History of Cole Hamels in Timeline
Cole Hamels, nicknamed "Hollywood", is a retired American professional baseball pitcher. He played in MLB for the Philadelphia Phillies (2006-2015), Texas Rangers (2015-2018), Chicago Cubs (2018-2019), and Atlanta Braves (2020). He had a notable career as a left-handed pitcher, known for his time with the Phillies.
1965: No-Hitter Against Cubs
On July 25, 2015 Cole Hamels threw the first no-hitter against the Cubs since Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965.
1972: No-Hitter At Wrigley
On July 25, 2015 Cole Hamels threw the first no-hitter at Wrigley since Milt Pappas did it in 1972.
1977: Bert Blyleven Traded
In 1977, Bert Blyleven had been the last pitcher to pitch a no-hitter in his final start with the team that traded him before Cole Hamels.
December 27, 1983: Cole Hamels Born
On December 27, 1983, Colbert Michael Hamels was born. He is an American former professional baseball pitcher, nicknamed "Hollywood."
1990: MLB First Since 1990
Since 1990, on July 21, 2012, Cole Hamels was the first time in MLB that two pitchers had hit home runs off of each other in the same inning.
2002: Drafted by Philadelphia Phillies
Cole Hamels was drafted in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 17th overall selection.
2003: Began Professional Career
In 2003, Cole Hamels began his professional baseball career pitching for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, and was later promoted to the Clearwater Threshers. He finished the year receiving the Paul Owens Award.
2004: Missed Season Due to Injury
In 2004, Cole Hamels missed most of the season with elbow tendinitis, making only four starts.
2005: Broke Hand in Bar Fight
In 2005, Cole Hamels broke his pitching hand in a bar fight before the season began, impacting his career.
May 2006: MLB Debut
In May 2006, Cole Hamels made his Major League Baseball debut for the Philadelphia Phillies, pitching five scoreless innings against the Cincinnati Reds.
August 14, 2006: Shutout Against the Mets
On August 14, 2006, Cole Hamels had his best start of his rookie season, shutting out the New York Mets over eight innings and striking out nine.
2006: Played for the Philadelphia Phillies
In 2006, Cole Hamels played for the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball (MLB).
2006: Top Pitcher in Minor League System
In 2006, Cole Hamels reached the Triple-A level and was recognized as the top pitcher in the Phillies' minor league system.
2006: Promoted to Major Leagues
In 2006, after a strong performance in the minor leagues, Cole Hamels was promoted to the Philadelphia Phillies' major league club.
December 31, 2006: Married Heidi Strobel
On December 31, 2006, Cole Hamels married Heidi Strobel, who was a contestant on Survivor: The Amazon.
April 21, 2007: First Complete Game
On April 21, 2007, Cole Hamels pitched his first major league complete game, allowing one run on five hits and striking out 15.
2007: Phillies' Top Pitcher Award
In the 2007 season, Cole Hamels made large strides and won the Phillies' top major league pitcher award.
2008: Won World Series MVP
In 2008, Cole Hamels led the Phillies to win the World Series and was awarded the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
2009: Signed Three-Year Contract
After the 2008 season, Cole Hamels signed a three-year contract with the Phillies in 2009.
2009: Disappointing Season for Hamels
Cole Hamels faced criticism following his disappointing 2009 season, with some fans calling for him to be traded.
2009: Formed the Hamels Foundation
Cole Hamels formed the Hamels Foundation in 2009 with a mission of uplifting the lives of children, families & communities across the globe through the power of education.
2009: Signed Contract with Phillies
In 2009, Cole Hamels signed a three-year, $20.5 million contract with the Phillies and was named the Opening Day starter.
2009: World Series Loss
In 2009, Cole Hamels started Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, taking the loss. The Phillies lost the series in six games.
December 15, 2010: Cliff Lee Returned to the Phillies
On December 15, 2010, Cliff Lee returned to the Phillies and the team's starting rotation was considered one of the best in pitching history.
2010: Hamels 'Found His Game'
After a disappointing 2009 season, Cole Hamels 'found his game' in 2010.
2010: Halladay Acquired by the Phillies
Entering the 2010 season, the Phillies acquired Roy Halladay in a trade. The Phillies did not re-sign Myers, and Halladay was named the Phillies' opening day starter.
2010: Statistics Rebounded
In 2010, Cole Hamels' statistics somewhat rebounded after a tumultuous 2009 season, but still not approaching his 2008 numbers.
2011: Elbow and Hernia Surgeries
During the 2011 off-season, Cole Hamels underwent surgeries on his elbow and to repair a hernia.
