page:  = Cole Hamels = 
   
   Colbert Michael " Cole " Hamels ( born December 27 , 1983 ) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball ( MLB ) . He played in MLB for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2006 to 2015 . 
   Originally from San Diego , California , Hamels excelled in Rancho Bernardo High School both academically and athletically . The Phillies drafted him out of high school in the first round of the 2002 MLB Draft ( 17th ) , and he began his career in the Phillies minor league system . Numerous issues , including an injury sustained in a bar fight as well as other injuries , occurred during his first few minor league seasons . Having reached the Triple @-@ A level , he was the top pitcher in the Phillies ' minor league system in 2006 . 
   In May 2006 , Hamels made his major league debut for the Phillies . After securing a long @-@ term spot as a member of the Phillies starting rotation in his rookie season , he made large strides in the 2007 Major League Baseball season and won the Phillies ' top major league pitcher award . He was the top pitcher on the team entering the 2008 season , and during the Phillies ' postseason run , during which they ultimately won the 2008 World Series , he won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award . Since then , he has been a top starter in the Phillies ' rotation . After the 2008 season , Hamels signed a three @-@ year contract with the Phillies . His statistics declined over the next two seasons , struggling through a tumultuous 2009 campaign and somewhat bouncing back in 2010 , however still not approaching his 2008 numbers . Over the next few seasons , Hamels was joined by fellow all @-@ star pitchers including Roy Halladay , Cliff Lee , and Roy Oswalt , and flourished with them , putting up some of his top career seasons before suffering from poor run support in 2013 . With the decline of his aging teammates as the team missed the postseason for the next few years , Hamels remained one of the Phillies ' consistent stars . Hamels was traded to the Texas Rangers in 2015 where he sparked their run to the AL West title . 
   
   = = Early life = = 
   
   Cole Hamels attended Meadowbrook Middle School and Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego . He was a " gifted student " , and scored a 1510 ( out of 1600 ) on the SAT . Scouts were interested in Hamels while he was in high school primarily because his fastball was clocked as high as 94 miles per hour ( 151 km / h ) , and his secondary offerings were considered advanced . However , some teams lost interest when Hamels broke his left humerus during his sophomore year . Nonetheless , Hamels was drafted in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies , who held the 17th overall selection . 
   
   = = Professional career = = 
   
   
   = = = Minor league career = = = 
   
   Hamels began his professional baseball career in 2003 , pitching for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League . Later that season , he was promoted to the Clearwater Threshers of the Class A @-@ Advanced Florida State League . He finished the year by receiving the Paul Owens Award , given to the best pitcher in the Phillies ' minor league system . 
   During the next two seasons , however , Hamels suffered through several injuries , and pitched only sparingly . He missed most of the 2004 season with elbow tendinitis , making only four starts . In 2005 , he broke his pitching hand in a bar fight before the season began ; after rehabilitation , he was assigned to Clearwater . In July , the Phillies promoted him to the Class AA Reading Phillies of the Eastern League , where he surrendered the first home run of his professional career in his first start . Subsequently , he was shut down for the remainder of the season with back spasms . 
   In 2006 , a healthy Hamels started again at Clearwater , and after a brief stint in Reading , he was promoted to the Scranton / Wilkes @-@ Barre Red Barons of the Class AAA International League . In three games at Scranton , he struck out 36 batters while giving up only one walk and one run . His minor league statistics included a record of 14 – 4 with a 1 @.@ 43 ERA and 273 strikeouts in 35 games pitched . For his performance , the Phillies promoted him to the major league club . 
   
