Cole Hamels
Encyclopedia
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels (born December 27, 1983 in San Diego, California
) is a left-handed
starting pitcher
for the Philadelphia Phillies
. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball
, a circle changeup
, a curveball
, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010. He was named Most Valuable Player of the 2008 World Series
and National League Championship Series
after posting a 4–0 record in the postseason.
in San Diego, California
. According to Tony Gwynn
, a lot of scouts were interested in Hamels while he was pitching for RBHS because his fastball was clocked as high as 94 mph as well as his advanced secondary offerings. However, he broke his pitching arm in his sophomore year, so teams, including the San Diego Padres
, lost interest. Nonetheless, Hamels was drafted in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
by the Philadelphia Phillies, who held the 17th overall selection.
. Later that season, he was promoted to Class-A Advanced
Clearwater
. After the 2003 season, Hamels received the Paul Owens Award as the best pitcher in the Phillies' minor league system.
During the next two seasons, however, Hamels was plagued by injuries and pitched only sparingly. He missed most of the 2004 season with an elbow injury. In 2005, he broke his pitching hand in a bar fight before the season began, and once he recovered, then hurt his back, and was shut down for the rest of the season.
In 2006, a healthy Hamels started again at Clearwater, and after a brief stint at Double-A Reading
was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
, where in just three games, he struck out
36 batters while giving up only one walk
and one run
. His minor league totals were 14–4, with 273 strikeouts in 35 games pitched.
, striking out seven batters but walking five, but earned a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds
when reliever Ryan Madson
gave up a 2-run lead. In his second career start, Hamels was dominant until the seventh inning, in which he was pulled after he allowed several baserunners, but again received a no-decision. A shoulder injury scratched Hamels from the lineup of what would have originally been his third major league start. He was put on the 15-day disabled list
and returned on June 6 to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks
10–1, for his first Major League victory
. On August 14, 2006, Hamels had his best start of his rookie campaign, shutting out the New York Mets
over eight innings and striking out nine in the 13–0 victory.
On April 21, 2007, Hamels struck out 15 Reds in his first career complete game
. He allowed one run on five hits and two walks, setting a career high for strikeouts. On May 16, 2007, he carried a perfect game
into the seventh inning, where he walked leadoff man Rickie Weeks
and then surrendered a home run to the next batter, J. J. Hardy. He struck out 11 batters in a 6–2 decision over the Milwaukee Brewers
. On June 12, 2007, Hamels went eight innings to become the first National League
pitcher of the season to win nine games.
On July 1, 2007, he was named to the NL All Star Team
for the first time. On August 22, Hamels was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mild left elbow strain. On September 28, he pitched the Phillies
into first place by striking out 13 Washington Nationals
over 8 innings in a 6–0 win.
Hamels finished with an impressive regular-season record of 15–5. The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America presented him the "Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher" award.
Hamels led the Phillies throughout the first month of the season in most pitching categories, including wins (3), ERA
(2.70), and innings pitched (43⅓). Continuing his dominance into May, Hamels recorded his first career complete game shutout
against the Atlanta Braves
on the 15th of that month.
Less than one month later, Hamels followed with a repeat of that complete game, beating the Reds, 5–0, on June 5. Though the Phillies were a picture of inconsistency through June, posting a long streak of wins followed by a prolonged team-wide slump, Hamels posted a 3–1 record and a 2.61 ERA in the month.
For the season, Hamels was 14–10 with a 3.09 ERA; he had the lowest OBP-against in the majors, .272. He was also judged as having the most effective changeup in the majors.
Hamels pitched in Game 1 of the National League Division Series
against the Brewers, pitching eight strong innings and striking out nine while notching his first career playoff win. He was named the MVP of the National League Championship Series
, going 2–0 in the NLCS with a 1.93 ERA and winning the series clincher on October 15 in Los Angeles
. He also recorded the win in Game 1 of the World Series
, surrendering two runs in seven innings of work. Overall, Hamels made five postseason starts in 2008, going 4–0 with a 1.80 ERA.
