Hammond Launches Pro Career
by Chance Bryson, Contra Costa Times
June 23, 2005 It's been a long, adversity-filled road, and the next stop for Steve Hammond is Helena, Montana.
Hammond, a 2000 graduate of Alhambra High School who just completed his senior season at Long Beach State, saw his goal of playing professional baseball realized when the Milwaukee Brewers selected the left-handed pitcher in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft on June 7.
"(Playing professionally) was the plan all along," Hammond said in a phone interview on Friday. "I just had deal with a lot of adversity along the way."
After his first season of pitching for Sacramento City College in 2001, Hammond was forced to have surgery on his pitching elbow to remove bone spurs.
"After I came back from that surgery the following season, I started pitching again and continued to have problems with (the elbow)," Hammond said. "(At that point) I almost quit."
Thanks to the constant support of friends and family, Hammond didn't give in. He improved his arm strength and had a solid 2004 season out of the bullpen for Sacramento.
The southpaw then followed that up with a summer league season in the Central Illinois League where he posted a 2.30 ERA and struck out 46 in 45 innings of work as a starter.
Hammond attended Long Beach in the fall and returned to the bullpen where he ranked third on the team with 25 relief appearances. He pitched 24-1/3 innings for the 49ers, compiling a 1-3 record with a 4.07 ERA. Hammond finished the season with 28 strikeouts against only nine walks and caught the eye of several pro scouts.
"I had talked to several people, so I knew I was going to be selected," Hammond said. "I was pretty surprised it was (as early as) the sixth round, though."
Hammond signed a contract and was sent to Helena where he arrived on June 12.
"It's kind of tough to get used to," Hammond said of his Montana surroundings. "I like the (Brewers) organization, and I like all the coaches I've met. Everything has been pretty good so far."
The Helena Brewers are part of the rookie-level Pioneer League and began their season on Tuesday.
Though he was used as a reliever for Long Beach, Hammond may be asked to start at Helena.
"I didn't throw that many innings this (college) season, and a lot of these guys did, so I may be a starter for a little while," Hammond said. "I've done both, and I like it either way." |
