Philadelphia Phillies Ace Cole Hamels is a Changed Man


Sunday’s game against the New York Mets was similar to other games Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels has endured lately.

However, unlike those outings, this time Hamels came across as a changed man.

Besides a solo home run by Freddy Galvis in the fifth inning, the Phillies could not initially mount a sustained offensive threat. For his part, Hamels walked six, but only gave up one run and two hits in six innings. It was an unusual pitching performance from the lefty, who prides himself on his control.

Yet, the most remarkable part of the afternoon wasn’t about what Hamels did, it was about what he didn’t do.

Throughout the game, he demonstrated an almost zen-like composure on the mound and in the dugout. Even when home plate umpire Bill Welke seemed to readjust the strike zone every inning, Hamels remained cool. Only a momentary glance at the plate revealed his disbelief on a call or two.

As the game progressed, Hamels surely believed that he was about to lose another game due to the ineptitude of the offense. It wasn’t until late-inning heroics by Laynce Nix, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard that the ending of this start would differ from the others this Spring.

Hamels would watch the last three innings from the dugout, having exceeded the arbitrary limit of 100 pitches thrown by a starting pitcher. Once again, he had a peaceful demeanor. His interactions with teammates in the dugout appeared to be light-hearted.

It’s further evidence that the Cole Hamels who takes the mound every fifth day for the Phillies is a far different player than the one from a year or so ago. In interviews following the game, he tried to pinpoint the reason for his lack of control.

After giving the expected analysis, Hamels revealed the secret to his newly-found cerebral approach to the game. It’s only one sentence and may have been completely missed by those listening.

“Sometimes you have to shake your head and move on.”

Hamels moved on yesterday and was rewarded with his first win of the season. His tomorrows should be better because of it.

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