A narrative timeline of Cole Hamels' Phillies career

June 2002: Draft night

The Phillies drafted Hamels with the 17th overall pick in 2002. There were concerns that Hamels was a risky choice.

Hamels ran into a pickup truck playing street football during the summer heading into his junior season at San Diego's Rancho Bernardo High. He felt a pain in his left arm but continued to pitch for his summer league team. Hamels felt his arm pop in his third summer start. He had fractured his humerus bone. He had surgery two days later.

"I thought my career might be over," Hamels said. "It's something you don't ever want to experience."

Hamels did not sign with the Phillies until more than two months later. He spent the two months going to the beach and "doing teenage things." The Phillies gave him a $2 million signing bonus.

March 4, 2004: Spring debut

Hamels got his first taste of the majors as he started in spring training against the New York Yankees. Hamels pitched two innings. He struck out Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter on change-ups.

"Facing two possible Hall of Famers right off the bat and doing well against them, it's a good thing."

October 2003 to February 2005: Minor troubles

Two months after turning 21, Hamels broke a bone in his throwing hand in a bar fight at team's Clearwater, Fla., training complex in February 2005. Hamels, who said he was the designated driver, said he and a group of friends were attacked from behind.

The Phillies revoked his invitation to major-league spring training. They did not expect him to pitch again for three months. Hamels was labeled as "injury prone." He missed almost all of 2004 with elbow injuries. In October 2003, he missed trying out for the U.S. Olympic team because of back spasms.

"I definitely learned a big lesson," Hamels said. "I'm more aware of my surroundings, and basically realizing that baseball is my life, this is what I want to do, and to do it I have to protect myself and make sure I do everything I can to make sure I get there."

May 13, 2006: Major-league debut

Hamels started the 2006 season at triple-A Scranton / Wilkes-Barre. He made just three starts before being called up to the Phillies. Ryan Madson was moved into the bullpen to make room for Hamels, who started at Cincinnati against the Reds on May 13, 2006. He allowed one hit over five scoreless innings. Hamels walked five batters and struck out seven, including two strikeouts of Ken Griffey Jr.

"I grew up watching him when I was in grade school," Hamels said. "I tried to collect his baseball cards. I don't know if I'll be able to go up and ask for his autograph anymore. Striking him out was a big deal for me."

August to September 2007: Postseason push

Hamels missed four starts with elbow discomfort in late August and early September 2007 as the Phillies began to make a run for their first division title since 1993. He returned on Sept. 18 and made three starts to end the season. He pitched eight shutout innings against Washington to put the Phillies in first place with two games left. Hamels retired 19 of the final 22 batters he faced. The Phillies clinched the division title two days later.

October 2008: MVP

Hamels helped the Phillies reach consecutive postseasons for the first time since 1981. He pitched the first game of all three playoff series. He was named the NLCS MVP with a 1.93 ERA in two starts. He started Game 1 of the World Series, again striking out five batters in seven innings. The Phillies won all five of Hamels' postseason starts, including the title-clinching fifth game. He was named the World Series MVP.

"I can't describe it," he said. "It's such a phenomenal experience. I'm sure it will take a couple of weeks to sink in, but as the weeks tick away, I'm going to be ready to go for another world championship next season."

2009: Back for more

The following season, Hamels was rarely in 2008 form. The Phillies acquired Cliff Lee at the 2009 trade deadline as the team made a run toward a third-straight division crown and second straight World Series.

Hamels struggled all season to a 10-11 record with a 4.32 ERA in 32 starts.

After losing Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees, he caused a media uproar when he made comments that fans and media interpreted as possibly quitting.

He was still scheduled to pitch a possible Game 7 in New York when he was asked after the Game 3 loss how he would feel if Game 3 ended up being his final start of the season.

"I can't wait for it to end. It's been mentally draining. At year's end, you just can't wait for a fresh start," Hamels said.

Hamels said it was taken out of context. He was waiting after Game 5 to talk to manager Charlie Manuel, when Brett Myers walked past and said, "I thought you quit."

Myers and Hamels both said the expression is baseball parlance for "I thought you had left for the night."

Hamels, who said he was tired, did not make the connection and fired back with a profanity.

"It's what he says every day, but because of the situation, it hit a nerve," Hamels said. "He totally apologized. He said the wrong thing at the wrong time. He had no idea what was going on."

2010: Postseason shutout

Two games after Roy Halladay pitched a no-hitter in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS against the Reds, Hamels pitched his first-career postseason shutout in Game 3 as the Phillies clinched a berth in their third straight NLCS. Hamels finished the season 12-11 with a 3.06 ERA.

2011: The Four Aces

The Phillies brought back Cliff Lee before the 2011 season to team him with Hamels, Halladay, and Roy Oswalt. Hamels finished the season with a then-career-low 2.79 ERA and a career-high three complete games. Hamels reached the seventh inning in 11 of his first 14 starts.

The team's World Series dreams came crashing down in the postseason. The Phillies fell to St. Louis in the NLDS. Hamels won Game 3. He pitched six shutout innings, striking out eight and walking three.

May 6, 2012: Hamels meets Harper

Hamels met Bryce Harper for the first time in May 2012. The meeting was marked by the pitcher's throwing a fastball at Harper's back with two outs. Harper, then 19 years old, moved to third on a single and then stole home when Hamels tried to pick off a runner at first.

Hamels admitted afterward that he threw at Harper on purpose.

"That's something I grew up watching, that's kind of what happened. So I'm just trying to continue the old baseball because I think some people are kind of getting away from it. I remember when I was a rookie the strike zone was really, really small and you didn't say anything because that's the way basebal is."

June 25, 2012: Contract extension

Hamels avoided salary arbitration with a one-year contract in January. He then avoided free agency by signing a six-year, $144 million contract. At the time, it was the second-highest ever for a pitcher and the highest for a Philadelphia athlete. Hamels joined Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee as Phillies pitchers earning $20 million per season. Hamels finished the 2012 season 17-6 with a 3.05 ERA. He made his second straight All- Star Game and recorded a career high in wins, but the Phillies missed the postseason for the first time since 2006.

"It's very hard to leave a place that you've had so many great memories," Hamels said. "You don't want to miss it and not be a part of it. I know the organization has always done a good job of going out to win. We have great players here. You don't want to have to leave that or stray away and see them win and you're not part of it."

July 25, 2015: No-hitter

In his final start with the Phillies, Hamels threw his first career no-hitter, and the 13th in franchise history, in a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Hamels had control of his pitches, striking out 13 and walking only two.

He threw 129 pitches, and had only two close calls for hits, both ending in dramatic catches by Odubel Herrera, one in the eighth inning and one to end the game.

After the game, Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin summed up his ace's effort: "Today was vintage
Cole Hamels."

Personal

Hamels married his wife, Heidi, in 2006. They have three children, Caleb; Braxton; and a baby girl, Reeve, whom they adopted from Ethiopia in 2013.

The couple started the Hamels Foundation in 2008. Itsmission is to provide assistance to inner-city schools in the United States as well as promote education to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in Malawi.

Regular Season

Playoffs