JockBio: Facts about Cole Hamels

Among Cole’s teammates at Ranch Bernardo High School was Hank Blalock. Blalock was a senior on the team during Cole’s freshman season.
Baseball America named Cole a First Team High Scholl All-American in 2002.
Cole’s injury-plagued minor-league career consisted of 35 starts. He pitched 195 innings struck out 273 batters and had a 1.43 ERA.
TV ratings for Cole’s first major league start were Philadelphia’s highest since 2001.
Cole’s first strikeout was a three-pitch masterpiece against Ken Griffey Jr. He said pitching against his childhood hero was like being in a video game.
When Cole first met Tom Glavine on a trip Shea Stadium in 2006, he was literally speechless.
In 2006, Brett Myers was tops in the NL with 107 strikeouts after the All-Star Break. Cole was tied with John Smoltz for second with 101.
Cole got his first shutout against the Atlanta Braves in May of 2008.
In Cole’s Game 1 victory over the Tampe Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series, 38 of his 102 pitches were changeups.
Only three pitchers besides Cole have won three games in the same postseason—John Smoltz (1996), David Wells (1998) and Josh Beckett (2007).
Most pitchers don’t like to think about no-hitters, but Cole admits that he tries to pitch one every game.
Cole’s wife, Heidi Strobel, was a contestant on Survivor: The Amazon in 2006.

Hank Blaylock,
Black Book Partners archives

John Smoltz,
1997 Baseball Weekly Almanac