Michael William Hampton, Jr. (born September 9, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Hampton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1993 through 2010. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks. He was the bullpen coach for the Mariners before resigning on July 9, 2017. Hampton is a two-time MLB All-Star. He won five Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award. He was the Most Valuable Player of the 2000 National League Championship Series, and he pitched in the 2000 World Series for the Mets. Early life Hampton was born in Brooksville, Florida when his father, Mike Hampton Sr., was 19 and his mother, Joan, was 16. He was the oldest of three children. Hampton was raised in Homosassa, Florida, and attended Crystal River High School. In high school, Hampton was recruited to play college football as a defensive back at Notre Dame, Miami and Florida State. Career Seattle Mariners Hampton was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the sixth round of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft. He made his Major League debut in 1993. After the season, he was traded to the Houston Astros with Mike Felder for Eric Anthony. Houston Astros Hampton became a starter for Houston in 1995, and kept his ERA under 4.00 for every season he was with the Astros. In 1999, Hampton had his best year, finishing with a 22–4 record, best in the National League, and a 2.90 ERA. He picked up his first of five Silver Slugger Awards and narrowly finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting to Randy Johnson. That season, Hampton batted .311 (23 for 74). New York Mets Entering the final year of his contract, Hampton was dealt to the New York Mets. He went 15–10 with a 3.12 ERA and helped the Mets reach the postseason. With two wins and no earned runs in two starts, Hampton was named the MVP of the 2000 NLCS. Hampton received a loss in his only World Series appearance. Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies signed Hampton to an eight-year, $121 million contract on December 9, 2000. It was the largest contract in baseball history at the time. Hampton once claimed that he had chosen to move to Colorado because of "the school system", a statement that is often derisively referenced by sportswriters.