Why worry about next year when the Phillies are mired in last place at 16-19, six games behind Atlanta?
Because of the core.
You, know: The Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, core.
We all knew that age would crack the core of the Phillies, but now money is rearing its ugly head.
Cole Hamels is a gamer.
Anybody who knows anything about baseball knows that the pitcher and the batter want the same thing: The inside of the plate.
Be it he was a young hot shot, last week Hamels plucked Washington’s Bryce Harper on the back.
Not only that, but Hamels admitted to hitting Harper.
All the “Take Back Washington” talk and the young phenoms, well, Hamels had it.
Ten days on the shelf, what does Hamels do?
Gives up run, one earned run, three walks, five strikeouts in five innings and lowers his ERA to 2.28 in a 3-2 win over the Padres on Sunday.
Oh, and he improves to 5-1.
All-Star team, seven-year deal, Phillies up against the luxury tax, it all adds up: Hamels is gone.
Hamel...
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May 15, 2012
