Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Hampton retired today at the age of 38.
↵Hampton has always been the butt of jokes for his monstrously huge contract, which is ranked 29th on the list of all-time richest sports contracts. The Colorado Rockies signed Hampton in 2001 to an eight-year deal worth $121,000,000. What did he give them? Two years with ERA's of 5.41 and 6.15.
↵Despite the contract, Hampton never really was any good. He had solid seasons between the ages of 22 and 27, but even then his K/9 never reached seven, while his BB/9 sat in the mid-to-high threes. That translated to poopery in Colorado, which apparently all but a few people could have seen coming.
↵Hampton was dealt to the Braves in 2003, and he did give them a few average seasons in the tail end of the division title run, including a 3.84 ERA in 190 innings in 2003. However, injuries kept him out for two full seasons, and he was never the same after that, mainly due to age and injury recovery.
↵Hampton's final ERA was 4.06 while his FIP was 4.27. He had a 5.50 K/9 and 3.57 BB/9. He recorded 148 career wins, and his career value was totaled at 31.1 fWAR.
↵Oh yeah, he hit .246 with 16 home runs, too, including seven for Colorado in 2001.