[Erich Ingram]

Well I have been watching baseball all day. Man I love having Opening Day off and having the MLB Season Pass on my Digital Cable. So here is my question does everyone still think Mike Hampton is underrated in my roster file after his wonderful (sarcasm) performance today? The Guy lost is when he went to the Rockies. He needs to get out of Colorado to have a chance of pitching well again, like another former Astro that imploded in the rarified air(Daryl Kile). He can't even pitch on the road anymore. Hampton looks cooked out there, granted it is only one start but it is more of the same from last year.

[joshuaaaaaa]

[quote]Originally posted by Rolen17:
<strong>Well I have been watching baseball all day. Man I love having Opening Day off and having the MLB Season Pass on my Digital Cable. So here is my question does everyone still think Mike Hampton is underrated in my roster file after his wonderful (sarcasm) performance today? The Guy lost is when he went to the Rockies. He needs to get out of Colorado to have a chance of pitching well again, like another former Astro that imploded in the rarified air(Daryl Kile). He can't even pitch on the road anymore. Hampton looks cooked out there, granted it is only one start but it is more of the same from last year.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yeah, its like that Pedro Martinez guy...based on how he pitched today, he ought to just hang them up now. And that Clemens dude....wow...what made him think he could still pitch?

Now I'll remove my tongue from my cheek.

[Erich Ingram]

Except for the fact that neither one of those guys is coming off a season where he had 5.41 ERA so your two comparisons are incorrect. Both of them are coming off either an injury shortened season or a CY Young season. Try again.

[joshuaaaaaa]

[quote]Originally posted by Rolen17:
<strong>Except for the fact that neither one of those guys is coming off a season where he had 5.41 ERA so your two comparisons are incorrect. Both of them are coming off either an injury shortened season or a CY Young season. Try again.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hence the tongue in cheek.

[Erich Ingram]

You are right but I wanted you to try again anyway.

[BaseballMan]

Let me get this straight.
Your saying Hampton no longer has it after 1 game.
Sorry but one game does not make a whole season.
The 98 yankees sucked at the begining of that year
and look what happened.

Hampton probably wont win 20 games, but why should you realistically expect him too in colorado.
Sure it would be nice if your a colorado fan but come on now most fans realise its not that the pitcher sucks its just the nature of pitching for colorado.
Yes i know it was a road game but every pitcher is gonna have a bad game and then when your home games are at Coors Field you will be lucky to win 15 games with an era under 4.50. Just the way it is.

[Erich Ingram]

No I am saying that I rated him correctly in the roster file that I put out. I am saying that he posted a full year last year both home and away with ERA's OVER 5.00. I am saying that Hampton is not the Hampton that pitched for the Astros and the Mets. I am saying that all those people who said I made a mistake in ranking Hampton look, he isn't pitching great this year either, and this game was yes on the road just like last year when he didn't pitch well on the road. I am just showing people that maybe I did have a qualified set of numbers for him in the roster file.

Also what does pitching in Colorado have to do with winning games. They score a ton of runs as well so him winning 20 is possible, what I am saying is that he is not the same pitcher that pitched in New York 2 years ago. Also he has always had a problem with walking people and when you walk them it leads to runs when you make mistakes.

Also I am being a bit comical with this, because people were a bit too serious when saying he was so great over the winter. Yes it is only one start but don't be surprised if you see more like this during the year both home and AWAY.

[Bagpipes5]

Mike Hampton's error was not learning from Daryl Kile and realizing he won't be as effective of a pitcher in Colorado. Serves him right. At least the schools are good out there. Meanwhile, the Astros staff sure looks good doesn't it?

[inverarity]

Hampton always loses his first game (exception was last year w/ Colorado, I believe).

That said, he had a pretty bad year last year, even considering Coors Field. The logical explanation and the unfortunate news for Mike is that he's always been a better pitcher at home than on the road - he dominates at home, is average when away - not exactly what you want when your home stadium is Coors'.

So my answer is yes, he is a better player than you rate him, imo. But frankly, what we feel and how he actually does are two different things. To be honest, I don't know how you rate anyone who plays in Colorado (let's face it, Todd Helton is not as good as Coors Field makes him out to be).

You can't start rating based on home field, that's too subjective - so rate Mike the way he performs, that's all we can expect of you (and I'll bump him back up the great pitcher he truly is on my own time )


$.02

[bigphesta]

[quote]Originally posted by BaseballMan:
<strong>Let me get this straight.
Your saying Hampton no longer has it after 1 game.
Sorry but one game does not make a whole season.
The 98 yankees sucked at the begining of that year
and look what happened.

Hampton probably wont win 20 games, but why should you realistically expect him too in colorado.
...
Yes i know it was a road game but every pitcher is gonna have a bad game and then when your home games are at Coors Field you will be lucky to win 15 games with an era under 4.50. Just the way it is.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Please. Yes, colorado is a HITTER's park, there's NO question about that. But to say that just because a pitcher pitches half his games there he'd be "lucky to win 15 games" is completely obsurd. True, his ERA will take a hit due to the increase in the amount of doubles and homers, but a pitcher has JUST AS MUCH chance to win a game in Colorado as he does in ANY ball park.