   = = = Philadelphia Phillies = = = 
   
   
   = = = = 2006 = = = = 
   
   Hamels was called up to the Philadelphia Phillies in May 2006 . In his Major League Baseball debut on May 12 , he pitched five scoreless innings , allowing one hit , striking out seven batters , walked five , while earning a no @-@ decision against the Cincinnati Reds . In his second career start , Hamels was dominant until the seventh inning , during which he was pulled after he allowed several baserunners , but again received a no @-@ decision . A shoulder injury scratched Hamels from the lineup of what would have originally been his third major league start . He was put on the 15 @-@ day disabled list and returned on June 6 to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10 – 1 for his first Major League victory . On August 14 , 2006 , Hamels had his best start of his rookie season , shutting out the New York Mets over eight innings and striking out nine in the Phillies ' 13 – 0 victory . He finished his rookie season with a 9 – 8 record , a 4 @.@ 08 earned run average ( ERA ) , and 145 strikeouts ( third among NL rookies ) in 132 1 ⁄ 3 innings ( sixth among NL rookies ) . 
   
   = = = = 2007 = = = = 
   
   Hamels entered the 2007 season having done significant work in the weight room in the offseason and at spring training . His tenacity came to fruition when , on April 21 , 2007 , Hamels pitched his first major league complete game , allowing one run on five hits and two walks while setting a career high with 15 strikeouts . Just three days before , the Phillies moved their opening day starter Brett Myers to the bullpen to be the closer , making Hamels the team 's number one starter . On May 16 , he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning , but then walked leadoff hitter Rickie Weeks and surrendered a home run to the next batter , J. J. Hardy . 
   For his strong performance during the first half of the season , Hamels was , for the first time in his career , selected a member of the NL All Star Team . As Hamels had been the Phillies only consistent starter to that point , even to the point that one columnist said the Phillies are a joke " as long as we are forced to look forward to someone other than Cole Hamels on the mound " , the Phillies acquired Kyle Lohse to supplement the rotation soon before the trading deadline . Several weeks later , Hamels was placed on the 15 @-@ day disabled list ( DL ) with a mild left elbow strain . After the Phillies activated him from the DL , on September 28 , he helped the Phillies take over first place in the National League East by striking out 13 Washington Nationals over 8 innings in a 6 – 0 win . Two days later , the team clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time in 14 years . In the first game of the National League Division Series , he started for the Phillies , but surrendered three runs , three hits , and an " uncharacteristic " four walks , while striking out seven in 62 ⁄ 3 innings ; he was assessed the loss . Ultimately , the Phillies lost the series . Hamels finished with a regular @-@ season record of 15 – 5 , a 3 @.@ 39 ERA , and 177 strikeouts in 183 1 ⁄ 3 innings . The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers ' Association of America presented him the " Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher " award . 
   
