Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels has pitched at such a high level that on a night when he allowed three earned runs, it appeared to be a subpar effort. Only by the lefthander's exceedingly high standards. Despite allowing two home runs after surrendering just three in his previous seven starts, Hamels had more than enough to keep both his and the Phillies' winning ways intact. He struck out nine and walked one as the Phillies defeated the Boston Red Sox, 6-4, Friday night at Citizens Bank Park in the beginning of interleague play.

Cole Hamels proved to be the stopper the Phillies needed. Hamels, whose no-hit bid was broken up with one out in the sixth inning, allowed four hits through eight innings in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. The lefthander struck out eight and walked three while throwing 114 pitches. Closer Jonathan Papelbon allowed a solo home run to Adam LaRoche in the ninth. Hamels (7-1, 2.17 ERA) ended the Phillies four-game losing streak.

After throwing 110 pitches against Arizona on April 24, Vance Worley went looking for Cole Hamels. The ball was coming out of Worley's right hand just fine. But there was extra pain in his elbow. He remembered that Hamels had often talked about the same thing last season, when he pitched with a bone chip the size of a Tic Tac in his left elbow. "What is, exactly, a bone chip?" Worley asked Hamels. "Can you give me some of your symptoms?" Hamels started listing a few. When he finished, he asked Worley: "Do you have any of them?"

For the first time since late February, the Phillies have six days without a baseball game. But the players must remain sharp while management considers several important decisions before the World Series begins Wednesday. Before the team's two-hour workout at Citizens Bank Park yesterday, manager Charlie Manuel, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., and other staff members sat for the first of many meetings. Among the most pressing decisions: how to configure the starting rotation, whether to include Brett Myers on the roster, and how to be productive with all the time off. On the first point, Cliff Lee, the ace in the division series and National League Championship Series, likely will start Game 1, Manuel said yesterday.

Cole Hamels didn't expect to win the Daily News Sportsperson of the Year, but that's only because he didn't know it existed. See, Hamels expects to win it all. That is his secret. He expects to retire every batter, preferably by strikeout, and he hates walks. He expects to win every game. He expects an ERA around 3.00. This year, in his second full season, he finished in the top 10 in the NL in wins, strikeouts, strikeout-to-walk ratio, wins, ERA, innings pitched, shutouts and, the killer geek stat, walks and hits per innings pitched.

Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels instigated a talk-radio firestorm with his postgame comments Saturday after an 8-5 loss to the Yankees in Game 3 - although the full context revealed a more complicated meaning than the interpretation that incensed some. "I can't wait for it to end," Hamels said of his difficult season. "It's been mentally draining. At year's end, you just can't wait for a fresh start. " Some commentators who heard those words in isolation took them to mean that Hamels did not want to pitch again this season.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Legendary Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr., had cluttered a Bright House Field concourse with wires, lights and equipment as he prepared for Cole Hamels' noon Friday cover shoot. Iosss understood that most athletes would rather don tutus than pose. Typically, they show up late and beg off early. Making them wait invariably produced photographic poison. So he and his two assistants would be ready no matter how tardy the Phillies pitcher might be. At 11:45 a.m., 15 minutes early, Hamels, wearing a crisp white uniform, the blond streaks in his hair glistening in the midday Florida sun, arrived.

As a youngster growing up in San Diego, Cole Hamels dreamed about this. He dreamed about winning the World Series, about being the MVP, about hugging teammates and spraying champagne. The reality is much better than the dream. "It's tremendous," the 24-year-old pitcher said with a bright, ear-to-ear smile after the Phillies wrapped the World Series championship with a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay in Game 5 last night. "I can't describe it," he said. "It's such a phenomenal experience.