See, BOTH teams play there, BOTH starting pitchers pitch there, BOTH hitters hit there, JUST like it is at ANY ball park across America. Your chances of winning are the same there as any where else. A good pitcher CAN and WILL win there, and a bad pitcher CAN and WILL loose there. Sure, the ERA may be a little inflated, but the chance to win is the same.

Todd Wright of "All Night ESPN Radio" had Colorado's pitching coach on a few weeks ago and they were destroying the 'myths' of Coors Field, and the fact that pitchers 'just can't win there' is the biggest myth of them all. If Hampton REALLY was a "20 game winner," then he'd get his wins no matter where he pitches. But the fact is he's not. He's a "good #2 or #3 guy, but don't expect him to get 20 wins" ANYWHERE he pitches.

[Bagpipes5]

[quote]Originally posted by inverarity:
<strong>Hampton always loses his first game (exception was last year w/ Colorado, I believe).</strong><hr></blockquote>

Today was Hampton's first April loss. Chris, if I can say anything good about Hampton, it's that he has the drive and attitude of a winner. The fact of the matter is that the atmosphere of Coors will mess up everyone's head. Granted we only have 8 seasons of history to go by, but Colorado has yet to have a good pitcher win there. Kyle and Hampton are the prime 2 examples.

[Carplos]

[quote]Originally posted by bigphesta:
<strong>

Please. Yes, colorado is a HITTER's park, there's NO question about that. But to say that just because a pitcher pitches half his games there he'd be "lucky to win 15 games" is completely obsurd. True, his ERA will take a hit due to the increase in the amount of doubles and homers, but a pitcher has JUST AS MUCH chance to win a game in Colorado as he does in ANY ball park.

See, BOTH teams play there, BOTH starting pitchers pitch there, BOTH hitters hit there, JUST like it is at ANY ball park across America. Your chances of winning are the same there as any where else. A good pitcher CAN and WILL win there, and a bad pitcher CAN and WILL loose there. Sure, the ERA may be a little inflated, but the chance to win is the same.

Todd Wright of "All Night ESPN Radio" had Colorado's pitching coach on a few weeks ago and they were destroying the 'myths' of Coors Field, and the fact that pitchers 'just can't win there' is the biggest myth of them all. If Hampton REALLY was a "20 game winner," then he'd get his wins no matter where he pitches. But the fact is he's not. He's a "good #2 or #3 guy, but don't expect him to get 20 wins" ANYWHERE he pitches.</strong><hr></blockquote>

That's not entirely true, in Coors, you have a lot less chance at lasting 5 innings, and an increased chance that even if you leave after 5 or more with a lead that the other team will come back.

[Lets Go Mets]

Lets Go Mets

[JohnnyReb]

I'm a Bucs fan, so Hampton still looks dam good to me!

[inverarity]

[quote] Today was Hampton's first April loss<hr></blockquote>


That may or may not be true, but he lost opening day for the Mets two years ago (March in Japan), and I believe he lost the previous year's opening day for the Astros (also in March). I could be wrong about that Astros one, but I thought I remembered Bob Murphy talking about it.

[inverarity]

Also, two other points

[quote] in Coors, you have a lot less chance at lasting 5 innings, and an increased chance that even if you leave after 5 or more with a lead that the other team will come back. <hr></blockquote>

That's it exactly


[quote] Todd Wright of "All Night ESPN Radio" had Colorado's pitching coach on a few weeks ago and they were destroying the 'myths' of Coors Field, and the fact that pitchers 'just can't win there' is the biggest myth of them all.<hr></blockquote>

If that's the case, why does this pitching coach still have a job? If it's not the players (they have changed) and it's not the park (which we all know it is) ....


What I'm wondering is....why don't they bring the fences back in? Sure, there will be more homeruns, but at least they could cut down on the extra base hits - I think moving the fences only made a bad situation worse.

[bigphesta]

I can't figure out why they just don't build a dome and pressurize it so that the atmosphere plays no part of the game.

As for the pitching coach still having a Job... It's not my call, that's just what he said and I'm just repeating it.

[inverarity]

[quote]I can't figure out why they just don't build a dome and pressurize it so that the atmosphere plays no part of the game.<hr></blockquote>


Agreed. I read that they will be doing this for their next park - Unfortunately, that's about 15 years away, minimum.


Speaking of the NAHHBL, bigphesta, how does one get on the waiting list for ownership in your league?

[Mike D]

I need to agree with Rolen and say that hampton is nowhere near as good of a pitcher, and disagree with whoever said Helton wasn't a good player out of Coor's.... Look at his road stats from last year.

[bigphesta]

[quote]Originally posted by inverarity:
<strong>


Agreed. I read that they will be doing this for their next park - Unfortunately, that's about 15 years away, minimum.


Speaking of the NAHHBL, bigphesta, how does one get on the waiting list for ownership in your league?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Email me at nahhbl@mchsi.com