Lost the Game, but Gained a Hamels

Not that the product of two highly attractive people breeding forgives the black mark on the Phillies postseaon record, but we kind of understand why Cole Hamels's head might not exactly have been in the game yesterday.

Cole was still on the mound when a text message to clubhouse manager Frank Coppenbarger left word that Cole's wife Heidi Strobel had gone into labor with their first child. She asked that Cole be informed that she was in the hospital as soon as he was done pitching. After giving up 4 runs in 5 innings, Hamels was pulled in favor of a pinch-hitter and Coppenbarger went over to the bench to tell the father-to-be the news.

While we may question the wisdom of Charlie Manuel for starting Hamels with the birth of his son imminent (Plus, 7 pitchers in 9 innings? Really Charlie? Five of those guys were starters earlier in the year), we certainly can't blame Cole for leaving the building to go meet his sure-to-be-cute kid.

Congratulations to Cole and Heidi. And welcome to Phillies Nation, mini-Hamels. A big, green, stuffed Phanatic is surely on its way to your crib. Now hopefully your dad can focus for another couple of weeks so a big flagged trophy is on its way back to ours. October and November are for baseball. The off-season is for baby-bonding.