Charlton Atlee Hammaker (born January 24, 1958 in Carmel, California) is a former Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 left-handed pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 who played the majority of his career for the San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

 from 1982 to 1990. He also played for the Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...

, San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...

, and Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

. During his 12-year career, he won 59 games, lost 67 games and netted five saves.

Early life

Hammaker was born in Carmel, California on January 24, 1958. He is the son of Charles and Myiake Hammaker. He has one older brother (Aldine) and younger sister (Charlene), making him the middle child of three. He is half Japanese and half German. Hammaker grew up living in many different locations due to his dad being in the Army. He attended Mount Vernon High School (Alexandria, Virginia) in Fairfax County, Virginia, where he played basketball, football and baseball. After suffering a knee injury in football his sophomore year he began putting all his focus into basketball. He received a full scholarship to East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...

 (ETSU) for basketball. After being talked to and convinced by the coaches at ETSU he decided to change his focus over to baseball. He attended a summer league in Alaska and then from there was chosen in the number one draft pick to pitch for the Kansas City Royals.

Career

In 1983, his best season, he led the National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 in ERA

Earned run average

In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...

 (2.25), WHIP

Walks plus hits per inning pitched

In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...

 (1.039), BB/9IP (1.67), and strikeout

Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

 to walk

Base on balls

A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...

 ratio (3.97). He won 10, lost 9, and made the National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 All-Star

All-star

All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...

 team.

1983 All-Star Game

Hammaker made the National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 All-Star team in 1983

1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

The 1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 54th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 6, 1983, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the...

, but did not fare well, surrendering seven earned runs in 2/3 of an inning, including the first-ever and still-only grand slam in All-Star Game history to Fred Lynn

Fred Lynn

Fredric Michael "Fred" Lynn is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres .Fred Lynn was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in and to the College Baseball Hall of Fame...

.

1987 NLCS

Hammaker in San Francisco

1987 San Francisco Giants season

The 1987 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 90 wins and 72 losses. They lost the National League Championship Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.-Offseason:...

 gave up a 3-run homer

Home run

In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

 to José Oquendo

José Oquendo

José Manuel Roberto Guillermo Oquendo Contreras is a former Major League Baseball infielder and the current third base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...

, in Game 7 of the 1987 NLCS

1987 National League Championship Series

- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 6, 1987 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Giants struck first on an RBI groundout by Candy Maldonado, but the Cardinals tied it in the third on Vince Coleman's RBI single...

, which the Cardinals

1987 St. Louis Cardinals season

The 1987 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 106th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 96th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and finished first in the National League East Division for the third and last time before moving to the NL Central in 1994....

 won 6-0 to advance to the World Series

1987 World Series

The 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game...

. Oquendo was a utility infielder who had hit only one homer that season, and only 14 in his career.

Personal life

Hammaker is married and lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife Virginia (Jen). They met in college and decided to get married at age 20. They now have 5 daughters and have been together over 30 years. Since retired from baseball Atlee has turned his focus towards his family. He currently helps coach his daughter's high school basketball team, owns a few small businesses and gives pitching lessons. His eldest daughter, Erica, is married and living in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband. His second oldest daughter, Jenna, is now in college at the University of Tennessee. Middle daughter Alesa attends Berry College in Rome, Georgia, where she is also part of the Lady Vikings Basketball team. His youngest daughters Christa and Anna are both still at home finishing up school.

External links

• 1983 All Star Game box score