Cole Hamels Talks Life, His New Gig With the Phillies, and His Favorite Delco Restaurant

Former Philadelphia Phillies player Cole Hamels / Photograph by Miles Kennedy for the Phillies

It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating the Eagles Super Bowl win. And now, here it is Phillies season. Today is the Phillies home opener, in which the Phillies face the Rockies. So we sat down with Cole Hamels. He played with the Phillies from 2006 until 2015. And he returns to the team this month in a new role. Here, Hamels tells us all about it and also answers the eternal Phillies question: Who is hotter, Cole Hamels or Chase Utley?

My full name is … Colbert Michael Hamels. You can see why I went straight to “Cole” as a kid. But when I was playing, “Colbert” was actually great. The other Phillies knew my real name. So I could easily differentiate a fan yelling out “Cole” and a teammate trying to get my attention. They would yell “Colbert.”

I got my nickname “Hollywood” from … Ryan Howard when I first walked into Clearwater in shorts, a t-shirt, sunglasses, and rainbow sandals. Ryan came up with it. But Jimmy Rollins was really the one who made it stick.

My hometown is … San Diego.

These days, I live in … Dallas. But don’t worry: The Cowboys suck. My kids and I are all big Eagles fans.

My first game pitching for the Phillies was … in 2006. And my last was in 2015.

When I first came to Philly, I thought it was … cold and harsh, but eventually I realized why it’s one of the most celebrated sports cities.

In high school, I was voted … best guy to bring home to mom and dad. I was really polite and respectful.

When I was playing for the Phillies, I lived in … West Chester, Liberty Two, and Newtown Square. But I was only at Liberty Two for a brief period. I realized I wasn’t a city person. It’s also a lot easier to live in a spread out place in the suburbs as opposed to in a high rise in Center City when you are having a bad season.

The worst injury I ever sustained was… ripping my rotator cuff in 2020 and 2021. I tore it and then completely tore it off when trying to make my comeback.

After we won the World Series in 2008 … I figured out how the heck to get out of Citizens Bank Park and then flew the wrong way down all these one-way streets to get to Pat Burrell’s penthouse condo. He threw quite the party.

If you force me to tell you who is better-looking, me or Chase Utley … I’d honestly have to go with the Silver Fox, Chase.

The best Phillies player who ever walked this earth was … Mike Schmidt.

My kids are always asking me … to give them their phones. I try to give them an hour time limit each day. I have five, ages 5 to 15.

The last time I played baseball was … in 2020. In Baltimore. As an Atlanta Brave. During COVID. There was no one in the stands. Not the way you want to go out.

I decided to retire because … my body just couldn’t take it anymore.

My new gig with the Phillies … is as special adviser and commentator. The first game I’ll be doing is on April 20th when we play the Marlins.

My first car was … an ’86 Jetta. The windows didn’t roll down. It had no AC. These days, I drive a Land Rover Defender.

My second favorite sport is … soccer.

One sport I’m not a big fan of is … cricket. I just don’t get it. Cricket is one of the world’s most popular sports. But I have zero idea what’s going on.

One Phillies player I’m really excited to see in action this season is … pitcher Cristopher Sánchez. After seeing how he came out of the gate last season, I can’t wait to see what he can accomplish. He’s a game changer.

Something I am really good at these days is … golf. I play once a week right now. But sometimes, I’m playing two or three times per week. I just got back from a 23-day golf trip to Scotland and Ireland with a bunch of Philly people. I played with AJ Feeley there for about a week.

To stay in shape these days … I work out six days a week. I FaceTime with my personal trainer from Philly, Alex Diggory from Atlas Peak. I’m in the best shape of my life. I just can’t throw a baseball due to my shoulder.

Citizens Bank Park is … honestly just one of the best and most beautiful ballparks in the entire country.

My opinion of the pitching clock … is that it’s great. The games were starting to get really long.

A stat from my career that I am really proud of is … innings pitched. I was a workhorse.

People who say I intentionally hit Bryce Harper with the ball when he was a rookie with the Nationals are … correct. But now he is someone I have the utmost respect for. I love who he is and what he stands for. He’s a superstar.

When I get back to Philly, I always have to get … Italian food. That’s something very hard to find in Dallas. I love going to Teca in Newtown Square. It’s really good there. I just order whatever the special is.

The worst part about being a pitcher … is that it can get very lonely on the mound when you’re not doing well.

Published as “One of Us: Cole Hamels” in the April 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.