Cole Hamels is overrated, and making dumb comments

[phillyfan0417]

Hitters figured out Cole Hamels this season. They realized although the change-up is a great pitch, its almost never a strike and he got absolutely murdered when he threw that garbage curve. Read something somewhere that he will be working on a cutter as well as further developing the curve. Also, he needs to mature a little bit and stop making those types of comments to the media. This next season will be when we know what hamels will be going forward. I heard comparisons to Verlander and Beckett. If you dont adjust, you will quickly turn into a "whateverhappenedto"

I think you made all great points. I think a cutter would do him wonders. He needs something else with more velocity. It seems his love for his change up has also had an effect on his fastball. A cutter might help him get some of his velocity back.

Agreed, its not a change up when its 2 or 3 MPH slower than your fastball. Cole hamels also admitted the "dinner party" off season took away alot of his preperation time. Cole Hamels needs to become a professional to take the next step. All the ability in the world is there now he needs to take it to the next level.

Injury wise, if something is wrong I think its his back and not his arm...

 

[justinmandawg]

The question could have been:

reporter 1: How is your erectile dysfunction?

while at the same time

reporter 2: How do you feel about being hit around?

Hamels: I can't wait for it to end.

See, he could have been misquoted.

 

[ballerskrip]

The question could have been:

reporter 1: How is your erectile dysfunction?

while at the same time

reporter 2: How do you feel about being hit around?

Hamels: I can't wait for it to end.

See, he could have been misquoted.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

thanked!

 

[mredsox89]

Sports often mean much more to fans than the athletes. Fans have grown up following a team and consider themselves part of the team. There are a lot of players that view baseball as just a job. They do not have any life vested interest in the team, aside from being paid. Fans may view this as absurd and pompous, but its the truth. Sure, there are players like Jeter, A-rod who care more about their team than anyone, but many players are just normal people, who go to work every day and go home that night.

I agree with you 100%. I know college is different but I had some teammates that played strictly because they had a scholarship. If they were offered a spot on the team but no $, they wouldn't have played.

But, this is the world series. How can you NOT want to be there? How can you not be ultra focused and doing everything in the world to win a title?

Same way someone does a specific job because they are good at it, even if they hate it. Should he keep his mouth shut, of course. But I bet he is not the only player in the WS that has had enough. People take jobs in parts of business because they are good at it, get to the top of that chain, but hate it because they have never liked it. Now that is a very crude comparison but you have to believe that there are numerous players in the MLB who are there because they have talent, not because they wanted to be there and are happy when the season is over and they can get to the offseason. Yet they continue to play because its better than most other jobs and the pay is better than nearly all other jobs

 

[andyduke86]

Even if the comments weren't taken out of context I don't think it's a big deal. Everyone wants to leave their job (which is what playing baseball is to the players, a job) when it's time, be it on Fridays, for Holiday Breaks, summers for students, etc. I'm sure most players are glad when the season is over. I sure would be. Cole is a professional and I'm sure he gives it his all when he's out there, postulating otherwise is simply ridiculous.

 

[ballerskrip]

Even if the comments weren't taken out of context I don't think it's a big deal. Everyone wants to leave their job (which is what playing baseball is to the players, a job) when it's time, be it on Fridays, for Holiday Breaks, summers for students, etc. I'm sure most players are glad when the season is over. I sure would be. Cole is a professional and I'm sure he gives it his all when he's out there, postulating otherwise is simply ridiculous.

Don't we postulate otherwise about other players consistently? We meaning fans and media.

 

[andyduke86]

Even if the comments weren't taken out of context I don't think it's a big deal. Everyone wants to leave their job (which is what playing baseball is to the players, a job) when it's time, be it on Fridays, for Holiday Breaks, summers for students, etc. I'm sure most players are glad when the season is over. I sure would be. Cole is a professional and I'm sure he gives it his all when he's out there, postulating otherwise is simply ridiculous.

Don't we postulate otherwise about other players consistently? We meaning fans and media.

Perhaps postulating isn't the right word although it does apply. More like "making a big deal out of nothing." That's a more appropriate description for the supposed uproar over these quotes.

