Hamels named MVP of World Series, pulls off rare feat
Sports Network | October 29, 2008
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Cole Hamels pulled off a rare feat Wednesday, becoming just the fifth player in history to win the Most Valuable Player award in both the World Series and in a League Championship Series.
Hamels didn't even pitch Wednesday night when the Phillies finished off Tampa Bay, 4-3, in Game 5 to win their second World Series title in franchise history, joining the 1980 team that topped the Kansas City Royals in six games.
The 24-year-old lasted six innings and threw 75 pitches in Game 5, which was concluded two days after it began due to inclement weather in Philadelphia. Hamels went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA over five postseason starts in 2008.
Game 5 of the World Series was tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning Monday when the rain intensified at Citizens Bank Park, and when play resumed two nights later Hamels was lifted for a pinch-hitter. Geoff Jenkins doubled and scored in the sixth on a Jayson Werth hit, but the Rays tied the game the next inning on Rocco Baldelli's homer off Ryan Madson, leaving Hamels with a no-decision. The Phils pushed ahead for good on a Pedro Feliz RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
"I'm definitely going to have to enjoy this moment, because there's a lot of times you don't have everything go your way," said Hamels. "I was just fortunate enough to be on the good end of these victories and winning a trophy. But truly it was the teammates behind me that really helped me through these times. They're the ones that scored the runs."
Hamels, who was brought up through the Phillies' farm system after being the team's first-round draft pick in 2002. went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA in 33 starts during the regular season. He went 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two World Series games.
On Wednesday, he joined Pittsburgh's Willie Stargell (1979), St. Louis' Darrell Porter (1982), Los Angeles' Orel Hershiser (1988) and Florida's Livan Hernandez (1997) as the only players to win multiple MVPs in the same postseason. Hamels joined Mike Schmidt (1980) as the only Phillies to capture the MVP of the World Series.
The victory was also monumental as far as Philadelphia is concerned, considering the city hadn't celebrated a major sports title since the 1983 76ers won the NBA championship.
"Seeing the city and the excitement throughout the first game of the season this year, throughout the multiple sellouts and of course the playoff excitement was just really huge," said Hamels. "I really think the fans stepped up. They could taste it just as much as we could. And they added to our confidence to go out there and win."
Hamels was presented with a new car after the game and said it would be for his wife, who celebrated her 30th birthday on Wednesday.
"Being fortunate enough for the Phillies to draft me and knowing that they were trying to put together a really good team, and now being a member of what they were able to establish is something I can't thank them enough for," said Hamels. "They truly did give me the opportunity to be here in this city and to win this World Series. All they asked of me was to go out there and play this game that I enjoy and that I die for every day."
