He left out the part about how, after one sunset and one sunrise, he would be back on the same patch of clubhouse carpet, talking about how his elbow will be examined by team doc Michael Ciccotti back in Philadelphia today.
Look, it's entirely possible that Hamels will take the mound as scheduled on Opening Night, April 5, in front of a packed house at Citizens Bank Park and a national ESPN audience and effortlessly buzz through the Atlanta Braves' lineup.
It's entirely possible that this round-trip flight will turn out to be nothing more than the routine precaution that general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. insisted yesterday morning that it is.
It's entirely possible that Hamels, who was dogged by injuries during the formative years of his career and pitched 262 1/3 innings last season, a staggering 38 percent increase from his previous high the year before, is just being ultracareful with his precious left arm.
Or not.
Because there's really no way of knowing for sure anymore what's fact, what's fabrication and what's just wishful thinking.
At least there's no way for the fans, who get the majority of their information through the various media outlets that spend tens of thousands of dollars giving this team free publicity, to know. If there's more to this story than the Phillies have let on so far, they're keeping their lips zipped.
Coming off a world championship, with a core group of exciting players, this franchise has never been more popular. It has never been more obsessed with keeping even the most mundane facts hush-hush, either. The attitude seems to be that the public will find out when the club is good and ready to make an announcement, and not a moment before. Just behave and, in the meantime, be sure to keep buying those tickets, caps, T-shirts, jackets, replica jerseys and assorted geegaws.
