Hampton Sinking Under Contract

Expected to be the answer to the Colorado Rockies’ pitching woes when he signed with the team before the 2001 season, Mike Hampton has become the $12-million question.

Not even a victory Thursday could disguise Hampton’s sustained struggles.

After starting his Rockies’ career with a 9-2 record and an All-Star berth, he has gone 7-16 since then, including a 2-5 record and 6.32 earned-run average this season. While still nominally the team’s ace, he has been only its fifth-best starter.

The left-hander who signed the richest contract ever offered a pitcher in December 2000--an eight-year deal totaling $121 million--entered Thursday’s game having allowed the most earned runs of any pitcher in the NL.

And while he pitched no-hit ball for five innings Thursday in a 10-3 win over the Florida Marlins, the signs of distress were still apparent. He walked five batters, including the leadoff batter in the fifth before Eric Owens ruined the no-hit bid with an infield single. Two batters later, Hampton lost his shutout, too.

“I felt like I was wild enough to where they didn’t know if I was going to throw a strike or not, basically, and that worked in my favor for five innings,” Hampton said.

“I would call him effectively wild,” pitching coach Jim Wright said. “Sometimes that’s good. His ball was moving all over the place.

“Even though he gave up a couple more runs in the eighth, he was aggressive and went after the hitters.”

His recent problems surfaced when he lost that bulldog intensity, becoming tentative and toothless.

“I’ve got to work on staying aggressive,” he said. “I think that’s what hurt me earlier this season. I was picking and picking, instead of saying, ‘Here it is guys. If you can hit it, hit it. If not, I’m going to beat you.’ That’s how I’ve always been. For some reason, I got away from that.

“I’ve just got to go after guys with my best stuff. I’m not going to throw balls down the middle. I’m not going to give in. When I start giving in, that’s when I start giving up a lot of runs and hits. I’d rather stay aggressive and make them hit my pitch.”

Being aggressive enabled Hampton to post a 22-4 record and 2.90 ERA with Houston in 1999. The following year he went 15-10 and led the New York Mets into the World Series, going 2-0 and pitching 16 scoreless innings in the NL championship series against St. Louis.

The renewed attitude seems to be working of late, helping Hampton reduce his ERA from 10.26 after three starts to 6.32 after nine outings.

“I’m going to remember that pitch,” Hampton vowed.

Hampton has heard the trade whispers, but he insists he believes the Rockies can still win and wants to be a part of it.

“I can’t worry about things that are out of my control,” he said.