Cole Hamels speaks

I like Cole Hamels. In less than two years he has established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game; he is just 24 years old.

But I question his attitude toward the team. Last season, as the Phils were trying to make history, he said he would come back from injury in September only if the Phillies remained in playoff hunt. Later, he said he wouldn't pitch if the Phillies forced a Game 4 against the Rockies.

Both of those views were justifiable. I agree with them. (Starting pitchers on short rest in the playoffs is a pet peeve.) But let team management make those pronouncements. A player making such statements looks like he doesn't want to play, doesn't want to compete. Not exactly the mindset of an ace.

Today, he outlines his goals to the Inky. Among them: winning 20 games, winning a Cy Young, pitching a no-hitter, going to the Hall of Fame. All lofty goals a player should have but shouldn't talk about, especially when said player has yet to complete a full season.

Cole Hamels, and the rest of the Phillies, should be focused solely on winning. Did J-Roll say he was the man to beat for MVP? No, he said the Phillies were the team to beat.

Hamels makes has no problem expressing his personal quests:

"Everyone in this room has aspirations," he said in the Phillies' spring-training clubhouse one recent morning. "Everyone strives for certain goals.

"Some guys might shy away from talking about them out of fear of failure. If you state something publicly and don't achieve it, you might be looked at as a failure.

"I'm not afraid to fail. If I don't achieve a certain goal, I'll go after it next year. I'm not scared of not achieving one of my goals."

Nor is Hamels afraid of stirring resentment from those in the game who may believe personal goals are better left unspoken.

"I try to be up-front and truthful," he said. "I'm not going to whisper in the shadows. If someone ever said anything to me, it would just give me more reason to prove something."

Well, I guess it's better than Adam Eaton who, after being shelled in his first appearance of the spring yesterday, sounded like he still doesn't know he sucks:

"I haven't read you guys this spring, so I don't know what my standing is."
...
"I think I've established myself as a big-leaguer. I'm getting paid extremely handsomely, probably more than I'm worth. But everyone is not worth what they're getting paid. It's fun. If you don't like the competition, what are you doing here? Everyone should thrive on competition."

Over in Red Sox camp: Perhaps Jonathan Papelbon would have remembered his uniform if he weren't so preoccupied with dancing ...

{And Greg has the nerve to rag on my ace pitcher??? Please.}

[Photo credit, Cole Hamels: Jerry Lodriguss, Philadelphia Inquirer]