Joey Hamilton

Johns Joseph Hamilton (born September 9, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played professionally for nine seasons, recording a 74–73 win–loss record, a 4.44 earned run average (ERA) and 894 strikeouts. He attended Statesboro High School in Georgia. Following high school, Hamilton attended Georgia Southern University for three years.

He started his professional career in 1991 when he was drafted by the San Diego Padres, and pitched for three major league teams during his career. As a rookie with San Diego in 1994 he finished fifth in the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award voting for the National League. Following the 1998 season, San Diego traded Hamilton to the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2001, after two seasons with the Blue Jays, he was released. Hamilton signed with the Cincinnati Reds shortly afterward. Hamilton had stints in training camps and the minor leagues with some of the Padres and Reds affiliates. In March 2005, two days after signing with the New York Mets, the team released him.