Thread: Phillies' ace Cole Hamels rips Jose Reyes & Co. as 'choke artists'

Phillies' ace Cole Hamels rips Jose Reyes & Co. as 'choke artists'


BY ANTHONY MCCARRON
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, December 12th 2008, 12:40 PM

There are plenty of Met fans who think their team choked during consecutive NL East flops over the last two seasons. Thursday, Philadelphia ace Cole Hamels made it clear he and the rest of the Phillies agree.

"You know, last year and this year, I think we did believe that," Hamels said Thursday during an appearance on WFAN to plug the Phillies' World Series DVD. "Three years ago, we didn't because they smoked everybody. I really thought they were going to the World Series. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

"But that's kind of what we believe and I think we're always going to believe it until they prove us wrong."

Hamels, who was having a lively, revealing dialogue with hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts, then was given a chance to back off when he was asked, "So you say the Mets are choke artists?" He didn't.

"Yeah, for the past two years, they've been choke artists," Hamels replied.

When told of Hamels' comments, the Mets wouldn't take the bait.

"It doesn't matter," David Wright said in an e-mail. "I'm not going to get in the middle of talking back and forth."

Said Mike Pelfrey, also in an e-mail: "I couldn't care less what he or anybody else says."

However, Phillies reliever Ryan Madson says the talk is par for the course between the NL East rivals.

"All that stuff, that happens all the time," Madson said. "Jimmy (Rollins) did it a few years ago. It's good. It's good for the game. It's good for us two teams. It makes it interesting."

Should be an interesting 19 meetings between the teams next year, as if they needed any more sizzle. Still, Hamels provided more spice, including the nugget that Jose Reyes' home run celebrations annoy the Phillies.

The Phillies even mocked their own playoff star, Shane Victorino, when they thought he acted like Reyes when he pointed to the sky after slugging a grand slam off CC Sabathia in the division series.

The next day, a photo of Victorino at his locker had "J. Reyes?" written on it, and Hamels acknowledged that several Phillies, noting that there was still plenty of game left when Victorino homered, asked the outfielder, "Why are you being like Jose Reyes?"

Hamels made it clear he didn't hate Reyes, saying, "No, I think he's a great player.... It's all in the perspective of respecting the game. Run around like you've done it before, don't act like it's the best thing on the planet. You can easily lose a game you hit a home run in."

Hamels, the World Series MVP, was enjoying yucking it up with the hosts and he knew how blunt he was being, too; at one point after the choke discussion, he said, "You guys are going to kill me, I know."

He said he enjoys the Phillies-Mets rivalry but doesn't hate the Met players. "We're Philadelphia, being here and playing for Philadelphia, you have to almost create something in your head," he said. "OK, we're playing the Mets, we hate them, let's beat them. It's the mind-set you have to have, and it brings out a good competitive spirit. Rivalries are what people really want to watch, and that's what the Phillies and Mets want to create."

The Mets have signed a new, demonstrative closer in Francisco Rodriguez. Asked if Rodriguez's post-save celebrations were OK, Hamels said, "Oh, yeah, definitely. He got the win. Anytime you celebrate, it should be a walkoff home run or a save. Anything that happens in the first six or seven innings, things can change. When it comes down to the last swing, you should be able to celebrate any way you want."

Sounds like that would be the Mets' best response to Hamels.

Run around like you've done it before, don't act like it's the best thing on the planet. You can easily lose a game you hit a home run in."

Great advice.
I think Reyes is really good but his antics sure does rub me of the wrong way.