As the Braves' record of 14 consecutive division titles was coming to a close last season, Chipper Jones indicated that things would be different if a healthy Mike Hampton was able to return for 2007. Now as this 2007 campaign comes to a close and the Braves once again find themselves preparing for a dormant October, nothing has truly changed. A second straight season without Hampton has simply been another one that has gone unfulfilled in Atlanta.
What separates the 2007 season from '06 is the fact that it was planned with the belief that Hampton would be essentially healthy. Having missed all of the previous year rehabbing from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, the Braves didn't know exactly what to expect from Hampton.
But it's safe to say they expected much more than what they've received from the many different inexperienced (Chuck James, Jo-Jo Reyes and ex-Brave Kyle Davies) and unproven (Buddy Carlyle) pitchers who have attempted to fill the starting-rotation void that was created during the first week of April, when Hampton learned another left elbow surgery would force him to miss a second consecutive season.
"I know where we'd be in [the National League East] with 10 more wins, and I believe a healthy Mike Hampton at the top of his game could have given us those wins," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. "Not to lay this at Mike's feet, but that was our plan when we put this team together."
Hampton's injury isn't the only one that played a part in the mediocrity that the Braves displayed throughout much of the season. Things might have certainly been different had Jones, Edgar Renteria and Mike Gonzalez avoided the injury bug.
But when Hampton learned he had a torn flexor tendon that required season-ending surgery on April 9, it's safe to say the Braves were dealt a blow from which they never truly recovered.
Instead of enjoying the luxury of having three former 20-game winners in their rotation, the Braves found themselves watching Tim Hudson and John Smoltz provide the only form of consistency that they realize from their starting pitchers.
"This year, I know I was counted on to be one of the main guys in the rotation," Hampton said. "It was set up in the rotation, and I was on schedule. So I kind of put the Braves behind the eight ball, because I was ready to go, and then all of the sudden, I have another surgery."
How Hampton could endure the grueling rehab required after Tommy John surgery and still manage to tear the flexor tendon remains unknown. The discomfort he felt while throwing in the instructional league in early October last year was initially believed to be caused by scar tissue.
When Hampton had both good and bad days during Spring Training this year, he figured he was following the same frustrating path that many other pitchers had traveled following the common ligament-replacement surgery. But after throwing a simulated inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia less than 24 hours before Opening Day, the veteran southpaw knew something was certainly wrong. A little more than a week later, Hampton found himself undergoing another surgery.
"I didn't take any shortcuts or miss any steps," Hampton said. "I did everything I was asked to come back healthy, and [the Tommy John surgery] just didn't take. It just wasn't meant to be. Hopefully this last surgery will be the last one that I have, and I can come back to help this team win a World Series."


"This year, I know I was counted on to be one of the main guys in the rotation. It was set up in the rotation, and I was on schedule. So I kind of put the Braves behind the eight ball, because I was ready to go, and then all of the sudden, I have another surgery." -- Mike Hampton, on his lost season
Any team that has hopes of reaching the World Series obviously needs some stability in its rotation. While watching Hudson and Smoltz combine to go 28-15 with a 3.17 ERA and the rest of their starters go 24-37 with a 5.64 ERA, it's safe to say that the Braves have been burdened by the back end of their rotation.
Before Mark Redman proved to be an uninspired addition, it looked like he might be a nice band-aid in Hampton's absence. After that project crashed, Schuerholz said he diligently attempted to land a "big name" starting pitcher via the trade market. Schuerholz said he was negotiating potential deals that would have provided a splash as big as the one he created on July 31, when he landed first baseman Mark Teixeira from the Rangers.
When this offseason arrives, Schuerholz will once again scour the trade market for a proven veteran pitcher. Given the fact that Hampton hasn't pitched on a consistent basis since May 2005 and hasn't appeared in a big league game since August of that year, there truly is no way for the Braves to predict what he'll provide in 2008.
"None of us really know," Schuerholz said. "We want to believe, as does Mike. But none of us really truly knows what he'll be able to do. My instincts say he'll be a rock-solid starter for us if he's healthy."
Hampton hopes to find a team that will allow him to test himself in winter ball. His hope is to be pitching somewhere when November arrives. The southpaw must prove to himself and the Braves where he stands, as Hampton enters the final year of the much-publicized eight-year, $121 million contract that he signed with the Rockies before the 2001 season.
Given that Hampton struggled for two years in Colorado and really only had two productive years in Atlanta before his elbow problems began, Hampton fully understands that it will be remembered as one of the worst contracts given to a professional athlete.
But Hampton said proving his worth according to the contact won't be a concern in 2008. His desire to return has been fueled by the fact that he's simply tired of being a spectator.
"Being on the [disabled list] for two years in a row, it's almost like retirement, and I know I'm not ready to quit," Hampton said. "I miss competing. I miss the butterflies before a start. I miss the crowd cheering, whether it's good or bad. I miss the high-fives with the guys. There's just so much that goes on in this game that you just miss. It's stuff before all this happened that I just took for granted."
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