Hamels was named Most Valuable Player
of the World Series, making him only the fifth player to win two post-season MVP awards in the same year. The previous double-winners were Willie Stargell
in 1979
, Darrell Porter
in 1982
, Orel Hershiser
in 1988
and Liván Hernández
in 1997
. The New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) likewise chose him as the World Series MVP, presenting him the Babe Ruth Award
. The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America presented him the "Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher" award for the second consecutive year.
responded:
However, Hamels left training camp on March 16 and flew to Philadelphia to have his left elbow examined by Dr. Michael Ciccotti. Hamels felt tightness in between innings and after he was done pitching for the day. "This will obviously set me back a couple of days, and I don't think that should be a big deal", said Hamels. Ciccotti found no structural damage in his arm. Hamels did not pitch on Opening Day, even though no structural damage was evident. Hamels posted a 10–11 record and a 4.32 ERA in the regular season, his first major league season in which he posted a sub-.500 record, and the worst ERA of his career to that point. However, Hamels' strikeout, walk, line drive, ground ball and fly ball rates all remained similar, while his home run rate saw an increase of .01 home runs allowed per nine innings pitched. Hamels's fielding-independent pitching
also remained the same from 2008 to 2009 at 3.72, with Hamels' batting average on balls in play
increasing from .270 to .325. Sabermetricians such as Tom Tango
and Rob Neyer
have disputed the common belief that something was wrong with Hamels during the 2009 season. Baseball Prospectus
' Matt Swartz went deeper into the statistics, checking marks such as percentage of strikes thrown, percentage of balls hit to the outfield, percentage of pitches fouled, missed, pulled, hit to center, and hit to the opposite field, as well as percentage of hitters with two strikes that he struck out.
Hamels started the second game of the 2009 National League Division Series
, allowing four earned runs through five innings to take the loss. The Phillies, however, won the series, three games to one. Hamels earned the win in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series
, as the Phillies beat the Dodgers, 8–6. Hamels started Game 3 of the World Series
against the New York Yankees, pitching innings, allowing 5 earned runs and taking the loss.
, with his wife, Heidi Strobel, whom he married on December 31, 2006. Strobel was a contestant on the sixth edition of the reality show Survivor
. They welcomed their first child, son Caleb Michael, on October 9, 2009. Their second son, Braxton, was born on November 2, 2011. Cole is the oldest of three, with a younger brother Mitchell and a younger sister Jillian, who lives in San Francisco, California
, and attends San Francisco State University
. Hamels' parents, Gary and Amanda Hamels, reside in San Diego.
In a promotion video for the first person shooter video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
, Hamels appeared denouncing a phenomenon in the game known as grenade spam. The video is currently on YouTube and actually lead a competing game to MW2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2
, to release a YouTube video of their own, this time featuring New York Yankees
ace CC Sabathia. The video with Sabathia pokes fun at Hamels' video and points out the more realistic features of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as compared to Modern Warfare 2.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) is a left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball
Four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family...
, a circle changeup
Circle changeup
In baseball, a circle changeup is a pitch thrown with a grip that includes a circle formation, hence the name. The circle is formed by making a circle with the index finger, holding the thumb at the bottom of the ball parallel to the middle finger and holding the ball far out in the hand...
, a curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010. He was named Most Valuable Player of the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
and National League Championship Series
2008 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
after posting a 4–0 record in the postseason.
High school and draft
Cole Hamels attended Rancho Bernardo High SchoolRancho Bernardo High School
Rancho Bernardo High School, or RBHS, is a public high school in the Poway Unified School District of San Diego County, California. Rancho Bernardo High School opened in September 1990 as the district's third high school. There are approximately 2,300 students in grades 9 through 12, and...
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. According to Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
, a lot of scouts were interested in Hamels while he was pitching for RBHS because his fastball was clocked as high as 94 mph as well as his advanced secondary offerings. However, he broke his pitching arm in his sophomore year, so teams, including the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, lost interest. Nonetheless, Hamels was drafted in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
2002 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.This year's draft is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball.-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Compensation Selections:...
by the Philadelphia Phillies, who held the 17th overall selection.
Minor league career
Hamels began his professional baseball career in 2003, pitching at Single-A LakewoodLakewood BlueClaws
The Lakewood BlueClaws are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the South Atlantic League, a Class Single-A baseball league. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Park located in Lakewood Township, New Jersey...
. Later that season, he was promoted to Class-A Advanced
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
Clearwater
Clearwater Threshers
The Clearwater Threshers are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the Florida State League. Since 2004, the team competes in the West Division....
. After the 2003 season, Hamels received the Paul Owens Award as the best pitcher in the Phillies' minor league system.
During the next two seasons, however, Hamels was plagued by injuries and pitched only sparingly. He missed most of the 2004 season with an elbow injury. In 2005, he broke his pitching hand in a bar fight before the season began, and once he recovered, then hurt his back, and was shut down for the rest of the season.
