Robert James Hamelin (/ˈhæmlɪn/; born November 29, 1967) is an American former first baseman and designated hitter who played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Kansas City Royals.
[4] Hamelin won the 1994 AL Rookie of the Year Award as a member of the Kansas City Royals, when he posted a .282 batting average and hit 24 home runs (earning him the nickname "the hammer") with 65 RBIs during the strike-shortened season.
Hamelin abruptly quit his professional baseball career while playing in the minor leagues for the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers AAA Team) in 1999.
After grounding out, he went back to the dugout and told manager Gene Roof, "I'm done", ending his professional baseball career as a player.
[9] In 2019, Hamelin and a collection of his baseball cards were featured in the first episode of SB Nation's two part series "The Bob Emergency", narrated by Jon Bois.