Yesterday was Christmas in July. And Phillies fans got ‘Cole’ in their stockings.
Cole Hamels is not going anywhere. And he has 144 million reasons to be happy about it.
The Phillies yesterday signed a contract extension with their ace lefthander that will be him $144,000,000 over the next six years. You read it right. That’s six zeroes.
Or, as someone figured the numbers, about 7,359 per pitch.
Yes, the numbers are insane.
No, the Phillies are not out of their minds for offering it to one of their very few home-grown talents.
The first thing you have to realize about sports is that they operate in a completely different universe than the rest of us, in particular when it comes to money.
Why can Cole Hamels command $144 million, more than any other pitcher in baseball aside from CC Sabathia of the Yankees? Because he can. It’s that simple.
Hamels has a golden left arm. He can do things with a baseball very few men can do. And for that talent, the market has set his worth at $144 million.
The Hamels story is important because had he instead decided to test the free agent waters and go elsewhere for more money, he would have been buried in this town.
There’s nothing we hate more than the thought of greedy athletes taking their talents to the highest bidder, leaving the fans who support them high and dry.
Except maybe for greedy, tight-fisted owners who try to go on the cheap, forcing players to go elsewhere to be paid what they’re worth.
Remember Reggie White? Brian Dawkins.
It’s clear now Hamels wanted to stay here in Philly. That alone makes him an exception in our book.
He may be the ultimate in "California cool." But Cole Hamels calls Philly home.
Welcome home, Cole. Any chance we can get a loan?
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