In 2006, a healthy Hamels started again at Clearwater, and after a brief stint at Double-A Reading
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a professional minor league baseball club located based in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. They currently play in the International League's Northern Division and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball club...
, where in just three games, he struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
36 batters while giving up only one walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and one run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. His minor league totals were 14–4, with 273 strikeouts in 35 games pitched.
2006
Hamels was called up to the Phillies in May 2006. In his MLB debut on May 12, he pitched five scoreless innings in which he allowed only one hitHit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, striking out seven batters but walking five, but earned a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
when reliever Ryan Madson
Ryan Madson
Ryan Michael Madson , nicknamed "Mad Dog", is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a currently a free agent...
gave up a 2-run lead. In his second career start, Hamels was dominant until the seventh inning, in which he was pulled after he allowed several baserunners, but again received a no-decision. A shoulder injury scratched Hamels from the lineup of what would have originally been his third major league start. He was put on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
and returned on June 6 to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
10–1, for his first Major League victory
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
. On August 14, 2006, Hamels had his best start of his rookie campaign, shutting out the New York Mets
2006 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 2006 season was the 45th regular season for the Mets. They went 97-65 and won the NL East. They were managed by Willie Randolph. They played home games at Shea Stadium. They used the marketing slogan of "The Team. The Time...
over eight innings and striking out nine in the 13–0 victory.
2007
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
. He allowed one run on five hits and two walks, setting a career high for strikeouts. On May 16, 2007, he carried a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
into the seventh inning, where he walked leadoff man Rickie Weeks
Rickie Weeks
Rickie Darnell Weeks is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers....
and then surrendered a home run to the next batter, J. J. Hardy. He struck out 11 batters in a 6–2 decision over the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. On June 12, 2007, Hamels went eight innings to become the first National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pitcher of the season to win nine games.
On July 1, 2007, he was named to the NL All Star Team
2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants...
for the first time. On August 22, Hamels was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mild left elbow strain. On September 28, he pitched the Phillies
2007 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2007 season began with the Phillies approaching an historic mark. The Phillies started the year with an MLB-record 9,955 losses in franchise history. On July 15, they lost their 10,000th game to the St. Louis Cardinals...
into first place by striking out 13 Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
over 8 innings in a 6–0 win.
Hamels finished with an impressive regular-season record of 15–5. The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America presented him the "Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher" award.
2008
Before the season got underway in March, Hamels made a complaint about the Phillies underpaying him, saying it was a "low blow" and he was "caught off-guard" with the gap between what he and agent John Boggs felt was a fair reward for his performance last season and what he was paid.Hamels led the Phillies throughout the first month of the season in most pitching categories, including wins (3), ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(2.70), and innings pitched (43⅓). Continuing his dominance into May, Hamels recorded his first career complete game shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
against the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
on the 15th of that month.
Less than one month later, Hamels followed with a repeat of that complete game, beating the Reds, 5–0, on June 5. Though the Phillies were a picture of inconsistency through June, posting a long streak of wins followed by a prolonged team-wide slump, Hamels posted a 3–1 record and a 2.61 ERA in the month.
Hamels pitched in Game 1 of the National League Division Series
2008 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers:-Game 1, October 1:Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Dodgers swiped Game 1 from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mark DeRosa gave the Cubs an early lead in the second inning with an opposite-field home run. James Loney's fifth inning grand slam proved to...
against the Brewers, pitching eight strong innings and striking out nine while notching his first career playoff win. He was named the MVP of the National League Championship Series
2008 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
, going 2–0 in the NLCS with a 1.93 ERA and winning the series clincher on October 15 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He also recorded the win in Game 1 of the World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
, surrendering two runs in seven innings of work. Overall, Hamels made five postseason starts in 2008, going 4–0 with a 1.80 ERA.
Hamels was named Most Valuable Player
World Series MVP Award
The World Series Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the Major League Baseball postseason...
of the World Series, making him only the fifth player to win two post-season MVP awards in the same year. The previous double-winners were Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell
Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
in 1979
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
, Darrell Porter
Darrell Porter
Darrell Ray Porter was a former American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. He was known for his excellent defensive skills and power hitting...
in 1982
1982 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...
, Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
in 1988
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
and Liván Hernández
Liván Hernández
Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...
in 1997
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
. The New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) likewise chose him as the World Series MVP, presenting him the Babe Ruth Award
Babe Ruth Award
The Babe Ruth Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player with the best performance in the postseason. The award, created by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in honor of Babe Ruth, was first awarded in 1949 to the MVP of the World Series, one...
