Week 16: Cole Hamels and Don Carman

The Phillies took on the Milwaukee Brewers at the beginning of last week, and thanks to some late game heroics, they actually emerged with their first three game sweep of the season.

It looked like maybe - just maybe - the team had finally found its rhythm, and would be a force to be reckoned with in the second half of the season.  For a second, those dreams of somehow winning a playoff spot didn't seem quite so impossible.

And then, just as soon as it had arrived, momentum was lost.  The Phillies were swept by the Atlanta Braves in a series that pretty much caused the team's focus to switch towards the future.

The Phillies will almost assuredly be trading away some of their players in the coming weeks, either for prospects, or simply for salary relief from the luxury tax.

But there is one Phillies who, despite much speculation earlier in the year, will definitely not be traded.

Featured Phillie of the Week: Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels could have waited a few months and become a free agent.  He assuredly would have received a monumentally large contract.  Instead, he signed an only slightly less monumentally large contract extension to stay with the Phillies.

He received the largest contract in team history, and the second largest contract ever awarded to a pitcher.

While there is obviously some risk involved for the Phillies, they've assured themselves that their best homegrown pitcher in over fifty years will be with the team for the foreseeable future.  Hamels should be in his prime throughout the length of the deal, and if all goes well, he will be anchoring the Phillies rotation for years to come.

Unfortunately, Hamels didn't go out and celebrate his new deal with a shutdown performance.  Instead, he was uncharacteristically wild, and lost to the Braves.

Thankfully for Phillies fans, Hamels will have plenty of chances to redeem himself over the next few years.

Ghost of Phillies Past: Don Carman

The Phillies once had another homegrown lefthander who they thought was going to be a rotation mainstay for years to come. 

Don Carman went 9-5 as a rookie in 1985 and followed that up with 10-5 and 13-11 records in 1986 and 1987.  They thought he was going to develop one of the National League's top lefthanders.

Much like the rest of the team, Carman's performance dropped off severely after the 1987 season.  He went 10-14 in 1988, and then suffered a National League leading 15 losses in 1989.  His ERA went up every season, topping off at a dreadful 5.24. 

In 1990, the Phillies tried moving him to the bullpen.  He was slightly improved, but far from a standout.  The next year, they finally gave up on him and traded him to the Reds.

In addition to his poor pitching, Carman was also one of the worst hitting pitchers to ever step foot in a batter's box.  He started off his career 0-42, and ended up with a lifetime .057 average.

Pennant Year Song of the Week

Heading into their series against the Washington Nationals, the standings are a little different from last year.  The Nats are in first place, and the Phillies are in last.  Most Phillies fans would consider that to be upside down.  And so this week's song is Upside Down by Diana Ross.

 

Random Phillies Image Found on the Web

This pretty much sums up how the season has gone for General Manager Ruben Amaro.

Final Analysis

While there are no guarantees in baseball, the Phillies can feel quite confident that they will have one of the best pitchers in baseball anchoring their staff for the next few years.  If they are going to rebound from this year's disappointment, Hamels will likely be a big part of it.