I’m wonderin’, should I begin to kick ya mind or your chin ’cause I’m the King. -Slick Rick
Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! Everybody’s talking about the Rays. Everybody’s squawking about the Rays. That’s all well. That’s all good. Just not tonight. Kid, this just ain’t your night. Tonight, Cole Hamels gets the title shot outdoors at the ballpark and what do the Rays get? A one-way ticket to Palooka-ville!
You can Flyin’ Hawaiian me. You can Matt Stairs me. Heck, you can even Brad Lidge me. But dig it, without Cole Hamels, these Fightin’ Phils are nowheresville, man. With his NLCS clinching win against Dem Bums, Hamels became the 31st major-league pitcher to win each of his first three starts in one postseason, dating back to Christy Mathewson in 1905 and Deacon Phillippe in the first World Series in 1903. But, besides Hamels, who is twenty-four, only one of those pitchers won his first three starts in a postseason before the age of 25. That was Livan Hernandez with the Marlins in 1997, when he was listed at 22 years of age.
Hamels may be the youngest player on a roster filled with MVPs and more experienced stars, but make no mistakes, he is the most important player on this roster. He takes the ball again tonight, just like he has done thirty-six times before without a miss since this season began more than six months ago. Heavy boots of lead. Fills his victims full of dread. Running as fast as they can. Iron man lives again!
Any time you see Cole strutting out to the mound to the musical stylings of AC/DC you can expect a win. You can expect a shutout. I’m not even sure a no-no would be out of the question. He’s been that good. 3-0 in the postseason good. 1.23 ERA good. MVP of the National League Championship Series good.
Hamels throws three pitches. Here comes like dum ditty dum, he keeps all five boroughs in stitches. He throws a fastball, curve and a Pedro Martinez change and has excellent command of them all. In any start he is capable of a shutout with ten plus strikeouts. But most importantly, the man is poised. The man can handle big games and pressure situations. The man is a fierce competitor who attacks the strike zone with all his pitches. Attacks it I say. Don’t believe me? Just ask the Dodgers. Hamels closed them out on the road with one of the most tenacious outings I have ever seen. And you know what that all spells, don’t you? Sure you do. That spells bad news for the Rays.
Public Acknowledgements: On The Waterfront, Black Sabbath and Charlie Manuel
Public Spectacle:
Peace out homies. Six Two and Even!
Need More? Cole Hamels, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays
.jpg){kind=small}
