Cole Hamels

THE PHILLIES have used their first-round pick on a lanky, lefthanded high school pitcher twice in the last 11 years. The first went on to win a World Series MVP and earn the richest contract in franchise history. The second took a perfect game into the seventh inning in his most recent start. Cole Hamels, who made his fifth start of the season on Tuesday night, was the first player, selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2002 draft. He made his major league debut 4 years later.

Back in January, when he was still taking baby steps in his recovery from a back condition that scuttled his climb up the minor-league ladder last summer, Cole Hamels said his goal for the 2006 season was to get to Philadelphia and make a run at the National League rookie of the year award. Hamels has arrived. (You might have heard that.) He has plenty of time to make a bid for the NL's top rookie prize. And he certainly has the talent. He also will have plenty of competition.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The new leader of the starting rotation did exactly what he was supposed to do in the Grapefruit League opener Saturday, but still the Phillies could not beat the Houston Astros. This we offer as proof that spring-training leadership week was blown way out of proportion. Or maybe Saturday's fall-from-ahead loss was just more evidence that regardless of how wretched the Astros become, the Phillies will always have a hard time beating them. The good news about that is the Astros have moved to the American League West, never to be seen again in Philadelphia as anything other than an interleague opponent.

ATLANTA - The first pitch was less than three hours away Monday, and $435.5 million worth of Phillies lounged on three leather couches. The six players watched baseball because there was nothing left to do. They had waited an entire winter and seven weeks of spring training for this night. Cole Hamels, the most expensive of them all, had waited years for this moment. He prepared for his first opening-day start in a corner of the visiting clubhouse at Turner Field. But all that preparation was not enough to prevent mistakes against a Braves lineup that gashed him for three home runs in a 7-5 loss.

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.

NEW YORK - All Cole Hamels has to show for his latest stellar outing are a bruised thigh and another notch in the loss column. The rejuvenated lefthander held the Mets to five hits in eight innings despite being pelted with a David Wright line drive in the fourth inning, but knuckleballer R.A. Dickey confounded the Phillies and handed them a 1-0 loss. The Phillies have yet to score a run in four games at Citi Field this season. During a late May three-game sweep in the Big Apple, they were outscored by the Mets, 16-0.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Cole Hamels has said all the right things, no matter how loud the trade speculation. Facing a horde of national media at Monday's All-Star Game festivities, he maintained his desire to stay in Philadelphia. Hamels said the Phillies would have first right of refusal if he were to test the market. And he said he believes they will continue to contend. Jonathan Papelbon, seated to Hamels' right in a large conference room, said what everyone else really is thinking about a potential Hamels trade.

WHILE THEIR division rivals have produced more attention-grabbing headlines, the Phillies took care of their most important piece of offseason business while baseball was still in season. Six months ago this week, the Phils signed Cole Hamels to a 6-year, $144 million contract. It was a deal that kept Hamels from hitting the free-agent market and possibly leaving for a richer pasture, which would have made this winter an unconditional disaster for Ruben Amaro Jr. and company. But there were Hamels and Amaro, together, at the 109th annual sports writers dinner on Monday night at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill.

Cole Hamels and Charlie Manuel weren't going to push the pitch-count meter. The Phillies lefthander threw seven shutout innings, allowing three hits, walking three, and striking out seven in the Phillies' 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a split doubleheader Sunday at Citizens Bank Park. The reason for his departure while holding a 1-0 lead was his pitch count. Hamels had thrown 111 pitches, and both he and Manuel thought that was more than enough. "Unfortunately, when you get to that sacred [pitch-count]

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