2011: Finished Season
In 2011, Cole Hamels concluded the season with a 14–9 record, 194 strikeouts, a 2.79 ERA, and a 0.986 WHIP. He also finished fifth in the Cy Young Award voting.
2011: Career Highs
In 2011, Cole Hamels finished the season with career highs in wins (17) and strikeouts (216), earning the "Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher" award.
2011: Phillies in the NLDS
In 2011, the Phillies had the best MLB record for the second year. During the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Cole Hamels started Game 3 which led to a 3–2 victory, giving the Phillies a 2–1 series advantage; however, the Phillies would lose Games 4 and 5.
July 21, 2012: First Career Home Run
On July 21, 2012, Cole Hamels hit his first career home run off San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain.
2012: Ready to Pitch
By the start of Spring training in 2012, Cole Hamels had recovered from elbow and hernia surgeries.
2013: Opening Day Starter
Before the 2013 season, Cole Hamels was named the opening day starter. On April 1, 2013, in his first career opening day start, Hamels allowed five earned runs in five innings and took the loss.
2013: Suffered from Poor Run Support
In 2013, Cole Hamels suffered from poor run support despite putting up some of his top career seasons.
2014: Tendinitis
Before the 2014 season, Cole Hamels announced he would not be ready to pitch on Opening Day due to tendinitis in his biceps.
2014: Newtown Square Home Built
In 2014, Cole Hamels and his wife built a home in Newtown Square where they resided with their children.
July 25, 2015: No-Hitter
On July 25, 2015, Cole Hamels no-hit the Chicago Cubs 5–0 at Wrigley Field, striking out 13.
July 31, 2015: Traded to Texas Rangers
On July 31, 2015, Cole Hamels was traded to the Texas Rangers along with Jake Diekman.
2015: Division Title
In 2015, Cole Hamels helped the Texas Rangers clinch the AL West title on the final day of the season.
2015: Played for the Texas Rangers
In 2015, Cole Hamels played for the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball (MLB).
2016: Finished Season
In 2016, Cole Hamels finished the season with a 15–5 record and a 3.32 ERA.
May 3, 2017: Disabled List
On May 3, 2017, Cole Hamels was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained right oblique muscle.
2017: Hamels Donates Mansion to Charity
In 2017, Cole Hamels and his wife donated their 32,000-square-foot Missouri mansion, valued at $10 million, to Camp Barnabas, a Christian charity for children with special needs.
July 27, 2018: Traded to Chicago Cubs
On July 27, 2018, Cole Hamels was traded to the Chicago Cubs.
2018: Wild Card Loss
Cole Hamels pitched in relief in the Cubs’ 2018 Wild Card loss to the Colorado Rockies.
2018: Played for the Chicago Cubs
In 2018, Cole Hamels played for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball (MLB).
2018: Hamels' Joked about Yankee Fans
Years later, in 2018, Hamels joked that Yankee fans love him due to the fact that he helped them win the series.
December 4, 2019: Signed with Atlanta Braves
On December 4, 2019, Cole Hamels signed a one-year, $18 million free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves.
2019: Played for the Chicago Cubs
In 2019, Cole Hamels played for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball (MLB).
2020: Shoulder Injury
During spring training in 2020, Cole Hamels suffered a shoulder injury, which was not expected to allow him to pitch at the start of the season.
2020: Played for the Atlanta Braves
In 2020, Cole Hamels played for the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball (MLB).
2020: Season Shut Down
In 2020, Cole Hamels was shut down for the season after pitching only 3+1⁄3 innings with the Atlanta Braves.
August 4, 2021: Signed with Los Angeles Dodgers
On August 4, 2021, Cole Hamels was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers for $1 million.
2021: Put Home Up For Sale
In 2021, Cole Hamels and his wife put their Newtown Square home up for sale.
2021: Resigned from the Hamels Foundation
In 2021, Cole Hamels resigned from the organization (Hamels Foundation), and it was re-named as "Uplift Malawi".
February 16, 2023: Signed Minor League Contract with Padres
On February 16, 2023, Cole Hamels signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres organization.
August 4, 2023: Retirement Announcement
On August 4, 2023, Cole Hamels announced his retirement from professional baseball.
2023: Retirement Announcement
After two unsuccessful comeback attempts, Cole Hamels announced his retirement in 2023.
June 21, 2024: Official Retirement Ceremony
On June 21, 2024, the Phillies held a pregame ceremony where Cole Hamels officially retired as a member of the team.
2024: Hamels Divorced
In 2024, Cole Hamels and his wife officially divorced.
