Former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels to be keynote speaker at December luncheon in Reading
Jul. 15—Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, the MVP of the 2008 World Series, will be the keynote speaker at the Law Foundation of Berks County and PICPA Reading Chapter Holiday Benefit Luncheon on Friday, Dec. 1, at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Reading.
Hamels, the Phillies' first-round pick in the 2002 draft, went 114-90 with a 3.30 ERA for Philadelphia from 2006-15.
In 2008, he went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA in the regular season before starring in the postseason as the Phillies won the World Series. He went 4-0 with a 1.80 in five postseason starts, allowing just 23 hits in 35 innings. In the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, he went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings to win MVP honors. In the World Series, he was 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings.
He was a three-time All-Star with the Phillies and his final start with the team was a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in a 5-0 win on July 25, 2015. He was traded to the Texas Rangers with left-hander Jake Diekman five days later for catcher Jorge Alfaro, outfielder Nick Williams and pitchers Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, Matt Harrison and Jake Thompson.
The 39-year-old Hamels signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres in February and is on the injured list with Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas.
In addition to the Phillies and Rangers, Hamels also has pitched in the majors for the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. He has a career record of 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA.
He pitched three games for Double-A Reading in 2005.
Other guests at the event have been Mike Schmidt (twice), Pete Rose, Larry Bowa, Mitch Williams, Larry Andersen, Steve Carlton, Jamie Moyer, Joe Morgan, John Kruk, Johnny Bench, Brad Lidge, Jim Thome and Wade Boggs.
