Cole Hamels on the Phillies’ chances in the World Series: “They did it”

Cole Hamels thanked the scout who signed him and the coaches who mentored him, the teammates who supported him and the fans who pushed him through his 15-season major league career, the first 10 of which were in Philadelphia.

Then he turned to the Phillies dugout.

“And now,” said the 2008 World Series MVP, “it’s this team’s turn.”

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Hamels, 40, decided last summer to abandon his second attempt to bounce back from surgery on a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. He hasn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 16, 2020. But he didn’t officially retire until Friday night at a pregame ceremony near the mound where it all began for him in 2006.

Hamels came up with the idea of ​​ending his career as a Phillie two years ago. He was invited to the 2022 World Series and again to the NL Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park last October. It all seemed so familiar to him. The sold-out stands. The red rally towels. The deafening noise.

Oh, and a championship-caliber team.

“They’ve got it,” Hamels said after the ceremony. “The team, the front office, they’ve put together a really good group of guys. That’s what Philly always does. When they really go for something and know they’re ready, they get the right people, the right pieces.”

Over time, No. 35 might become curious to see if he fits into the puzzle.

Hamels lives in Texas, near Dallas, but he keeps an eye on the Phillies and Rangers, two of his former teams. Earlier this month, he traveled to London to attend the Phillies’ two-game series against the Mets. He visits the area every summer to vacation in Ocean City with his children.

For now, he seems content to enjoy his retirement. After all, he was the last of the Phillies to retire in 2008 and he earned more than $200 million in his career.

But Hamels also knows that one day he would like to work in baseball again – in a role that is not purely representative in nature.

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“That’s the only thing I’m good at,” he says, laughing. “Baseball.”

Hamels said he has spoken to former teammates about their experiences after retirement. Shane Victorino, for example, spent a week as a guest coach for the Phillies in spring training in March. Perhaps Hamels could do the same on the pitching side. Chase Utley was a special assistant in the Dodgers’ front office before moving to London as MLB’s European ambassador.

Last year, Hamels worked out with minor league players at the Padres’ spring training complex in Arizona while working on his comeback, learning more about pitching technology that wasn’t available in his day and has overhauled the sport.

“It’s a different era,” he said.

But there is also something to be said for the wisdom that comes from starting the deciding game of a World Series.

“You still have to think and throw, and it’s still a lot more about gut feeling and being able to visually sense the moment where sometimes numbers can’t really help you,” Hamels said. “I think you just have to learn how to communicate with the younger generation. I admire Jamie Moyer for what he did for me because he was in his 40s and I was 22, 23, and he was able to communicate with me. Now I’m in his position.”

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“Anything I like to do, I like to put in the best effort. But I know there’s a learning curve in anything you do. The front office is different; coaching and teaching are different. It’s just the opportunity to have these kinds of opportunities to see what I might be good at and where I can apply my experience and expertise.”

In the meantime, Hamels enjoys watching the Phillies, who have “one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball.” He sees similarities between the 2024 rotation – Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez and Taijuan Walker – and the famous “Five Aces” of 2011 with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton.

Hamels also compares the disappointment of the 2007 Division Series loss to the loss in Games 6 and 7 of the NLCS last year.

“They probably learned a lot last year,” Hamels said. “That’s the strength they can build on. That’s what you do as an athlete. You never settle. When you fall short, you work harder. And you can see that just by the way they’re playing today.”

Maybe one day he’ll find a way to help.

“If it’s a good fit and an opportunity arises, I would definitely look into it,” said Hamels. “But everything has to fit right. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. I just want to be an asset.”