Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels used his retirement ceremony as an opportunity to take a parting shot at the New York Mets.
Hamels, who hasn’t pitched in an MLB game since 2020, officially retired on Friday. The Phillies held a ceremony to honor Hamels before the team’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa.
Hamels dedicated one portion of his retirement speech to express his gratitude toward Phillies fans. The 40-year-old stated that he understood why fans sometimes booed the team.
“You believe in us. Hence, the boos,” said Hamels. “But it’s okay. As players, we completely understand. We didn’t want to fail, but you guys wanted the best for us. And we wanted to give it to you.
“Unless you’re the Mets,” Hamels added after a brief pause.
The subtle diss of the Phillies’ division rival drew loud applause from fans in attendance.
Hamels appeared to be implying that the Mets fail their fanbase on a regular basis. But given Hamels’ somewhat confusing punchline delivery, Mets fans on X clowned Hamels right back.
Hamels carved out a very successful career for himself over his 15 MLB campaigns. He earned 4 All-Star nods and was named World Series MVP during the Phillies’ championship run in 2008.
But Hamels didn’t exactly fare well against the Mets throughout his career. In 34 starts against the Mets, Hamels had a 9-14 record with a rather pedestrian 3.89 ERA. Hamels’ 14 losses against the Mets were the second-most of his career against any opponent.
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