Numbers unjust for Oswalt, Hamels

by Eric Schwartz

Wednesday September 1, 2010 

Numbers unjust for Oswalt, Hamels thumbnail

Disagreement is a major part of sports. After all, what fun would it be to discuss sports if everyone had the same opinion about everything?

It wouldn’t be fun at all.

But every great one in a while a topic comes up that just can’t be debated — at least it shouldn’t be.

This is one of those cases.

I will state is as unquestioned fact (or something like that) that no team in baseball has two pitchers with losing records that are better than the Phillies’ Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. Oswalt took a no-hitter into the seventh today in the Phillies’ 5-1 win over the Dodgers. With the win he improved to an unjustified 10-13. I guess that’s what happens when you’re stuck on the Astros for 2/3 of the season.

If Oswalt is looking for sympathy he certainly wont get any from teammate Hamels, who somehow only has eight wins this year. One of the big question marks entering the season was if Hamels could find his 208 form, or if he would be the same guy who struggled in 2009. Well, Hamels has pitched like the 2008 version, yet is stuck with 2009-like numbers.

Trust me, when teams go against Hamels and Oswalt they are not licking their lips at the chance to face two guys with a combined 18-23 record. It’s quite the opposite.

Baseball is a team game and Oswalt and Hamels will be the first guys to tell you their numbers don’t matter as long as the team gets back to the playoffs.

Yet it wouldn’t seem justified for either pitcher to end the regular season with a losing record. Hopefully the offense can get on enough of a role to not only propel the team into the playoffs, but also reward a pair of pitchers who’s win totals just don’t seem right.

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Filed Under Phillies

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