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The MLB Draft giveth and taketh away from the NY Mets after losing Mike Hampton

It's an ironic twist in Mets history.
ByTim Boyle|
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April 24, 2008; Washington, DC, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Aaron Heilman (48) stands on the mound after giving up a single to Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (not pictured) in the sixth inning at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
April 24, 2008; Washington, DC, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Aaron Heilman (48) stands on the mound after giving up a single to Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (not pictured) in the sixth inning at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

Mike Hampton is best known for two things during his year with the New York Mets. One is his 16 shutout innings in the NLCS. The other is the Denver school district.

One year and he was gone for the sake of the children, he became known in Mets lore as the guy whose departure handed the Mets a draft pick they’d later use on David Wright. Not a bad compensatory pick, eh?

Back in 2001 when this happened, the Mets actually gained another draft pick. In true giveth and taketh away fashion, the 18th overall pick which they gained from the Colorado Rockies went to one of the guys responsible for blowing the 2006 NLCS, Aaron Heilman.

The scales of injustice showed up in the 2001 MLB Draft for the Mets

Heilman was not a bad Mets pitcher. When he shifted to a relief role, he was pretty good. A lot of the numbers don’t hold up incredibly well because he wasn’t a true strikeout artist. ERAs ranking from 3.03-3.62 from 2005-2007 contain enough evidence of his credibility.

We don’t always remember a pitcher for their sample over the course of their careers. Heilman is best remembered for the exact opposite reason as Endy Chavez and on the same night. With one out in a 1-1 game in the top of the 9th, Heilman served one up to Yadier Molina. The two-run home run created a new generation’s Mike Scioscia. Yet another catcher homered against the Mets to spoil the club’s chance at a championship.

Heilman bounced back well in the 2007 regular season, but the lasting impression wasn’t getting removed. Although it’s Carlos Beltran standing at home plate with the bat on his shoulder for the final strike called against him that has become the Bill Buckner moment, Heilman’s home run is the Bob Stanley wild pitch. One bad moment cannot happen without the other.

How Heilman ended up with the Mets, in the same draft as franchise icon Wright via free agent loss of Hampton, is what makes this Greek tragedy of sorts. The Hampton loss gave the Mets maybe the only player more popular in franchise history than Tom Seaver. It also handed over a pitcher who would've been just a solid arm, but became the representative of something worse.

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