A model of this story initially ran in August 2023.
From placing collectively one of the dominant pitching stretches in postseason historical past to throwing an unforgettable no-hitter in his Phillies finale, Cole Hamels has had no scarcity of marquee moments all through his profession.
1. 2008 postseason
Hamels was named the MVP of each the Nationwide League Championship Collection and the World Collection in 2008 — and, much more superb, his greatest begin that postseason truly got here within the NL Division Collection. The southpaw began his unimaginable postseason run by tossing eight scoreless innings in Sport 1 of the NLDS towards the Brewers. He then began each the opener and clincher within the NLCS towards the Dodgers, permitting simply three runs over 14 innings. Hamels once more began the opener and clincher within the World Collection, limiting the Rays to 4 runs in 13 innings.
All informed, Hamels went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his 5 begins that postseason. He pitched at the very least six innings in every of these 5 outings, and by no means allowed greater than two runs. In doing so, Hamels joined John Smoltz (1996) and Curt Schilling (2001) as the one pitchers in MLB historical past to file 5 begins in a single postseason of at the very least six innings and not more than two runs allowed.
2. Grand exit
When Hamels took the mound at Wrigley Discipline on July 25, 2015, it was no secret that it might probably be his closing begin in a Phillies uniform. One of many final remaining items from the core that had led the membership to back-to-back pennants in ’08 and ‘09, Hamels was a helpful asset on a Phils membership that was within the midst of rebuilding.
Making his 308th profession look in a Philadelphia uniform (together with postseason), Hamels miraculously threw a no-hitter towards a stacked Cubs lineup. He racked up 13 strikeouts on a day when his solely blemishes had been two walks to Dexter Fowler.
Hamels was traded to the Rangers six days later.
3. 2010 NLDS clincher
Full disclosure: This wasn’t even one of the best begin by a Phillies pitcher on this three-game collection. In fact, that honor belongs to Roy Halladay, who tossed his historic no-hitter in Sport 1 of the 2010 NLDS towards the Reds — however Hamels’ outing 4 nights later was a gem in its personal proper. After profitable the primary two video games at dwelling, Hamels took the mound at Nice American Ball Park and dominated Cincinnati over 9 shutout innings. He allowed simply 5 hits whereas hanging out 9 and strolling zero. The lefty put an exclamation level on the collection when he struck out Scott Rolen to finish the sport and ship the Phils to the NLCS.
4. Give a homer, get a homer
Getting into the third inning of a July 21, 2012, recreation towards the Giants, Hamels had by no means allowed a house run to an opposing pitcher and he had by no means hit a house run himself. By the tip of that body, he had executed each.
Within the high of the third, Hamels served up a solo shot to San Francisco starter Matt Cain. Stepping to the plate within the backside half, Hamels jumped all around the first pitch he noticed and despatched it into the right-field seats at Residents Financial institution Park for his first profession dwelling run. Requested if he was attempting to even the rating after serving up a homer to Cain, Hamels stated: “”No, no. Each time I stand up there, I am simply attempting to hit the ball.”
The unlikely sequence marked the primary time that beginning pitchers homered off one another since Could 18, 2002, when Atlanta’s Kevin Millwood and Colorado’s Denny Stark did so at Coors Discipline. It was additionally the primary time a Phillies pitcher each hit a house run and allowed one to an opposing pitcher in the identical recreation since Aug. 18, 1925 (Johnny Sofa towards Cincinnati’s Dolf Luque).
“It was good. You wait lengthy sufficient and hopefully, finally, you’ll be able to have one,” Hamels stated. “The state of affairs that it occurred, I believe that I am going to take pleasure in that greater than something, with giving up the primary dwelling run I’ve ever given as much as a pitcher, then to have the ability to get one.”
5. Immaculate inning
Hamels etched his identify into the file ebook by delivering an immaculate inning within the third body of his Could 17, 2014, begin towards the Reds. That’s proper — 9 pitches, 9 strikes, three strikeouts. Dealing with the Nos. 2-4 hitters in Cincinnati’s order, Hamels made fast work of Zack Cozart, Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier. Cozart took a known as strike and fouled a pitch off earlier than happening swinging. Phillips took a pair of known as strikes earlier than additionally swinging by strike three. Frazier went up hacking, swinging and lacking at three straight pitches to finish the inning simply moments after it started.
