Hammond comes out of retirement to pitch for his kids

ATLANTA - Chris Hammond wasn&#39;t one of those ex-players who missed the game. <br> <br> After packing up his uniform and glove, he basically ignored baseball for two-and-one-half years. Instead, he hunted and fished and went horseback riding. He helped take care of his three kids. He started making some progress on his wife&#39;s lengthy ``honey-do&#39;&#39; list. <br> <br> In the mornings, Hammond would get up at sunrise, pour himself a cup of coffee and look out over the lake at his timber farm in rural Alabama, alone with his thoughts until the rest of the family woke up. He called it, ``My time.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> His wife, Lynne, said, ``It was like he never played. I figured it was really, really over.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Well, it wasn&#39;t. Hammond and his wife talked about the future, mostly about the three young children -- Andy, now five; Jake, three; and Alex, two -- who might never remember their dad was a pitcher in his former life. <br> <br> So, he came back to the game determined to create a new set of memories. And this year, at age 36, Hammond capped his improbable comeback by earning a spot in the Atlanta Braves bullpen. <br> <br> He said, ``The kids are having a great time. They can watch me give up four home runs in a game and they say, &#39;Way to go, dad!&#39; You have to start laughing about it. You can&#39;t let this game bother your family life. That&#39;s what makes it fun again.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> With the Braves, Hammond is being used in the thankless job of long relief. He pitched well in his first nine appearances, going 0-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 15 and two-thirds innings. <br> <br> The Braves are a perfect fit, allowing Hammond to remain a homebody even while he pitches in the big league. He still lives at his Southpaw Ranch, a 218-acre spread where he gets to sleep in his own bed and doesn&#39;t mind enduring the 90-minute commute to Turner Field.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/5/195108