more to Mike's departure than meets the eye. flushing flash November 18, 2002 So Mike Hampton is now with Atlanta. Why do I have a bad feeling about this? There is something about that team that makes or re-makes superstar pitchers. Oh well, here's hoping Mike breaks that mold. I guess Atlanta's schools are better than New York's as well. perndude December 16, 2002 Hampton on Atlanta - sounds good to me, we now get to pound him five times a year. This guy is toast, he is mentally incapable of a career rebound. If his wife was frightened by what she saw in Manhattan, wait till she gets a load of Atlanta. Mr. Sparkle June 2, 2004 I was thinking about this clown over the weekend. When he signed with Colorado everyone hated him for spurning the Mets and most people enjoyed seeing him lose after that but looking back, thank God we didn't sign him!!! He's getting $15 mil a year from a combination of clubs and since signing with Colorado he has pitched 624 innings, given up 724 hits and 274 walks to go with only 335 strikeouts. That is atrocious! His record is 36-41 over that time and his ERA is 5.16. We may have got stuck with Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar but we lucked out with this guy. Kiwiwriter September 9, 2004 Gee, Mike left New York to pitch for Colorado and its escalating ERAs because he didn't like New York's school system. Well, if he'd noticed, my New York high school, Stuyvesant H.S., has alumni that includes three Nobel Laureates, one of them Mark Greene of my 1980 graduating class. Bronx Science has more, I believe. Even so, SHS alumni also include Lewis Mumford, Ron Silver, Thelonious Monk, Jimmy Cagney, David Sarnoff, Roy Innis, Astronaut Ronald Grabe, Fields Medal Winner Paul Cohen, Paul Reiser, Len Berman, Richard Ben- Veniste, Lucy Liu, and Irene Chang, President of the Lower Manhattan Development outfit! That's just my school. Then we have plenty of great lower schools and middle schools, and plenty of great universities. The Denver area has schools that are safer? Mike Hampton is less afraid of Columbine High than Stuyvesant? Riiiiight. So he pitched badly in Colorado, and the Rockies figured they had more lousy pitchers than they really needed, so he went to Atlanta. How are their schools, Mike? The truth is, he never wanted anything to do with New York in the first place. Schools? That was just an excuse. Denver? It was about the money. I blame the Mets on this one. They traded three guys for this rental for him, and the Mets got nothing out of it in the long run. Richie Hebner the second, if you ask me. Jonathan Stern December 18, 2004 Poster-child for the phrase "money does not buy happiness." If the age of $100-million+ contracts has passed, it will be thanks to men like Hampton. You try proving you deserve that money for playing a kid's game. Not that I am too sympathetic towards Hampton, though. Although he helped us win the pennant, he never really seemed like he belonged here or even wanted to fit in. Very distant. And his starts would vary between brilliant and horrific, hardly ever in the middle. On the whole, not a lot to admire there. By the way: thank you ultimateMets for putting up a particularly unflattering picture of him. He deserves it. James July 12, 2005 I was so excited when Mike came to the Mets. I thought this is the guy that can make a difference. Despite his rough start he had a fine season. The thing is he never looked like he wanted to be here. You knew he was gone before the season was even half over. He also had the weirdest face. He always looked like he had swallowed a bug or ate something sour. I knew this guy was tough and an all around athlete but he just always looked like he was on the brink of crying. Kevin McLaughlin December 21, 2005 I was thrilled the Mets traded for him, and I always thought they would be able to sign him, especially after coming so close in 2000. But, I guess the schools in Denver are just too good to pass up. That's OK though. Because he chased Rocky Mountain cash, we got an extra pick in 2001 and used it to draft David Wright. So thanks Mike. It's been fun watching you and your 53 & 48 record with a 4.80 ERA since you left. Hope you're happy with the Atlanta schools. We're happy with David Wright. Mr. Sparkle March 21, 2006 When the Mets lost him to free agency, they received a compensation draft pick and chose David Wright with the pick. Knowing that, I don't hate Hampton nearly as much any more. Gregory Gewirtz March 31, 2006 The afternoon free agent Hampton signed with Colorado, listeners of WFAN's Mike and the Mad Dog will remember how they constantly played a clip of "Rocky Mountain High" to mock Hampton. Whenever someone on-air referenced Hampton's love of the Denver schools, for example, they would cue up the song, and the hosts and callers would crack up. Gallows humor on a day where the Mets lost their ace, but the price went too high. Better had the Mets resigned Hampton for a lot less in spring training. Always a good hitter, somehow the Mets ran out of pinch hitters one afternoon at Shea and Hampton pinch hit against Alfonseca with the Mets down in the ninth. He hit a ball with homer distance just on the foul side of the right field pole en route to striking out. NewYork Fan April 12, 2006 Best thing ever happened to Mets when Hampton spurned NY for Colorado. As a compensation pick for losing Hampton, Mets got David Wright in 2001 Draft. Jon July 21, 2006 Would you rather have David Wright, a perennial MVP candidate and consistently improving, for the next few years at an inexpensive price, OR a washed-up pitcher at $15 million a year who can't even pitch this year because he's injured? Looks like it worked out all right for the Mets; let's just hope Hampy's Braves can't catch up to us! Metsfan April 15, 2007 Now that he's out from August 2005 until 2008, he makes Pedro look durable. I'm actually starting to feel sorry for this guy. Jonathan Stern April 15, 2007 Can you believe it? He's out for the entire season again. At least his children are still attending the fine Atlanta school system. Boy, did we ever dodge a bullet when we let him go. Damion October 2, 2007 I hated this guy. You knew from day one he didn't want to be here and had his bags packed before he ever got off the plane. He was a good pitcher for the Mets but hard to root for. What was the deal with his face? VIBaseball September 21, 2010 Can it really be 10 years since Mike Hampton was a Met...and can it really be that he's still active as a major-leaguer, thanks to the Diamondbacks? Gregory Gewirtz, I too remember that near-miss HR with Hampton as a pinch-hitter. Shickhaus Franks April 4, 2011 Mr. King of the Denver School System just announced his retirement from baseball. Excuse me, I thought he had retired several years ago. LOL. Anyhow, I was mad when he left but as a reward, we got David Wright! Shickhaus Franks May 30, 2013 Mike is currently the pitching coach of the Arkansas Travelers (Double-A team of the Angels); one of his pitchers is named Mike Piazza (NO relation to his former Mets teammate) who was born in Port St. Lucie, FL. Alex April 11, 2023 Hampton wasn't bad by any means, but after his superstar 1999 with the Astros, I was expecting a superstar 2000 with the Mets ... and that didn't happen. His numbers were great—15 wins, a 142 ERA+—but nothing near his otherworldly 1999 campaign. Oddly enough, the one thing I specifically remember from Hampton's season with the Mets is he had a rib injury that made him miss a little time, but obviously not much as he still made 33 starts.

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