Cincinnati Reds Hammond first appeared in the Major Leagues in where he pitched three games for the Reds. The following season was his official
rookie season and he
started 18 games posting a 7-7 record with a respectable 4.06
ERA. His first stint with the Reds would come to a close in late March as he was traded to the
Florida Marlins for
Héctor Carrasco and
Gary Scott.
Florida Marlins Hammond was a member of the inaugural Marlins team that began play in Major League Baseball in
1993. In his inaugural season as a Marlin, he hit two home runs (one a
pinch-hit grand slam), and pitched his way to a 4.66 ERA in 191 innings. In , he experienced somewhat more success (a 3.07 ERA) in a season shortened by injuries. After a mediocre season, Hammond's career seemed to hit a nosedive. His first stint with the Florida Marlins would end in , where he totaled a 6.56 ERA and would face a demotion to the
bullpen.
Boston Red Sox Hammond signed with the
Boston Red Sox in , 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. While Hammond's career was seemingly reaching its end, the Florida Marlins won the
1997 World Series.
Retirement After being signed to a contract by the
Kansas City Royals, he was granted his release towards the end of
spring 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 in
Randolph County, Alabama, where he purchased a 200+ acre horse-ranch with a lake.
Comeback: Atlanta Braves Hammond returned in 2001 as a
minor league player for the
Cleveland 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, the
New York Yankees signed Hammond to a multi-year contract. While with the Braves, he continued to live in
Randolph County, Alabama and commuted back and forth to Atlanta.
New York Yankees Hammond replaced the incumbent
Mike Stanton as the left-handed
setup 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 2003
postseason, pitching two innings without allowing an
earned run during the
World Series while facing the Marlins.
Oakland Athletics Hammond was traded to the
Oakland 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.
San Diego Padres In , Hammond signed with the
San Diego Padres. Hammond had posted a
WHIP under 1.00 until shoulder injuries nagged him once again. Hammond would finish the season with an ERA of 3.84 in 55 appearances.
Reds: 2006 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. ==Personal life==