Hampton done for 2005, 2006

[General]

NEW YORK — Mike Hampton is done for this season and the next one, too.

The Braves left-hander said Friday he'll have reconstructive elbow surgery, as expected. The Braves had said Thursday that a New York doctor's examination of the elbow confirmed their own doctor's diagnosis: ligament damage.

Hampton's targeted return date of spring training 2007, however, was mildly surprising. He and the Braves have ruled out trying to pitch late next season.

There was some speculation he could possibly pitch in 10-12 months, but Hampton and team officials agreed he shouldn't rush his return. They've seen too many other pitchers run into difficulties when trying to get back too quickly.

"There's no sense in pitching, like, in September," manager Bobby Cox said. "That would be crazy to push it. The smart thing is to go ahead and take the [extra] months, and be ready for the next spring."

Hampton, 32, will have the surgery in a week or two with Dr. David Altchek, the New York orthopedist and Mets physician who examined him on Thursday.

After viewing a previous MRI exam and checking out Hampton, Altchek agreed with Braves doctor Joe Chandler that there was damage to the ulnar collateral ligament. He recommended elbow ligament-transplant surgery.

"He just felt that was my best option," said Hampton, who was 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA in 12 starts this season and had four DL stints for forearm tightness — the doctors said that was caused by the ligament — and a herniated disc.

"It's something that's tough to swallow, but something that needs to be done," Hampton said. "It's just going to be sitting out a year and watching. It's going to give me a chance to see if I like retirement or not."

To be clear, Hampton wasn't talking about retiring now. He's signed through 2008 and owed $43 million over 2005-08 seasons, part of which will be paid by an insurance policy the Braves have for any time he spends on the DL.

"No, I'm still relatively young, even though my body tells me I'm not," said Hampton, who has a 138-101 career record and 3.97 ERA, highlighted by a 22-4 season with Houston in 1999 and 13 or more wins in four of the next five.

Because the Braves and Hampton have agreed he won't try to return next season, he said he'll be able to work hard next year to get his entire body fully recovered from various ailments, including a recurring knee problem.

He'll address the knee issue sometime next year. If he needs another surgery for that, he'll get it. The back problem, he said, is something he'll have to stay on top of through exercise and stretching, but not through surgery.

Hampton said his goal is to return with no physical concerns for the last two years of his contract in 2007-08, when he'll make $14.5 million and $15 million.

[Kingdom]

ATLien pointed this out, once.

[Lynch]

Visions of Joe Mays come to mind.

[ATLien]

I want my refund.

[General]

Thank God for insurance.

[Kingdom]

Visions of Joe Mays come to mind.

aka nightmares