Veteran right-hand pitcher Cole Hamels announced his retirement from professional baseball on Friday. Hamels walks away after playing in MLB for 15 seasons.
Hamels signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres back in February in an attempt to return to action following shoulder surgery. However, he never made an official appearance for the Padres this season and has now decided it is time to call it quits.
Cole Hamels made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006. He spent 10 years with the franchise earning three All-Star nods and helping the franchise win a World Series in 2008. The San Diego native was named World Series MVP in a 4-1 routing of the Tampa Bay Rays.
After leaving Philadelphia in 2015, Hamels spent time with Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and the Atlanta Braves. He made his last appearance on the mound in 2020 as a member of the Braves.
In the past couple of years, Hamels had issues with his throwing shoulder and had to undergo surgery to address the injury. He made comeback attempts with the Los Angeles Dodgers and now the Padres but failed to get back to the desired level.
Hamels has a 163–122 career record in MLB with a 3.43 ERA and 2,560 strikeouts. He was called up for the All-Star game four times.