   = = = = 2008 = = = = 
   
   Before the season began in March , Hamels made a complaint about the Phillies underpaying him , saying it was a " low blow " and he was " caught off @-@ guard " with the gap between what he and his agent John Boggs felt was a fair reward for his performance in the previous season and what he was paid ( the Phillies paid him US $ 500 @,@ 000 , barely above the minimum salary for MLB players despite Hamels ' strong performance ) . 
   Though Hamels was the " clear @-@ cut ace " , Charlie Manuel penciled in Brett Myers as the Phillies ' opening day starter because Myers accepted his role as closer the preceding season , putting the team ahead of his personal wishes to start . 
   By the end of April , Hamels led the Phillies in most pitching categories , including wins ( 3 ) , ERA ( 2 @.@ 70 ) , and innings pitched ( 43 ⅓ ) . Continuing his dominance into May , Hamels recorded his first career complete game shutout against the Atlanta Braves on the 15th of that month . By June , Myers had been demoted to the minor leagues due to his ineffectiveness , leaving Hamels alone atop the rotation . Hamels was snubbed from a selection to the All @-@ Star Game despite strong numbers . For the season , Hamels was 14 – 10 with a 3 @.@ 09 ERA and 196 strikeouts in 227 1 ⁄ 3 innings ; he had the lowest on @-@ base percentage @-@ against ( OBP ) in the majors at .272 . FanGraphs also rated his changeup as the most effective in the majors . 
   Hamels pitched in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Brewers , pitching " eight spectacular two @-@ hit shutout innings " during which he struck out nine hitters , notching his first career playoff win , and the Phillies ' first playoff win since 1993 . He commented , " I knew the importance of the game . And it 's something where , because of last year , I learned what it really takes in trying to ... kind of mellow out , not to have that sort of excitement where you can 't really control everything . " He was named the Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) of the National League Championship Series , going 2 – 0 in the NLCS with a 1 @.@ 93 ERA and winning the series clincher on October 15 in Los Angeles . 
   Hamels was selected the Phillies starter for Game 1 of the World Series ; the Phillies won 3 – 2 , and Hamels earned his fourth win of the postseason . Hamels also started Game 5 , which was suspended due to rain after the top of the sixth inning tied at 2 @-@ 2 , and receiving a no @-@ decision ; when game five resumed the Phillies won 4 @-@ 3 to clinch the World Series . Overall , Hamels made five postseason starts in 2008 , going 4 – 0 with a 1 @.@ 80 ERA . Hamels threw a total of 35 innings during the postseason , and held opponents scoreless in 28 of them ; he never allowed more than one run in any of the seven innings in which he did not hold opponents scoreless . Hamels was named the 2008 World Series MVP . 
   Subsequently , Jayson Stark wrote , 
   The names on the list are the names who have carved their legends in the month of October ... We know their names because October was their kind of month , and they belong on that list because they once did something very few pitchers have ever done . They all won four starts in the same postseason . And now they have company ... a 24 @-@ year @-@ old left @-@ hander named Cole Hamels . And with every time the Phillies handed him the baseball in October 2009 , it became more apparent that he is one of the sports ' most special talents . 
   The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers ' Association of America presented him the " Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher " award for the second consecutive year . 
   
   = = = = 2009 = = = = 
   
   Hamels started his 2009 season by signing a three @-@ year , $ 20 @.@ 5 million contract with the Phillies . On February 14 , the first day of spring training for pitchers and catchers , when asked who the Opening Day starter would be , manager Charlie Manuel responded , " Yeah , you might as well go ahead and pencil him in . I don 't think there 's any sense in me playing games . Go ahead , pencil him in . " 
   However , Hamels left spring training on March 16 after feeling tightness between innings , and flew to Philadelphia to have his left elbow examined by Dr. Michael Ciccotti . " This will obviously set me back a couple of days , and I don 't think that should be a big deal " , said Hamels . Ciccotti found no structural damage in his arm , yet Hamels still did not pitch on Opening Day as expected ; Myers did for the third consecutive season . For the first time in his career , he went winless in his first four starts , and left back @-@ to @-@ back starts early due to injury in late April , sustaining a left @-@ shoulder contusion and an ankle sprain respectively . From June on , however , he returned to his previous form , recording two complete @-@ game shutouts ( tied for the NL @-@ lead ) , striking out at least 10 batters in two separate games , and amassing a 21 @-@ inning scoreless streak from August 21 to September 6 , while allowing just two home runs in his final eight starts . In July , the Phillies augmented their starting rotation by acquiring two former Cy Young Award winners in Cliff Lee and Pedro Martínez from a trade and a free agent signing respectively . Due to his early season injury struggles , Hamels posted a 10 – 11 record and a 4 @.@ 32 ERA in the regular season , his first major league season in which he posted a sub-.500 record , and the worst ERA of his career to that point . 
   Hamels started Game 2 of the 2009 National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies , allowing four earned runs through five innings to take the loss . Nevertheless , the Phillies won the series , three games to one . He earned the win in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series as the Phillies beat the Dodgers , 8 – 6 . Hamels started Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees , pitching 4 1 ⁄ 3 innings , allowing 5 earned runs and taking the loss as the Yankees won that game 8 @-@ 5 . Afterward , he told reporters , " I can 't wait for it ( the season ) to end . It 's been mentally draining . It 's one of those things where , a year in , you just can ’ t wait for a fresh start . " Later in the series , after the Phillies won game five , a confrontational Brett Myers mockingly asked Hamels : " What are you doing here ? I thought you quit . " The Phillies lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in six games . 
   Rob Neyer a sabermetrician and columnist for ESPN.com , contradicted anyone who asserted Hamels ' skills had deteriorated , instead commenting , 
   " Last October , everybody was ready to anoint Hamels some sort of superhero . This was largely because he went 4 – 0 during the Phillies ' championship run , but also because he went 14 – 10 with a 3 @.@ 09 ERA during the regular season . Last season , Hamels ' strikeout @-@ to @-@ walk ratio was 3 @.@ 7 ; this year it 's 3 @.@ 8 . Last year , Hamels gave up 1 @.@ 1 home runs per nine innings ; this year he 's given up 1 @.@ 3 homers per nine . The only real difference between the 2008 Hamels and the 2009 Hamels is luck . " 
   Phillies ' pitching coach Rich Dubee and Hamels himself blamed Hamels ' demeanor for some of his decline , noting , " He is such a perfectionist … his approach wasn ’ t very good last year . His success won ’ t come back until his demeanor changes " and " The more angry you get , it 's that much tougher to execute your next pitch . I think I let [ expectations ] get to me " respectively . 
   