6. Racking up the Ok’s
After placing collectively a powerful end to his rookie season in 2006, Hamels made an early assertion to the remainder of the league on April 21, 2007. Making his fourth begin of the season, he not solely racked up what proved to be a career-high 15 strikeouts, however he did so in a recreation wherein he additionally induced a triple play. Hamels seemed poised for a giant strikeout complete when he struck out the facet within the first inning en path to racking up eight by the primary 4 frames.
Hamels had none within the fifth, nevertheless, as all three outs got here on one swing of the bat. After a stroll to Josh Hamilton and a single by Edwin Encarnacion, Reds catcher David Ross stepped to the plate and hit a grounder to 3rd baseman Abraham Nunez, who rapidly stepped on the bag to begin a 5-4-3 triple play. Although that slowed Hamels’ strikeout tempo, he picked up one other seven over the ultimate 4 innings — together with three within the eighth — to complete with 15 Ok’s whereas permitting only one run in a complete-game victory.
7. Mixed no-hitter
Although it wasn’t fairly as memorable because the no-hitter he would toss lower than a yr later in his closing begin with the Phillies, Hamels dealt with the majority of a mixed no-no on Sept. 1, 2014, towards the Braves. Regardless of fighting command early (4 walks and a success batter by three innings), Hamels battled his approach by six hitless innings at Atlanta’s Turner Discipline earlier than turning issues over to the bullpen. Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon adopted by every tossing an ideal inning to finish the mixed no-hitter. Hamels completed the day with seven strikeouts, 5 walks and a success batsman over his six frames.
8. Dazzling debut
Regardless of some shaky moments, Hamels put collectively a wildly spectacular MLB debut on Could 12, 2006, towards the Reds at Nice American Ball Park. He notched a pair of strikeouts within the first inning, together with getting Corridor of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. to stare at a known as strike three to finish the body. Hamels ended his day the identical approach, hanging out Griffey to finish the fifth inning. The 22-year-old rookie completed with seven strikeouts whereas permitting just one hit — a Felipe Lopez double with two outs within the fifth — over 5 innings.
9. ‘4 Aces’
Hamels made his first All-Star look and completed sixth within the NL Cy Younger Award voting in 2007, then performed a pivotal function in guiding the Phillies to a World Collection title in ’08. But whereas the Phils gained a second straight NL pennant in ’09, Hamels struggled to a 4.32 ERA and 10-11 file. He bounced again to place up a 3.06 ERA in ’10, then shined in ’11 as an integral a part of one of the dominant beginning rotations of this century.
Hamels went 14-9 with a 2.79 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP, ending fifth in 2011 NL Cy Younger Award voting — however third on his personal workforce. Halladay (19-6, 2.35 ERA) was the runner-up for the Cy Younger Award (behind Clayton Kershaw), whereas Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40) completed third. Roy Oswalt (9-10, 3.69) rounded out the “4 Aces,” however Vance Worley (11-3, 3.01) additionally burst onto the scene en path to ending third in NL Rookie of the 12 months Award voting.
10. Welcome again
The Phillies devoted clearly showered Hamels with loads of appreciation throughout his 9 and a half seasons with the workforce, however Philadelphia followers have left little question about his place of their hearts since his departure. On Jan. 24, 2018, followers attending the Philadelphia 76ers-Chicago Bulls recreation at Wells Fargo Heart gave Hamels — then a member of the Texas Rangers — a standing ovation when he was proven on the Jumbotron.
Hamels then acquired one other ovation from the gang at Residents Financial institution Park when he returned on Aug. 31, 2018, as a member of the Cubs — although he didn’t pitch throughout that three-game collection. He lastly took the mound in Philadelphia in an opposing uniform for the primary time on Aug. 14, 2019. The Phillies legend was greeted with not one, not two, however three rousing ovations from the gang. The primary got here when he initially took the mound within the backside of the primary. The following got here when he stepped to the plate for the primary time within the high of the third. Phils followers rose to their ft for a 3rd and closing ovation when Hamels took the stroll from the mound to the third-base dugout after being eliminated by Cubs supervisor Joe Maddon.