Cole Hamels will get a chance to pitch in his hometown
Hollywood Hamels will be representing the Texas Rangers in San Diego next week at the All-Star game, joining the Phillies lone representative Odubel Herrera.
Did they just become best friends? Yup!
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 5, 2016
Congrats to @IDesmond20 & @ColeHamels being named to the AL All-Star team! pic.twitter.com/pLyQISNf78
The 32-year-old is 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA for the Texas Rangers this year after being traded at the deadline by the Phillies. He has 105 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings for Texas this season as he leads their injured starting rotation towards the All-Star break with the best record in the American League.
Phillies former General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. (that feels so good to say) sent Hamels and Jake Diekman to Texas last season for Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, and Matt Harrison. Eickhoff is in the Phillies starting rotation, and has the looks of a solid fourth starter going forward in the rebuild.
Matt Harrison was more of a salary dump by Texas, as he is on the disabled list with a back injury. Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams are amongst the top 10 Phillies prospects, can all have the potential to be at the major league level by sometime next year.
Alec Asher made his major league debut for the Phillies last year, but was suspended in 2016 for PED usage.
Cole Hamels was the Phillies first round pick in the 2002 MLB Draft and made his major league debut for the club in May of 2006. He was a part of five consecutive National League East championships during his time in Philadelphia, as well as back-to-back World Series appearances.
In just 10 years with the Phillies, Hamels finished sixth in wins (114) and pitched over 1,900 innings. He finished his Phillies career with a 3.30 ERA, and had 1,844 strikeouts, good for third most in franchise history. Only three pitchers in the history of the franchise have started more games than him.
The young lefty also earned NL Championship and World Series MVP honors during the 2008 championship season.
Hamels was also a part of two no-hitters during his 10 year tenure in Philadelphia; a combined no-hitter against the Marlins in 2014, and a no-hitter in his final game with the Phillies against the Cubs last season.
The MLB All-Star Game will be played on July 12 on Fox, live from San Diego, California.