Current Contract
Contract renewable though 2012.

Became a Cardinal
Selected in the supplemental second round (76th overall) of the June, 2006 First-Year Player Draft as compensation for the Phillies' signing of free agent Abraham Nunez. Received a $465,000 signing bonus.

2008 Season
Hamilton only managed to play in 70 games this past season, hitting .241 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs. Mark was dealing with what was being described as light-headedness in May, before a hand injury cut his season short in July.

2007 Season
Hamilton began the year in Palm Beach and was a Florida State League All-Star, hitting .290/.348/.520 with 13 home runs and 49 RBI in 60 games. The Cards promoted him to Springfield, which proved a little tougher. He did produce some magic in the Cardinals' postseason. Hamilton hit three home runs and drove in seven as Springfield swept Tulsa in the first round of the Texas League playoffs. Hamilton hit .250/.318/.383 in 68 games at Springfield. The left-handed hitter with plus-power did finish the season with 19 home runs and an organization-leading 90 RBIs before being invited to play in the Arizona Fall League. In 15 games in the AFL he hit only .171, but he had an on-base-percentage of .370 (about 40 points above average) because he took 13 bases-on-balls in just 41 at-bats.

2006 Season
Hamilton hit .258 with 11 home runs and 49 RBI, combined between short-season Class A State College and low Class A Quad Cities.

Career Notes
In 2007 his 90 total RBIs were tops among all Cardinals farmhands. In 2006 he tied for the NYPL home run title despite just playing 30 games there.

Player Awards
Birdhouse Top 40 Prospect 2008: #12
Birdhouse Top 40 Prospect 2007: #18
Cardinals MiLB Player of the Year 2008
Cardinals MiLB Player of the Month August 2008
FSL Mid-Season All-Star 2008
FSL Mid-Season All-Star 2007
Texas League Player of the Week August 24, 2008
Two-time FSL Player of the Week 2007

Photo: St. Louis Cardinals