Former Philadelphia Phillies star Cole Hamels is holding a showcase for interested MLB teams on Friday as he attempts to make a comeback.
Cole Hamels #35 of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /
The Philadelphia Phillies clinched their second World Series in franchise history on October 29, 2008. Cole Hamels, a 24-year-old lefthander in just his third MLB season, was named the MVP after two stellar performances in the series. He finished the postseason with an astounding 4-0 record and a 1.80 ERA.
Hamels spent his first 10 seasons in Philadelphia, compiling a 114-90 record and a 3.30 ERA. He is sixth in franchise history in wins and innings pitched and third in strikeouts. He won more games at Citizens Bank Park than any other pitcher.
Hamels will reportedly be looking to sign with a major league team for the remainder of the 2021 season, and the Phillies are among the teams sending representatives to his showcase workout in Texas on Friday. The Phillies enter the second half on a hot streak, and they might be looking to add depth to complement Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Zach Eflin in their starting rotation.
The nostalgia of Hamels’ best performances should be reason enough for an organization that’s shown a tendency to prioritize moves that please the fan base. A Philadelphia fanbase starved for hope deserves to celebrate a franchise hero whose best moments came in some of the biggest spots of the most recent era of Phillies postseason baseball.
6. Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves: September 20, 2010
The 2010 Phillies got off to a slow start in the first half of the season. Speculation even swirled about the possibility of selling off impending free agent Jayson Werth at the trade deadline as the Phillies lingered behind a surprising Braves team.
The acquisition of right-hander Roy Oswalt spurred the Phillies to a second-half tear. The Braves, meanwhile, couldn’t help but look nervously over their shoulders at the back-to-back National League champions.
Manager Charlie Manuel lined up his “three aces” by pushing back Hamels’ start to the first game of a crucial three-game set against Atlanta in September. Hamels came through with eight strong innings, scattering six hits and surrendering only one run. The Phillies swept the Braves and cruised to their fourth consecutive division title.
5. Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds: Game 3, 2010 National League Division Series
The Phillies asserted their dominance over the upstart Reds in the NLDS in 2010 with victories in Games 1 and 2 at Citizens Bank Park. Hamels matched up with the young and promising Johnny Cueto in Game 3 in Cincinnati.
Hamels threw a complete-game shutout in a 2-0 victory. He struck out nine in a dominant performance that capped off a showcase of the Phillies’ outstanding starting rotation.
4. Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs: July 25, 2015
A bad era of Phillies baseball from 2012 onward came after the departure of franchise stars like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins.
Hamels, who was sometimes underappreciated from 2007-2011, came to earn proper recognition later in his tenure in Philadelphia. Fans acknowledged how he brought longevity to the Phillies that more celebrated pitchers such as Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee had not.
However, a deal involving Hamels made too much sense to ignore leading up to the 2015 trade deadline. With a trade imminent, Hamels took the mound in what was all but certain to be his final start with the Phillies.
He went out in style, throwing the only no-hitter of his career. The sendoff was luckily preserved despite a gasp caused by Odúbel Herrera’s stumble in pursuit of a fly ball for the 27th out. This type of emotional accomplishment is fairly rare, considering that most players have no indication of when they will be moving to a new team, but Hamels and the Phillies got to relish the moment on a perfect Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
3. Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Game 5 of the 2008 World Series
This game couldn’t be left off the list, even though Hamels finished with a stat line far from his most impressive work. He was robbed of a chance to be the winning pitcher of the World Series clincher by a suspect decision to continue the game through severe weather.
Hamels pitched five innings of one-run ball before surrendering the tying run in a sixth inning that should’ve never taken place prior to the infamous two-day rain delay. He still won the MVP honors he deserved, despite earning the no-decision.
2. Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Game 1 of the 2008 World Series
The Phillies were able to line up Hamels, the NLCS MVP, to pitch Game 1 by cruising to a victory in five games over the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch the NL pennant.
A two-run homer by Utley in the top half of the first gave Hamels a lead before he took the mound in Tampa. Despite allowing one run in the fourth and another in the fifth, he recovered to make it through seven. Handing it off to Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge had become almost automatic by that point, and the Phillies took Game 1 on the road by a score of 3-2.
1. Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS
The Phillies were swept out of the 2007 postseason by the Colorado Rockies in the NLDS. Hamels was solid in his only start in the series, but the overall lackluster effort from the team needed to be corrected immediately entering the 2008 postseason.
Hamels dominated the Brewers in Game 1 to announce that the Phillies wouldn’t go quietly again. He pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out nine. The victory seemed even bigger considering that the red-hot C.C. Sabathia loomed for Milwaukee in Game 2.
The win kickstarted the greatest individual pitching performance in a single postseason in the history of the franchise.
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