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#WNSTSweet16 Orioles Who Didn’t Live Up To The Hype

Nestor Aparicio

Baltimore Positive is the vision and the creative extension of four decades of sharing the love of local sports for this Dundalk native and University of Baltimore grad, who began his career as a sportswriter and music critic at The News American and The Baltimore Sun in the mid-1980s. Launched radio career in December 1991 with Kenny Albert after covering the AHL Skipjacks. Bought WNST-AM 1570 in July 1998, created WNST.net in 2007 and began diversifying conversations on radio, podcast and social media as Baltimore Positive in 2016. nes@baltimorepositive.com

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2. Jeffrey Hammonds

The Stanford product was the fourth overall selection of the 1992 draft and considered a rare five-tool player with the unlimited potential to be the next great Oriole.

After ascending to the majors in a little over a year after being drafted, Hammonds electrified Camden Yards with an RBI single in his first major league at-bat and homered in his first start the next night, but a neck injury would end his rookie 1993 season prematurely. Unfortunately, physical ailments would continue for Hammonds as he would flash his talents but only played more than 71 games in a season once for the Orioles when he hit 21 home runs in 118 games during the 1997 campaign.

Hammonds would be traded in 1998 and have an All-Star season for Colorado in 2000, but poor health limited his potential to be a great all-around player as he finished his run in Baltimore with a .264 average in 1,349 at-bats over six seasons. And the injuries would continue throughout his career as he’d finish with just 110 career homers in 13 years.