"This whole run has been outstanding. It wasn't anything that I really had expected," Hamels said. "With the whole LA experience, these are shows that I have grown up watching.
"It has been a surreal moment," he said.
Hamels received the Philadelphia Team Achievement Award on behalf of his teammates. The award was presented by former Phillies pitchers Marty Bystrom, Dickie Noles and Mitch Williams.
Around town, Hamels has been thankful for the affection and well-wishes he has received from fans; the genuine appreciation for his performance has touched him.
"I couldn't be more thankful for their support," Hamels said. "They're so happy. That is why we play this game. It is really to bring joy to everyone that follows us. I think that is what we were able to do."
While he has enjoyed the star treatment on a national level, Hamels has not lost sight of the goals that still stand. Even with a little play, he is still all business.
"I don't mind all of the attention," Hamels said. "You just don't want it to end. You want to keep going and going and going.
"But I don't want it to take away from what I do, and that is to play baseball. I think we have the talent to keep going and keep producing," he added.
Although he was snubbed by voters for the National League MVP, Ryan Howard was named Philadelphia's MVP athlete by the fans. More than 196,000 ballots were cast at local Wawa stores. Hamels agreed with Howard's selection.
"Howard was definitely our team MVP," Hamels said. "I think that he definitely deserved it. You can't knock [the Cardinals' Albert] Pujols . . . but it was the matter of opinion."