   = = = = 2010 = = = = 
   
   Entering the 2010 season , the Phillies traded away Cliff Lee , but in doing so , acquired Roy Halladay in a " mega @-@ trade " . They did not re @-@ sign Myers , and Halladay was named the Phillies ' opening day starter . Among Hamels ' season highlights were a start on June 7 against the San Diego Padres during which he threw 61 ⁄ 3 innings of no @-@ hit baseball , winning five consecutive starts including three consecutive scoreless starts from late @-@ August to mid @-@ September , and striking out 13 batters , tied for his second @-@ highest career total , on September 13 against the Florida Marlins . 
   The Phillies finished with the best record in MLB . Hamels started Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds and , for the first time in his postseason career , pitched a complete game shutout . The Phillies advanced to the National League Championship Series facing the San Francisco Giants , where Hamels took the loss in Game 3 giving up three runs as the Giants ' Matt Cain shutout the Phillies , en route to the Phillies ' ultimate elimination in six games . 
   Statistically , Hamels rebounded from his previous season by posting a 12 – 11 record with a 3 @.@ 06 ERA , the latter of which was , at the time , a career @-@ best . He also struck out a career high 211 batters . Throughout the season , he was plagued by a lack of run support ; in 1 ⁄ 3 of his starts , the Phillies did not score a single run while he was in the game . Moreover , he received the fifth @-@ lowest run support in the NL . Nevertheless , he allowed three or fewer earned runs in 26 of his 33 starts . Jeff Nelson " facetiously " evaluated Hamels ' season as follows : 
   " Headcase . Immature . Soft . Unprepared . He wouldn ’ t pitch on three @-@ days rest if asked . He 's not a big game pitcher . He sounds like a whiny 7 @-@ year old – these were some of the descriptions I heard and read from many Phillies fans following Cole Hamels ’ disappointing 2009 season . Heck , some people even wanted him traded after what he said during the ’ 09 World Series . To the naked eye , Cole just wasn ’ t right two years ago . Fast forward a year later and Hamels all the sudden ‘ found his game . ’ He ‘ flicked a switch ’ or ‘ put his game face on . ’ He was more prepared heading in to 2010 or he was cured from the Verducci effect . " 
   
