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Hampton has the look for Game 5

The Crystal River High product is eager to go for the pennant clincher tonight for the Mets.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 16, 2000

NEW YORK -- Mike Hampton doesn't want to look too far ahead.

In fact, tonight's fifth game of the NL Championship Series is far enough.

"I'm looking forward, regardless of the situation, to pitching the game of my life," the Mets left-hander said. "I'm going to be excited about it, and I'll go out there and put it all on the line and do the best I can. "One thing I've never ever had when I walk off the field are regrets about my performance, because I know I left it all out on the field."

Though the Crystal River High product never has doubted his effort, there had been questions about his ability as a big-game pitcher after he failed to win any of his first four post-season starts.

But he silenced those critics with a strong performance in Game 1 of this series in St. Louis, pitching seven shutout innings. And the Mets are hoping there is a carry-over effect.

"I hope it has a very positive impact on him," manager Bobby Valentine said. "I think when you pitch that first playoff game, if you're fortunate enough to win, you don't have a trail. But if you're not as fortunate and you lose and then the next one, the same thing happens, things start mounting.

"So I could see how it would be good to get the first one under your belt so that you're starting fresh."

Valentine stopped short of saying Hampton was pitching with something to prove.

"That's a hard one to tell if that's what makes him pitch his best game, or if it's the weather, or the wife's cooking," he said.

Hampton, who will be a free agent after the season, said after his Game 1 victory that he was relieved, but he said Sunday that it was more a feeling of being "satisfied with the way things went."

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