PHILADELPHIA – Cole Hamels is the type of guy who walks into the Philadelphia Phillies’ spring training complex as a first-round draft pick, sees Steve Carlton Field, named for the great Phillies lefty, and says to no one in particular, “I’m going to be better than that.”
He’s the kind of guy who walks up to the sexy “Survivor” star, featured in Playboy and asks her out and then marries her. Needless to say, this kind of cockiness bodes well for his first career playoff start this afternoon for a team that has gone 14 years without one.
The city of Philadelphia, so starved for baseball success that fans filled Dilworth Plaza outside City Hall on Monday to celebrate winning the East Division, is billing Hamels as its next great left-hander. While he doesn’t have Carlton’s code of silence, he certainly has his mastery.
Hamels, 23, went 15-5 with a 3.39 ERA, struck out 177 and has won six of his past seven decisions. He has allowed more than four runs once in his past 13 outings. This is the guy the Rockies must beat, figuring they’ll face him two times if the series goes the distance. And the Rockies have never faced him.
“He’s good,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “And he’s got a chance to get better. He’s got a chance to be a real big major-league pitcher.”
Uh, Charlie? Are you paying attention? He’s already there.
In his second year, Hamels has developed one of the best changeups in the game, helping him become an ace. If teams get to him, it’s usually early.
“When he gets going that’s when he really gets good,” Manuel said.
It only took Hamels a year. He went a pedestrian 9-8 as a rookie a year ago but this year veteran Jamie Moyer put him under his wing and helped him learn how to mix in his curveball and fastball to make his changeup even more devastating.
He made the All-Star Game after going 10-4. Only a tender elbow that knocked him out a month prevented him from having a shot at 20 wins and a Cy Young Award.
Hamels has been back only three games since being disabled, but in two games he threw eight innings of shutout ball Friday to beat Washington and move the Phillies into first place.
John Henderson: jhenderson@denverpost.com or 303-954-1299
