Chris Hammond Autographed 1996 Donruss #98 Florida Marlins Card

The 1996 Donruss #98 Chris Hammond features the veteran left-handed pitcher with the Florida Marlins during his fourth season with the franchise. Personally autographed by Hammond, this card represents another chapter in an extensive run of Marlins issues from one of the original pitchers selected to help build the expansion club.

The 1996 Donruss Baseball set reflects the changing appearance of mainstream cards during the mid-1990s. Donruss had moved well beyond the bordered designs of its 1980s releases, using a more modern, photography-driven presentation and premium touches that gave the annual set a contemporary feel.

Hammond's #98 is particularly useful to player collectors because it extends his Donruss run beyond the 1995 Donruss #428 and into the latter portion of his Florida tenure. By this point, Hammond had appeared on Marlins cards across virtually every major brand, making his career an excellent example of the enormous variety available to player collectors during the 1990s.

Hammond had been part of the Florida Marlins organization from the very beginning. The club selected him from Cincinnati in the 1992 MLB Expansion Draft, bringing an experienced left-handed starter to a roster being constructed entirely from scratch.

He quickly became one of the most successful pitchers on the inaugural club. In 1993, Hammond made 32 starts and finished 15-12, with his 15 victories leading the first Florida Marlins team. The win total also established the single-season high of his Major League career.

By the time this 1996 Donruss card was issued, Hammond was an established veteran of the Florida rotation. He would ultimately spend five seasons with the Marlins from 1993 through 1997, giving him one of the longer tenures among pitchers from the franchise's earliest years.

Hammond originally entered professional baseball when the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the sixth round of the 1986 MLB Draft out of the University of Alabama. He developed through the Reds' minor league system before making his Major League debut on July 16, 1990.

Although much of Hammond's early career was spent as a starter, his career eventually took an extraordinary second turn. After spending three seasons outside the Major Leagues, he returned with the Atlanta Braves in 2002 at age 36 and reinvented himself as a reliever.

The comeback was spectacular. Hammond appeared in 63 games for Atlanta, finishing 7-2 with a 0.95 ERA while allowing only seven earned runs in 76 innings. The performance revitalized his career and led to four more Major League seasons.

Hammond eventually pitched parts of 14 Major League seasons for the Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres. His career stretched from a 1990 debut through 2006 and included successful periods as both a starting pitcher and reliever.

Card Details:

• Player: Chris Hammond
• Team: Florida Marlins
• Year: 1996
• Manufacturer: Donruss
• Set: Donruss Baseball
• Card Number: #98
• Classic 1996 Donruss baseball issue
• Photography-driven mid-1990s Donruss presentation
• Represents Hammond during his fourth season with Florida
• Continues his Donruss run following 1995 Donruss #428
• Excellent addition to a year-by-year Chris Hammond collection
• Card dates from the latter portion of Hammond's five-season Marlins tenure
• Early Florida Marlins collectible
• Selected by Florida in the 1992 MLB Expansion Draft
• One of the original players assembled for the expansion franchise
• Made 32 starts during Florida's inaugural 1993 season
• Finished 15-12 in 1993
• Led the inaugural Florida Marlins with 15 victories
• 15 wins established Hammond's Major League career high
• Played for Florida from 1993 through 1997
• Cincinnati Reds sixth-round selection in the 1986 MLB Draft
• Former University of Alabama pitcher
• Made his Major League debut on July 16, 1990
• Returned to the Major Leagues with Atlanta at age 36 in 2002
• Posted a remarkable 7-2 record and 0.95 ERA in 63 appearances
• Allowed only seven earned runs in 76 innings during his comeback season
• Pitched parts of 14 Major League seasons
• Played for seven Major League organizations
• Personally autographed
• Condition: NM-MT or better

Authentication: Signature obtained through a private signing conducted by Under the Radar Sports Promotions and guaranteed to pass any third-party authentication service.

As Hammond's regular 1996 Donruss #98, this signed card provides another important year in his extensive Florida Marlins run and helps document the career of an original Marlin whose remarkable longevity eventually carried him from expansion-era starter to dominant late-career reliever.