Phillies: Will Cole Hamels be another boomerang acquisition?
Phillies fans have endured nine straight seasons without a playoff appearance, the second longest playoff drought in baseball (sorry Seattle, 19 seasons seems like an eternity). With the signing of Bryce Harper in February of 2019, there was renewed hope on Broad St. But after missing the playoffs for the first two years of Harper’s contract, fans are expecting an October run.
The Fightins started 2021 hot out of the gate, going 5-1 in their first six, but are now in third place in the NL East. In order to punch their October ticket, one of the holes they must fill is starting pitching. Phils’ starters currently are 14th in the majors in ERA.
So, who can solidify the rotation? Well, one option is a familiar name, Cole Hamels. “Hollywood” is an icon in Philadelphia, having won the World Series MVP when he was in just his 3rd season in the City of Brotherly Love, and pitching a no-hitter in his last start for the Phillies in 2015, before being shipped off to Texas to help the Phillies rebuild.
After a stint with the Cubs and a 2020 season that saw him pitch just once with the Atlanta Braves due to injury, he remains on the market as a free agent. Could Hamels fill a starting hole for the Phils? Time will tell. One thing is for certain, if he does come back, he will receive a warm welcome from Philadelphia fans, who have fond memories of him overpowering hitters. It would be a memorable return, not unlike quite a few other star players who have come back to their former teams where they first made a name for themselves.
Greg Maddux
Maddux is one of those unique players who excelled long enough for two different teams that he is legendary with both.
He came up through the Cubs farm system and made a name for himself on the North Side as a control artist. He left Chicago after winning the Cy Young Award for the Cubs in 1992 and then became a part of the Braves legendary 90s era rotation with John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, winning three more Cy Youngs.
In 2004 though, Cubs fans got to experience déjà vu as Maddux signed as a free agent to come back to Wrigley Field, presumably to help the Cubs make it back to the World Series, which they narrowly missed the year before. While not the Cy Young winner of years past, he would register a 3.2 WAR in ‘04 and 2.9 in ‘05. Maddux still provided some memorable moments, winning his 300th game and notching his 3,000 career strikeout back in Cubbie blue.
Unfortunately, those Cubs teams, while talented and loaded with starting pitching, would fail to make the playoffs, finishing 3rd and 4th, and Maddux was traded by the Cubs during the ’06 season to the Dodgers (another team he would boomerang back to later in his career).
Pete Rose
Rose, MLB’s all-time hits leader, is synonymous with the Cincinnati Reds and was an integral part of two World Series Championships for them.
However, he also helped bring the Phillies a championship in 1980 and a National League pennant in 1983. Charlie Hustle, having spent what most would consider a full career of 16 seasons in Cincy, left the Reds during free agency after the 1978 season. He brought his head-first, hard-nosed style of play to Philadelphia and played a key role alongside Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Tug McGraw, and Bob Boone to bring the city the baseball championship it had long been searching for.
Rose’s time in Philadelphia didn’t end on a high note, as he was released by the Phillies after the 1983 campaign. While he had a poor season in ‘83, batting just .245, Rose wasn’t done yet and wanted to get back on the diamond for a 22nd MLB season, ultimately signing with the Expos.
He barely had time to get acclimated to life north of the border in Montreal before being traded back to the Reds where he was brought in not just for his bat, but also to manage the team. His playing days ended after the ‘86 season and he could not bring the Reds back to the playoffs.
Cliff Lee
Lee’s career had many unexpected twists and turns. The southpaw had established himself as a dominant pitcher for the Indians, leading the league in wins and taking home the Cy Young in 2008 after having been sent back to the minors just the year before.
Despite this success, the Indians traded him during the 2009 season with Ben Francisco to the Phillies for Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson. He was beloved in Philadelphia, helping the Phillies return to their second straight World Series, and earning the team’s only two wins against the Yankees that October.
Unfortunately for the Philadelphia faithful, the Phillies turned around and flipped Lee to the Mariners the following offseason. Lee’s heart remained in Philly though, and Phillies fans wanted to see him back in red pinstripes too. The reunion was realized fairly quickly when Lee rejoined the Phillies for the 2011 season through free agency, as part of a dominant pitching staff that included Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels.
Despite having one of the all-time best rotations, the Phils were unable to make it back to the World Series, with their bats failing to provide much pop after Game One of the NLDS against the Cardinals.
Lee was sidelined mid-season in 2014 due to injury, and never pitched again. He compiled a WAR over 20 from 2011-2014 in his second go-round with the Phils, though the team didn’t make it back to the playoffs after ’11.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Griffey Jr., perhaps the most popular player of his generation, is a Mariners icon.
He made 10 all star games with the Mariners, and won the AL MVP in 1997 in his first tour with the team. Griffey helped spark the city of Seattle’s interest in the franchise, as he lived up to the hype behind his baseball family tree (even getting to play with his father) and his number one overall draft status, by bringing the Mariners their first two playoff appearances in 1995 and 1997 (with perhaps their most endearing franchise moment as he scored the winning run against the Yankees in the ALDS in 1995 in one of baseball’s classic playoff games).
Given his place as a baseball legend, it was hard to picture Griffey wearing anything else besides the Mariners logo, but he was traded to the Reds in February of 2000. While he still had success, The Kid battled injuries quite a bit in Cincy, which stifled his production. After spending over eight years with the Reds and making a pit stop with the White Sox, he was signed as a free agent to return to the Emerald City.
The 2009 season though was largely unremarkable for Griffey, as he posted just a 0.6 WAR and he retired during the 2010 season.
Jim Thome
Perhaps no one on this list was more adored by a fanbase than Thome. Drafted by the Indians, he came up to the big leagues at a time when baseball experienced a renaissance in Cleveland.
Thome was one of the mashers, along with Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, and Eddie Murray, who led the Indians to their first playoff appearance since 1954. Thome drove in more than 100 RBI in six different seasons in his first stint with Cleveland, and perhaps had his best season in 2002, leading the American League in slugging and OPS.
As much as it hurt Cleveland fans to see, Thome left after that ‘02 season through free agency and joined the Phillies. The Thomenator bounced around the league for a bit then, with stops with the White Sox, Dodgers, and Twins. But then, in 2011, Cleveland needed DH help in a bid to make the playoffs, and acquired Thome from the Twins.
Next. Has Aaron Nola already passed his peak?. dark
He was welcomed back to the city with open arms, though it was a brief stop, with Thome only playing in 22 games with the team that year (and unfortunately not leading them back to the playoffs). He briefly played with Philadelphia again before playing his last games with the Orioles.