University of Georgia Athletics
Former Bulldogs Woods, Hammock Connect With Curve
August 06, 2024 | Baseball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
On July 26, Jaden Woods took the mound in the ninth inning for the Altoona Curve and did what every closer wants to do. The former Georgia left-hander struck out the side, sealing a 3-1 win for the Pittsburgh Pirates Double-A affiliate over the Erie SeaWolves.
Among those waiting to congratulate him afterward was another former Bulldog, Curve manager Robby Hammock. Their final seasons at Georgia were 25 years apart — Hammock in 1998, Woods in 2023 — but they have a few things in common. Both were Bulldogs, both were born in Macon, Ga., but mostly grew up elsewhere, and both are working hard to be successful now and one day move up to the big leagues.
"When I first got up here, we exchanged stories and everything like that," said Woods, who appeared in 52 games over three seasons at Georgia, striking out 195 and walking 82. "It was a good way to connect and start to get to know each other."
As a 6-foot-2, 205-pound lefty whose fastball can get into the mid-to-upper 90s, Woods' future is potentially very bright. He's going through the normal ups and downs in the minors while also working his way up the Pirates organization. A year ago, he was assigned to the Bradenton Marauders (Single-A). In April, after spring training, he was assigned to the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. In 25.1 innings pitched with the Grasshoppers, he struck out 31, walked 11 and allowed just six earned runs.
On June 21, Woods was promoted to the Double-A Curve, where he met Hammock, a baseball man through and through. Woods hadn't heard of Altoona, Pa., before being drafted by the Pirates and learning about the organization. He said he wasn't finding all that much to do there, but that has been a good thing.
"I kind of like that scenario," Woods said. "It forces you to focus on what you need to focus on."
Hammock graduated from South Cobb High School in Austell, Ga., and played two seasons at Dekalb College before transferring to Georgia for the 1998 season. He started all 54 games, mostly at catcher, and batted .322. He led the Bulldogs in hits, shared the lead in RBIs and was second in home runs.
When asked if any one game from his season at Georgia stands out, Hammock paused, laughed, and then tried to come up with one. The man has been involved in more than a thousand games since then, first as a player and later, starting in 2012, as a coach or manager, so it's not a huge surprise that what happened 26 years ago isn't exactly fresh in his mind.
Other things can't help but stick.
"The stuff I remember most is the locker room stuff, especially one of my buddies breakdancing naked in the shower. You get to college and people start doing crazy stuff," he said with a big laugh.
Hammock did have some memorable games, of course. He drove in seven runs during the season-opening win over UNC-Asheville. He later hit two home runs and drove in six in a blowout win over Georgia Tech. Hearing about that one did trigger a memory or two.
"I think one of my home runs went off the scoreboard," he said.
Drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 23rd round in 1998, Hammock played professionally for 14 seasons. He was with the Diamondbacks in 2003-04, 2006-08, and in 2011. Hammock played in 182 games for Arizona, batting .254 with 12 home runs. One game out of those 182 stands out from the rest.
Twenty years ago, on May 18, 2004, Hammock caught Randy Johnson's perfect game in Atlanta, a 2-0 Arizona win. Johnson struck out 13 batters in the game, throwing 87 strikes out of 117 pitches.
"It was pretty interesting, especially because it was in Atlanta and there were a lot of people I knew there," Hammock said. "It was pretty remarkable."
Hammock retired following the 2011 season, jumping straight into coaching. His first managerial position came with the Single-A Advanced Visalia Rawhide in 2014. In 2016, the Diamondbacks named Hammock to their staff as the quality control/catching coach, a position he held for five seasons. He spent the 2022 season as the bench coach in El Paso, with the San Diego Padres' Triple-A affiliate. In 2023, Hammock managed the Grasshoppers, and this is his first season managing the Curve.
An excellent all-around athlete, Woods didn't start playing baseball until he got to Houston County High School in Warner Robins. Lacrosse had been his spring sport before, but his new school didn't have a team. Encouraged to give baseball a try, he took to it quickly as a freshman and was on the varsity squad as a sophomore.
Woods had only been playing four years when he got to Georgia, and one of those years was largely wiped out by the pandemic, but he said never felt like he had to catch up with those around him despite playing a fraction of the games his teammates did before college.
"I just worked hard and always believed in myself," Woods said.
For Hammock, Woods' late start and quick rise comes with one big positive.
"The fact that he didn't start playing until high school means he's got a younger arm than other people, so that plays in his favor," Hammock said. "He's learning some things and he's taken some lumps, but he hasn't let that affect him."
After the 2023 Georgia baseball season, Woods was selected in the seventh round by the Pirates — just like he planned. Woods came to Georgia expecting to play three seasons and then get drafted, which is why he worked hard to graduate in three years with a degree in Sport Management.
"One thing my parents taught me school-wise was, you never know when you're going to play your last out of baseball," Woods said. "When you have your degree, no one can take that from you, and you know that can open up a lot of opportunities, as well."
Now, degree in hand, Woods trying to make the most of every opportunity that comes his way in baseball. And another former Bulldog is there to help him get where he wants to go.
"He's looked really good. He's had a couple of outings where you watch him and you're like, that's big-league stuff," Hammock said. "If he's able to maintain that consistently, we'll 100% see him as a major-league pitcher. ...
"There's a path (to the majors) there. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel for him. He was just drafted last year and he's already in Double-A, so that says a lot."