 

[mredsox89]

Even if the comments weren't taken out of context I don't think it's a big deal. Everyone wants to leave their job (which is what playing baseball is to the players, a job) when it's time, be it on Fridays, for Holiday Breaks, summers for students, etc. I'm sure most players are glad when the season is over. I sure would be. Cole is a professional and I'm sure he gives it his all when he's out there, postulating otherwise is simply ridiculous.

Don't we postulate otherwise about other players consistently? We meaning fans and media.

Yea, we assume because players are in a job we wish we could be that they have to love it as much as or more than we do, and that if they play for our favorite team, they have to be as passionate towards that team. I have learned that there are many players to whom their team is just the one who pays them. They give 100% each season but outside it is just the company that pays them

 

[1995BBRefractorGuy]

He's a total airhead, decent pitcher but unreliable and overrated...

 

[WJCIII]

1. You're talking about a guy that missed significant time for breaking his hand in a bar fight. Yes, kids do stupid things. Risking your multi-million dollar career in a bar fight takes that to a whole new level. Obviously he has some maturity issues.

2. Is it really a long season? His team plays 162 games a year, half of which are at home. That means he's on the road 81 days out of the year, not including spring training. I'm on the road more than that for my job, and I keep my head on straight for far less than 7 figures. He's also home for most of the major holidays, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. He could also afford to take his family with him everywhere he went if he wanted to.

3. He's better than he pitched this year. I buy into the theory that the WBC hurts pitchers, and they need to figure out a time to have it other than when guys are preparing for the season.

4. If you say you're ready for the WS to be over before it starts when each team has an equal shot to win, then that's one thing. Saying it while you're team is down implies that you want the team that is beating you to finish you off so you can go home. I would be pissed if I were a Phillies fan.

 

[Pine Tar]

Now what he meant was that the Phillies should have not been there in the first place. :lol:

 

[ballerskrip]

Interesting to see that brett meyers called cole hamels a quitter last night.....

Skrip

 

[Huffamaniac]

I would not say he is overrated just yet. He had a bad year much like Verlander did in 08, and we all saw hoe Verlander bounced back nicely in 09.

In my opinion, this kid is VASTLY overrated. His fastball is down, his breaking all is marginal, and his FB/CH differential is out of whack. Along with being injury prone. With all of that being said, I am surprised to see his most recent comments.......

Cole Hamels is already looked at as a flake by many in this proudly blue-collar city, so he sure didn't win any fans when he told reporters after getting hit around in game three that "I can't wait for it to end."

What are you thoughts on Hamels?

 

[schmidtfan20]

I think Hamels was effected by the Lee trade also. There was A LOT of talk around the trade deadline
that the Phills needed an ace like Halliday. Im sure that wore down Cole, as he has been nothing but
the staff ace for the past two years. As far as overrated, there are plenty of pitchers who would
kill for a season like Cole had last year, the guy was money the entire seasona and in the post
season bringing the Phillies a championship that they had been waiting 28 years for.

There are very few pitchers in the league today who have good season after good season. Lee was
a .500 pitcher before coming to the Phils. Kershaw was battered around in the post season.

It is way too early to call Hamels overrarted, especially with the resume he has in this era of roided up
players!

Kevin

 

[Jaypers]

The question could have been:

reporter 1: How is your erectile dysfunction?

while at the same time

reporter 2: How do you feel about being hit around?

Hamels: I can't wait for it to end.

See, he could have been misquoted.

Your scenario could never happen when you consider who he's married to.

 

[Lars]

God forbid the Hamels quotes would be attached to Ryan Howard or even Jimmy Rollins and one of them got into a 'tussle' with Brett Myers.

Either Howard/Rollins would be lynched by the media.

Even if the comments weren't taken out of context I don't think it's a big deal. Everyone wants to leave their job (which is what playing baseball is to the players, a job) when it's time, be it on Fridays, for Holiday Breaks, summers for students, etc. I'm sure most players are glad when the season is over. I sure would be. Cole is a professional and I'm sure he gives it his all when he's out there, postulating otherwise is simply ridiculous.

Don't we postulate otherwise about other players consistently? We meaning fans and media.

