One way or another, Cole Hamels knew he was going to be pitching in Citizens Bank Park on opening day this season.
He didn’t know which team he’d be pitching for, but Hamels had a pretty good idea he’d be in Philadelphia on April 6.
“I had a pretty good idea I’d be in this ballpark, how about that?” Hamels said with a knowing wink to the trade talk that he was the star of this winter.
The chatter was the Red Sox were coming for Hamels after losing lefty Jon Lester to the Cubs. So far that hasn’t panned out and Hamels, the MVP of the 2008 postseason run, is back for his ninth opening day with the Phillies.
Will it be his last opening day in Philadelphia? That’s tough to determine at the moment. Hamels very well could be auditioning for contending teams come the trade deadline, but until then, the last of the Four Aces is committed to the Phillies.
“Cole has been outstanding the whole spring. He has been on board with preparing for the season, being one of the leaders on the team and he has been outstanding,” manager Ryne Sandberg said. “I think he handled spring training like a veteran, got off to a little bit of a cold start but his last three or four outings were outstanding, headed in the right directions. So he has been great. He is one of the players who was talked about a lot not only in the offseason, but part way through camp. All the veteran guys that have been in that boat have been very good as far as sticking to business and focusing on being a Philadelphia Phillie right now and helping the team.”
Sandberg should know something about playing for rebuilding teams. After all, in 15 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Sandberg played on just three teams that finished the season with a winning record and two teams that made it to the postseason.
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Hamels' first opening day with the Phillies kicked off the run of five straight NL East titles, two trips to the World Series and a whole bunch of awards and accolades. So as the dark days descend on the Phillies and the golden years get farther and farther in the rearview mirror, Hamels is helping with the future whether or not he’ll be around to see it firsthand.
“We’ve gone through some learning curves in our careers and this could be really fun to show a lot of the younger guys how to play the game the right way, the way that we were taught, and the why behind what we were able to accomplishment in that five-year period,” Hamels said. “This is how we did it. In that sense, from the veteran standpoints, we’ll be able to teach some of these young guys how to play the game the right way and, for us, they’re going to keep pushing us to make sure we’re always on our toes and being accountable for what we’re expected to do.”
Hamels was able to compartmentalize the trade rumors this winter, mostly because he didn’t have to go to the ballpark. He didn’t have to pay attention to the Internet or social media and could easily turn away from the noise.
That will be different during the season, though. As the July 31 deadline draws closer, Hamels will feel like he’s under siege. Besides, Hamels has been around long enough to understand how it works. He’s seen teammates come and go and has seen new ones arrive in the middle of the pennant race.
He’s ready for whatever comes his way.
“I think to be a starter you have to be selfish to be able to get this far,” Hamels said. “As much as it looks like it can have a negative impact, we’re the ones out on the mound having to make a pitch and having to decide what we’re going to do. We do have a catcher and we’re trying to work together, but we’re the ones that have to make that pitch at any given moment, so you just kind of have to focus on yourself and what you have to do.”
Whether or not Hamels is with the Phillies for Game 162 remains to be seen. But no matter what, it’s going to be an interesting and unique season for the last of the Four Aces.
“It’s different, but every year is different,” he said.