Cole Hamels has the contact he wanted to go along with the World Series championship he's still savoring.
Hamels signed a three-year, $20.5 million contract with the Phillies, keeping the 25-year-old World Series MVP winner in Philadelphia through the 2011 season. The deal allows the Phillies to avoid an arbitration hearing.
Hamels went 4-0 in the postseason with an 1.80 ERA as the Phillies claimed their first championship since 1980. He won the first game in three playoff series and took the MVP award in the NL championship series against the Dodgers.
Hamels said he still gets goosebumps every time he watches the World Series highlights video and wants to experience another championship in Philadelphia. He says if he can do the same thing next season, it will be -- in his words -- "a really nice, sweet time for this baseball city."
He was 14-10 with two shutouts a 3.09 ERA during the regular season and was eligible for arbitration for the first time. He made 33 starts and pitched a career-high 227 1-3 innings, finishing with 196 strikeouts and 53 walks.
I'd say the Phillies got off cheap. There are plenty of pitchers out there that suck and are getting more than 6 million a year. 6 million dollars to throw a baseball every 4-5 days for 6 months. It's hard to put into perspective. Nothing against Cole Hamels, it's just the astronomical salaries sports stars make these days.
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