Topic: Chris Hammond

Christopher Andrew Hammond (born January 21, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.

Hammond was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the 1986 amateur draft. Hammond had not sustained considerable success until his revival as a relief pitcher with the 2002 Atlanta Braves. Hammond's career went through two distinct phases, one as a struggling starting pitcher/swingman and one as a reliever. Hammond used techniques common to "junkball" or finesse pitchers. His pitches included the changeup (Hammond's ranged from 58 - 71 mph), his mostly flat slider, and his low 80s four-seam fastball. Hammond was also a relatively good left-handed hitter as shown by his career .202 batting average, .285 on-base percentage, and four career home runs.

Hammond first appeared in the Major Leagues in 1990 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 1993 as he was traded to the Florida Marlins for Hector Carrasco and Gary Scott.