   = = = = 2011 = = = = 
   
   On December 15 , 2010 , Cliff Lee returned to the Phillies as he signed a free @-@ agent contract with Philadelphia for five years and $ 120 million with a vesting option for a sixth year . After this signing , the Phillies ' starting rotation consisted of Roy Halladay , Roy Oswalt , Cliff Lee , Cole Hamels , and Joe Blanton . This rotation was considered one of the best in pitching history by many . Halladay , Oswalt , Lee , and Hamels were dubbed the ' Phantastic Phour ' by fans and the media . 
   Hamels entered the 2011 season with a large amount of excitement and hype from fans and the media . By the All @-@ Star game , Hamels was 4 – 3 . On July 3 , when the rosters for the 2011 MLB All @-@ Star Game in Phoenix , Arizona were broadcast on TBS , it was announced that Hamels was voted onto the National League team along with fellow pitchers and teammates Roy Halladay , Cliff Lee , Plácido Polanco , and Shane Victorino . He was not eligible to play , however , because he had pitched the Sunday prior to the All @-@ Star Game . Hamels shared his dismay with this rule , saying , " It 's one of those things where people who don 't play the game make the rules . " 
   The Phillies finished with the best record in MLB for the second year in a row . In the 2011 National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals , Hamels started Game 3 which resulted in a 3 @-@ 2 win to give the Phillies a 2 @-@ 1 series lead , however the Phillies would lose Games 4 and 5 to be eliminated . 
   Hamels finished the 2011 season with a record of 14 – 9 , 194 strikeouts , an ERA of 2 @.@ 79 , and a 0 @.@ 986 WHIP . He finished fifth in the Cy Young Award voting behind Clayton Kershaw , Roy Halladay , Cliff Lee , and Ian Kennedy , respectively . 
   
   = = = = 2012 = = = = 
   
   During the 2011 off @-@ season , Hamels underwent elbow and hernia surgeries . Hamels had missed scheduled starts in August due to a stiff shoulder , and loose bodies were removed from his elbow to fix his problems . Hamels was ready to pitch by the start of Spring training 2012 . 
   On January 17 , Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a one @-@ year , $ 15 million contract to avoid arbitration . This was the highest salary ever paid to a pitcher eligible for arbitration before free agency . 
   On May 6 , Hamels was suspended for five games after hitting Bryce Harper in his lower back with a pitch , after admitting that it was intentional . On July 21 , 2012 , Hamels hit his first career home run off San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain , who had homered off of him in the top half of the same inning , the first time in MLB that two pitchers had hit home runs off of each other in the same inning . 
   Hamels would stay a Phillie when he agreed to a contract extension on July 24 . The six @-@ year , $ 144 million contract was the second @-@ largest contract ever signed by a pitcher . The deal included a vesting option for 2019 worth $ 24 million . If the option didn 't vest , it would have turned into a club option for $ 20 million that included a $ 6 million buyout . 
   Hamels finished the season with career highs in wins ( 17 ) and strikeouts ( 216 ) , and finished eighth in the NL Cy Young Award voting . His 3 @.@ 05 ERA ranked second @-@ best in his career ( behind only his 2 @.@ 79 ERA in 2011 ) . The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers ' Association of America presented him the " Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher " award . 
   
   = = = = 2013 = = = = 
   
   Before the 2013 season in spring training , manager Charlie Manuel named Hamels the 2013 opening day starter , which Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote was a " long time coming " . In his first career opening day start on April 1 against the Atlanta Braves , Hamels surrendered five earned runs in five innings and took the loss . 
   Particularly early in the season , Hamels was plagued by a lack of run support ; as of May 27 , he had the fifth @-@ lowest in the major leagues . He lost his eighth start on May 27 , declining to a record of 1 – 8 , which one Sports Illustrated column attributed more to the Phillies poor offense than Hamels . Nevertheless , it was " easily ... Hamels ’ worst performance of his eight @-@ year career " . Aside from offensive struggles while Hamels was pitching , the Phillies defense struggled , though Hamels kept a positive attitude , once commenting that his luck should improve , as " I 've been doing pretty well on the plane in poker . " Towards the end of the season , however , Hamels " put it together " ; in his final 11 starts. he surrendered more than three runs only once . In total , he amassed an 8 – 14 record with a 3 @.@ 60 ERA in 220 innings and 202 strikeouts ( sixth in NL ) . Despite struggles from his teammates , Bill Baer noted that Hamels , 
   " ... was worse at generating swings and misses . His strikeout rate declined by 2 @.@ 6 percent and his overall swinging strike rate declined by 2 @.@ 1 percent . That doesn ’ t seem like a whole lot , but consider that opposing hitters swung at 1 @,@ 774 pitches during the 2013 season . A 2 @.@ 1 percent decrease means 37 fewer swings and misses . That 's a combination of 37 more balls in play or foul balls prolonging an at @-@ bat . " 
   Despite Hamels ' poor record and ERA , 25 of his 33 starts were quality starts , and thus he gave his team a chance to win 25 times , yet only got eight wins . 
   