. The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America presented him the "Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher" award for the second consecutive year.
2009
Hamels started his 2009 season by signing a 3-year, $20.5 million deal with the Phillies. On February 14, the first day of spring training for pitchers and catchers, when asked who the Opening Day starter would be, manager Charlie ManuelCharlie Manuel
Charles Fuqua Manuel, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current Major League Baseball manager of the Philadelphia Phillies...
responded:
Yeah, you might as well go ahead and pencil him in[...] I don't think there's any sense in me playing games. Go ahead, pencil him in.
Defense independent pitching statistics
In baseball, defense-independent pitching statistics measure a pitcher's effectiveness based only on plays that do not involve fielders: home runs allowed, strikeouts, hit batters, walks, and, more recently, fly ball percentage, ground ball percentage, and line drive percentage...
also remained the same from 2008 to 2009 at 3.72, with Hamels' batting average on balls in play
Batting average on balls in play
In baseball statistics, Batting average on balls in play is a statistic measuring the percentage of plate appearances ending with a batted ball in play for which the batter is credited with a hit...
increasing from .270 to .325. Sabermetricians such as Tom Tango
Tom Tango
Tom Tango and "TangoTiger" are aliases used online by a well-respected expert in baseball sabermetrics and ice hockey statistical analysis. He runs the Tango on Baseball sabermetrics website and is also a contributor to ESPN's baseball blog TMI .In 2006, Tango's book The Book: Playing the...
and Rob Neyer
Rob Neyer
Rob Neyer is a baseball author and writer for SB Nation. He started his career working for Bill James and STATS, and then joined ESPN.com as a columnist from 1996 to January 2011 before becoming SB Nation's National Baseball Editor...
have disputed the common belief that something was wrong with Hamels during the 2009 season. Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well player and team performance projections on the site...
' Matt Swartz went deeper into the statistics, checking marks such as percentage of strikes thrown, percentage of balls hit to the outfield, percentage of pitches fouled, missed, pulled, hit to center, and hit to the opposite field, as well as percentage of hitters with two strikes that he struck out.
Hamels started the second game of the 2009 National League Division Series
2009 National League Division Series
The National League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
, allowing four earned runs through five innings to take the loss. The Phillies, however, won the series, three games to one. Hamels earned the win in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series
2009 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven baseball game series pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League Championship and the right to represent the National League in the 2009 World Series. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers four...
, as the Phillies beat the Dodgers, 8–6. Hamels started Game 3 of the World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
against the New York Yankees, pitching innings, allowing 5 earned runs and taking the loss.
2010
In 2010, Hamels posted a 12-11 record with a 3.06 ERA, the lowest in his career to that his point, but received poor run support.2011
As of August 7, Hamels has a 13-6 record, 150 strikeouts, an ERA of 2.53, and a 0.96 WHIP. On July 3, when the rosters for the 2011 MLB All-Star game in Phoenix, Arizona were announced on TBS, Hamels was voted in along with fellow pitchers and teammates Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee; however, he was not eligible to play because he had pitched the Sunday prior to the All-Star Game. He finished fifth in the Cy Young Voting behind Clayton Kershaw, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Ian Kennedy respectively.Personal life
He lives in Glen Mills, PennsylvaniaGlen Mills, Pennsylvania
Glen Mills is an unincorporated community in Concord Township and Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States about 17 miles from Philadelphia. Glen Mills is known for its gardens and its golf course. Major offices including Deloitte with a headcount of about 100 people...
, with his wife, Heidi Strobel, whom he married on December 31, 2006. Strobel was a contestant on the sixth edition of the reality show Survivor
Survivor (TV series)
Survivor is a reality television game show format produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination, allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe...
. They welcomed their first child, son Caleb Michael, on October 9, 2009. Their second son, Braxton, was born on November 2, 2011. Cole is the oldest of three, with a younger brother Mitchell and a younger sister Jillian, who lives in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and attends San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
. Hamels' parents, Gary and Amanda Hamels, reside in San Diego.
In a promotion video for the first person shooter video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on...
, Hamels appeared denouncing a phenomenon in the game known as grenade spam. The video is currently on YouTube and actually lead a competing game to MW2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by the Swedish firm EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS and Mac OS X systems. It is a direct sequel to Battlefield: Bad Company and is part of the...
, to release a YouTube video of their own, this time featuring New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
ace CC Sabathia. The video with Sabathia pokes fun at Hamels' video and points out the more realistic features of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as compared to Modern Warfare 2.