ON THURSDAY, June 3, there was a photo in the Daily News of Cole Hamels at the Flyers game. He is a true gentleman - and he was dressed like a gentleman. When he was at the Flyers game, he was representing the Phillies. The Phillies should be proud of Cole. Most people today dress like slobs. Like they are going to scrub floors. Cole Hamels, your parents should be proud of you. Joan Reed Philadelphia

THE NATIONAL correspondents - newspaper, online, television, or some combination thereof - arrived in the Phillies' clubhouse, one after another, in the hours before the game. MLB Network informed its viewers that it would cut to Citizens Bank Park at the appropriate time. To see: Outside, Ball 1. Foul, Strike 1. Fly ball to deep left. And now it can be told: that Round 2 of Cole Hamels vs. Bryce Harper was predictably not as interesting (in a pyrotechnic sense)

This was supposed to be the Phillies' formula for surviving The Wait for the middle of the lineup: great starting pitching, some opportunistic hitting with a little small ball mixed in, steady if unspectacular production from the cleanup spot, some offense and great defense from the little shortstop. On this night, at least, the shortstop was the balletic Freddy Galvis instead of Jimmy Rollins and the cleanup hitter was Carlos Ruiz instead of Hunter Pence. The role of Cole Hamels, however, was played by the man himself.

Cole Hamels proved to be the stopper the Phillies needed. Hamels, whose no-hit bid was broken up with one out in the sixth inning, allowed four hits through eight innings in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. The lefthander struck out eight and walked three while throwing 114 pitches. Closer Jonathan Papelbon allowed a solo home run to Adam LaRoche in the ninth. Hamels (7-1, 2.17 ERA) ended the Phillies four-game losing streak.

The Washington Nationals' front office worked hard this offseason to lather up a real hatred for the Phillies with a D.C. campaign that reached its zenith earlier this month when the teams met in the "Take Back the Park" series. You could feel the buzz in Nationals Park during that three-game series and a real animosity between the teams emerged in the aftermath when Cole Hamels shockingly admitted he hit 19-year-old rookie Bryce Harper on purpose in the Sunday night nationally televised series finale.

After throwing 110 pitches against Arizona on April 24, Vance Worley went looking for Cole Hamels. The ball was coming out of Worley's right hand just fine. But there was extra pain in his elbow. He remembered that Hamels had often talked about the same thing last season, when he pitched with a bone chip the size of a Tic Tac in his left elbow. "What is, exactly, a bone chip?" Worley asked Hamels. "Can you give me some of your symptoms?" Hamels started listing a few. When he finished, he asked Worley: "Do you have any of them?"

WASHINGTON - One of baseball's newer rivalries resumes when the Washington Nationals begin a three-game series with the Phillies on Monday at Citizens Bank Park. Of course, when these teams last met earlier this month, much that makes a rivalry compelling was in place - including bad blood. This will be their first meeting since the Phillies' 9-3 nationally televised Sunday night win May 6 in Washington. That's when Cole Hamels plunked Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and later admitted that it was his way of welcoming the rookie phenom to the major leagues.

WASHINGTON - One of baseball's newer rivalries resumes when the Washington Nationals begin a three-game series with the Phillies on Monday at Citizens Bank Park. Of course, when these teams last met earlier this month, much that makes a rivalry compelling was in place - including bad blood. This will be their first meeting since the Phillies' 9-3 nationally televised Sunday night win May 6 in Washington. That's when Cole Hamels plunked Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and later admitted that it was his way of welcoming the rookie phenom to the major leagues.

At Citizens Bank Park. Monday at 7:05 p.m. Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (5-1, 2.22 ERA) vs. RHP Kyle Kendrick (0-3, 5.96) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. Washington RHP Jordan Zimmermann (2-4, 2.58) vs. RHP Roy Halladay (4-3, 3.22) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Washington RHP Edwin Jackson (1-1, 3.31) vs. LHP Cole Hamels (6-1, 2.48)

Cole Hamels has pitched at such a high level that on a night when he allowed three earned runs, it appeared to be a subpar effort. Only by the lefthander's exceedingly high standards. Despite allowing two home runs after surrendering just three in his previous seven starts, Hamels had more than enough to keep both his and the Phillies' winning ways intact. He struck out nine and walked one as the Phillies defeated the Boston Red Sox, 6-4, Friday night at Citizens Bank Park in the beginning of interleague play.