   = = = = 2014 = = = = 
   
   Before the 2014 season , Hamels announced that he would not be ready to pitch on Opening Day because of tendonitis in his biceps . On April 6 Hamels pitched in a Minor League Class A @-@ Advanced game , striking out four while allowing two earned runs on three hits in four innings . He made his first start of the season on April 23 . 
   Despite lack of run support contributing to a poor win @-@ loss record , Hamels was among the best pitchers in the National League , and was even mentioned as a Cy Young candidate . On September 1 , Hamels pitched six innings of a Phillies combined no @-@ hitter against the Atlanta Braves . Hamels was pulled for a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh due to having five walks , a hit @-@ batter , and 108 pitches through six innings . Overall , Hamels was the only consistent star on the Phillies , finished sixth in Cy Young voting , and was frequently mentioned as a candidate to be traded in the offseason to bolster the Phillies ' lackluster farm system , after he avoided being dealt at the July trading deadline . 
   
   = = = = 2015 = = = = 
   
   At the start of the 2015 season , there was much focus and speculation regarding trade possibilities surrounding Hamels . The Boston Red Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers , Texas Rangers , Chicago Cubs , New York Yankees , and San Francisco Giants expressed interest in trading for him during the 2015 season . 
   On July 25 , 2015 , in what would be his final start for the Phillies before being traded , Hamels no @-@ hit the Chicago Cubs 5 – 0 at Wrigley Field , striking out 13 and only giving up two walks , both to Dexter Fowler and besting the Cubs ' Jake Arrieta — himself a no @-@ hit pitcher a month later , on August 30 of that season . It was the first no @-@ hitter against the Cubs since Sandy Koufax 's perfect game in 1965 , and first at Wrigley since the Cubs ' Milt Pappas in 1972 . Hamels also joined Vida Blue , Mike Witt , Kent Mercker and Kevin Millwood as no @-@ hit pitchers who also pitched in a combined no @-@ hitter . 
   
   = = = Texas Rangers = = = 
   
   On July 31 , 2015 , Hamels was traded to the Texas Rangers along with Jake Diekman in exchange for Matt Harrison , Nick Williams , Jorge Alfaro , Jake Thompson , Alec Asher , and Jerad Eickhoff . Hamels became the first pitcher to be traded during a regular season after pitching a no @-@ hitter in his final start with the team that traded him . Bert Blyleven had been the last pitcher to pitch a no @-@ hitter in his final start with the team that traded him ; after pitching a no @-@ hitter for the Rangers in his final start of the 1977 season , he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates that offseason . 
   With the Rangers , Hamels went 7 @-@ 1 in 12 starts with a 3 @.@ 66 ERA . The Rangers were under .500 as late as August 3 but posted a winning record for the remainder of the 2015 season and eventually overtook the Houston Astros in September for the American League West division lead . The Rangers clinched the AL West title on the final day of the season , as Hamels threw a complete @-@ game three @-@ hitter in a 9 @-@ 2 win over the Los Angeles Angels , the team 's 6th division title and 7th postseason appearance in franchise history . Hamels ' positive effect on the Rangers was compared to that of the Toronto Blue Jays ' David Price , another ace starting pitcher who helped spearhead a run to the postseason after blending in seamlessly with a struggling team who acquired him at the trade deadline . 
   The Rangers lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in five games in the Division Series after squandering a 2 @-@ 0 series lead . Hamels received a no @-@ decision in Game 2 as he left the game tied , but the Rangers won in 14 innings . Hamels started Game 5 , and was pulled in the bottom of the 7th inning while the Rangers were leading 3 @-@ 2 ; the Jays subsequently scored 4 runs to win 6 @-@ 3 , and Hamels was charged with the loss as he was responsible for the runners on base . 
   Starting in 2016 , the Texas Rangers have a special cheering section known as Hamels Heroes , whenever Hamels starts at Globe Life Park . It was inspired by the success of the Seattle Mariners ' " King 's Court " for Felix Hernandez . 
   Hamels was named the Opening Day starter for the Rangers in 2016 . On Opening Day , after allowing two home runs in two innings , Hamels calmed down to pitch 7 strong innings , while only allowing two runs on 4 hits and 8 strikeouts for a 2016 Opening Day win against the Seattle Mariners . On June 12 , in a start against Seattle , Hamels recorded his 2,000th career strikeout , becoming the 77th player , and 7th active player , to reach the milestone . 
   