Staff Writer
On July 26, Jaden Woods took the mound in the ninth inning for the Altoona Curve and did what every closer wants to do. The former Georgia left-hander struck out the side, sealing a 3-1 win for the Pittsburgh Pirates Double-A affiliate over the Erie SeaWolves.
Among those waiting to congratulate him afterward was another former Bulldog, Curve manager Robby Hammock. Their final seasons at Georgia were 25 years apart — Hammock in 1998, Woods in 2023 — but they have a few things in common. Both were Bulldogs, both were born in Macon, Ga., but mostly grew up elsewhere, and both are working hard to be successful now and one day move up to the big leagues.
"When I first got up here, we exchanged stories and everything like that," said Woods, who appeared in 52 games over three seasons at Georgia, striking out 195 and walking 82. "It was a good way to connect and start to get to know each other."
As a 6-foot-2, 205-pound lefty whose fastball can get into the mid-to-upper 90s, Woods' future is potentially very bright. He's going through the normal ups and downs in the minors while also working his way up the Pirates organization. A year ago, he was assigned to the Bradenton Marauders (Single-A). In April, after spring training, he was assigned to the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. In 25.1 innings pitched with the Grasshoppers, he struck out 31, walked 11 and allowed just six earned runs.
On June 21, Woods was promoted to the Double-A Curve, where he met Hammock, a baseball man through and through. Woods hadn't heard of Altoona, Pa., before being drafted by the Pirates and learning about the organization. He said he wasn't finding all that much to do there, but that has been a good thing.
"I kind of like that scenario," Woods said. "It forces you to focus on what you need to focus on."
Hammock graduated from South Cobb High School in Austell, Ga., and played two seasons at Dekalb College before transferring to Georgia for the 1998 season. He started all 54 games, mostly at catcher, and batted .322. He led the Bulldogs in hits, shared the lead in RBIs and was second in home runs.
When asked if any one game from his season at Georgia stands out, Hammock paused, laughed, and then tried to come up with one. The man has been involved in more than a thousand games since then, first as a player and later, starting in 2012, as a coach or manager, so it's not a huge surprise that what happened 26 years ago isn't exactly fresh in his mind.
Other things can't help but stick.
"The stuff I remember most is the locker room stuff, especially one of my buddies breakdancing naked in the shower. You get to college and people start doing crazy stuff," he said with a big laugh.
Hammock did have some memorable games, of course. He drove in seven runs during the season-opening win over UNC-Asheville. He later hit two home runs and drove in six in a blowout win over Georgia Tech. Hearing about that one did trigger a memory or two.
"I think one of my home runs went off the scoreboard," he said.
Drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 23rd round in 1998, Hammock played professionally for 14 seasons. He was with the Diamondbacks in 2003-04, 2006-08, and in 2011. Hammock played in 182 games for Arizona, batting .254 with 12 home runs. One game out of those 182 stands out from the rest.
Twenty years ago, on May 18, 2004, Hammock caught Randy Johnson's perfect game in Atlanta, a 2-0 Arizona win. Johnson struck out 13 batters in the game, throwing 87 strikes out of 117 pitches.
"It was pretty interesting, especially because it was in Atlanta and there were a lot of people I knew there," Hammock said. "It was pretty remarkable."
Hammock retired following the 2011 season, jumping straight into coaching. His first managerial position came with the Single-A Advanced Visalia Rawhide in 2014. In 2016, the Diamondbacks named Hammock to their staff as the quality control/catching coach, a position he held for five seasons. He spent the 2022 season as the bench coach in El Paso, with the San Diego Padres' Triple-A affiliate. In 2023, Hammock managed the Grasshoppers, and this is his first season managing the Curve.
An excellent all-around athlete, Woods didn't start playing baseball until he got to Houston County High School in Warner Robins. Lacrosse had been his spring sport before, but his new school didn't have a team. Encouraged to give baseball a try, he took to it quickly as a freshman and was on the varsity squad as a sophomore.
Woods had only been playing four years when he got to Georgia, and one of those years was largely wiped out by the pandemic, but he said never felt like he had to catch up with those around him despite playing a fraction of the games his teammates did before college.
"I just worked hard and always believed in myself," Woods said.
For Hammock, Woods' late start and quick rise comes with one big positive.
"The fact that he didn't start playing until high school means he's got a younger arm than other people, so that plays in his favor," Hammock said. "He's learning some things and he's taken some lumps, but he hasn't let that affect him."
After the 2023 Georgia baseball season, Woods was selected in the seventh round by the Pirates — just like he planned. Woods came to Georgia expecting to play three seasons and then get drafted, which is why he worked hard to graduate in three years with a degree in Sport Management.
"One thing my parents taught me school-wise was, you never know when you're going to play your last out of baseball," Woods said. "When you have your degree, no one can take that from you, and you know that can open up a lot of opportunities, as well."
Now, degree in hand, Woods trying to make the most of every opportunity that comes his way in baseball. And another former Bulldog is there to help him get where he wants to go.
"He's looked really good. He's had a couple of outings where you watch him and you're like, that's big-league stuff," Hammock said. "If he's able to maintain that consistently, we'll 100% see him as a major-league pitcher. ...
"There's a path (to the majors) there. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel for him. He was just drafted last year and he's already in Double-A, so that says a lot."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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