 

[biggreen15]

The quote was in the context of him having an off year - it was somewhere along the lines of him being drained by the year because of his underperformance and the toll he has taken because of it (media, personal pride, etc.)

What I took away from it when I read the whole thing was that he couldn't wait for the season to end because that means he's closer to next season when he will get a fresh start and clean slate. I didn't take it as he was quitting on the team because he then went on to say he would like the ball for game 7.

Taken out of context in my opinion

 

[masonphillip]

1. You're talking about a guy that missed significant time for breaking his hand in a bar fight. Yes, kids do stupid things. Risking your multi-million dollar career in a bar fight takes that to a whole new level. Obviously he has some maturity issues.

2. Is it really a long season? His team plays 162 games a year, half of which are at home. That means he's on the road 81 days out of the year, not including spring training. I'm on the road more than that for my job, and I keep my head on straight for far less than 7 figures. He's also home for most of the major holidays, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. He could also afford to take his family with him everywhere he went if he wanted to.

3. He's better than he pitched this year. I buy into the theory that the WBC hurts pitchers, and they need to figure out a time to have it other than when guys are preparing for the season.

4. If you say you're ready for the WS to be over before it starts when each team has an equal shot to win, then that's one thing. Saying it while you're team is down implies that you want the team that is beating you to finish you off so you can go home. I would be pissed if I were a Phillies fan.

Very well thought out and written.

I have also heard, although I can't confirm, that ever since achieving success in the MLB he has treated his family at home (Rancho Bernardo, CA) very poorly.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Hamels talked at length last night about his comments after Game 3 that he couldn't wait for the season to end. It was a terrible thing to say, but his comments also were taken out of context. He initially was asked if he would like to pitch Game 7, considering how things fell apart for him. He said he would. He said he wanted redemption, and that he hoped everybody would have faith in him that he could do the job. Then Hamels got asked what he would think if he did not get a chance to pitch again this season. That is when he said he couldn't wait for the season to end. Like I said, a terrible choice of words, but he wasn't saying, "Gee, I can't wait to book a trip to Mexico."

Hamels said he spoke with Charlie Manuel before Game 5 to explain himself.

"I didn't even know what I said or put out there," Hamels said. "It was not what I was thinking. Sometimes you talk and you try to be as honest as possible and connect to people and you say things you didn't really mean. I would never be here if I ever quit on anything. If I was ever too tired not to go through with any decision I would not be standing here.

"I think Charlie knows me. I think he's managed me for quite a few years. I think the only doubt it left in people's minds is the fans. That hurts because I love the city of Philadelphia. I play as hard as I possibly can. ... I wasn't able to sleep for the past couple nights because of that. ... I'll never ever quit. I want to play this game until somebody takes it away from me."

A report last night that Brett Myers and Hamels had a heated exchange has been refuted by a Phillies official and a media member present when it happened. (Myers couldn't immediately be reached to comment.) Myers walked past Hamels and said, "What are you doing here? I thought you quit?" An important note: Myers and Hamels are friends. It seems to be a case of a bad joke at a bad time because when Hamels responded with an expletive, some took this as the two sniping at each other other.

 

[ryanhoward06]

Both comments form Myers and Hamels were taken out of context. Myers and and Hamels are actually good friends who ride in together most days.

I don't think Hamels is overrated. The two guys who went on the banquet tour had bad years(Lidge and Hamels). The rest made appearances, but not to the the extent those two did. Hamels has admitted that he wasn't prepared for this season.

Now Hamels might come off as a guy who doesn't care about anything, but he really is a fierce competitor. I think he is just learning how difficult it is to be effective in the majors. I really expect him to work out hard this off season and get back to form.

Adding a pitch and working on his curve is very important. A cutter or slider would be the ideal pitch for him to add. If he can't get his curve to average or slightly above, then he should work exclusively on a slider. He really just needs something to get lefties out. He also needs to have better control of his fastball and changeup and that goes back to being prepared for a full season.

Really, when he has the command of his fastball and change we saw last year he can get by, to be a perennial all star and to reach his full potential a cutter or slider should allow him to do that. Hopefully Lee can help him.