Two-time All-Star Mike Hampton retires

After allowing 12 runs on 18 hits and 11 walks over 9 2/3 innings as a non-roster invitee with the Diamondbacks this spring, veteran left-hander Mike Hampton has decided to retire.

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Hampton told Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson on Thursday that he was leaning towards retirement. He returned to camp this morning to inform them of his decision.

“It just wasn’t there,” Hampton said. “In fairness to them and fairness to myself I’m just done. It’s not a decision that’s easy to make. It’s not one you make overnight. It had been two weeks that different thoughts have been creeping in my head. Then all of the sudden I felt, I think this is going to be it.”

Hampton, 38, has been limited to just 56 games since the start of the 2005 season due to a laundry list of injuries. He returned from rotator cuff surgery to toss 4 1/3 scoreless innings with the Diamondbacks last September. Besides all of the injuries, we’ll probably remember Hampton best for an eight-year, $121 million contract that is considered one of the biggest free agent blunders in baseball history.

“It’s unfortunate,” Hampton said. “I’ve thought about it quite a bit. Shoot, when I sign a big contract, I want to be underpaid, not overpaid. Even though I wasn’t as successful as I would have liked to have been, it wasn’t from a lack of trying or lack of work or lack of want. I did everything in my power to be on the field and help my team win a World Series. I can look in the mirror and face the guy looking back and know he’s telling the truth.”

A two-time All-Star, Hampton calls it a career with 148-115 record and a 4.06 ERA over parts of 16 major league seasons with the Astros, Braves, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Mets and Mariners. He earned a Gold Glove Award in 2003, five Silver Slugger Awards and finished second in the NL Cy Young voting in 1999 after going 22-4 with a 2.90 ERA as a member of the Astros.