   = = Scouting report = = 
   
   Hamels is known throughout baseball for possessing one of the better changeups in the game . In 2012 , Fangraphs ranked Hamels as having the fourth best changeup in the game trailing only Jason Vargas , Tommy Milone , and Félix Hernández . The Hardball Times called his changeup a " killer " pitch to right @-@ handed hitters , noting that while it is also effective against left @-@ handed hitters , when they put it in play , they generally have success . Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said of Hamels , 
   " It 's a difficult task to try to get young guys to throw changeups , because their whole amateur career is spent staring at the scout with the gun . For a young guy to have a good changeup , that 's an aptitude right there . It 's pitchability . " 
   The development of Hamels ' changeup is attributed by his high school pitching coach , Mark Furtak , to the fact that in high school he broke his arm . He could no longer work on his curveball for several months , and was forced to focus on the changeup . Chipper Jones , who was a star @-@ third baseman for the rival Atlanta Braves commented that Hamels is the " best lefthander in the National League ... you have to respect his fastball , and his change @-@ up is devastating . If you 're guessing fastball and you get change @-@ up , you 're way out in front of it . His change @-@ up is a soft sinker that just falls down . " Aside from the changeup , he throws a four @-@ seam fastball in the low 90s ( can reach 94 to 96 miles per hour ( 151 to 154 km / h ) ) , a cutter 87 to 89 miles per hour ( 140 to 143 km / h ) , and an " inconsistent " curveball that sometimes loops and other times is sharp , and hovers in the mid @-@ 70s ( around 73 to 77 miles per hour ( 117 to 124 km / h ) ) . Prior to the conception and advent of his cutter , he briefly threw a two @-@ seam fastball around 2008 and 2009 , before debuting his cutter in 2010 . Once he attained a " feel " for how to effectively utilize his cutter , it helped him increase his groundball rate ( percentage of balls in play that were groundballs ) , including to over 50 @-@ percent in 2011 . 
   
   = = Personal life = = 
   
   
   = = = Family = = = 
   
   Hamels , who is of Dutch descent , is the oldest of three children . He grew up in San Diego , where his parents still live . He now resides in Newtown Square , Pennsylvania with his wife , Heidi Strobel , whom he married on December 31 , 2006 , but they are making plans to move to the Dallas , Texas area full @-@ time during the 2015 offseason . Strobel was a contestant on the sixth season of the reality show Survivor : The Amazon . They had their first child , son Caleb Michael , on October 9 , 2009 , and their second son , Braxton , on November 2 , 2011 . On December 24 , 2012 , they adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia named Reeve . 
   
   = = = The Hamels Foundation = = = 
   
   Hamels created and currently runs an organization known as The Hamels Foundation with his wife , Heidi Strobel . The foundation was created in 2008 . The Hamels Foundation funds childhood programs in Philadelphia and Africa . 
   
   