Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels finished a postgame interview and strolled across the field to the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field after throwing the first no-hitter against the Cubs in 50 years Saturday.
One fan, among the stragglers remaining from the standing room only crowd of 41,683 yelled down to Hamels:
"Cole, come to the Cubs."
The idea of Hamels being traded to the Cubs was on the mind of many when the veteran stepped onto the mound on this warm afternoon. The Phillies are unloading, and speculation about Hamels has been rampant in the final days before Friday's trade deadline.
It certainly was a memorable way to go out if Saturday was indeed Hamels' last start with the Phillies.
Rookie slugger Kris Bryant was the last hope the Cubs had to break up the no-hitter, and Hamels watched as Bryant cracked a long fly to deep center that appeared headed to the bleachers.
Center-fielder Odubel Herrera drifted back, came in and made a diving catch on the warning track, kicking up a ton of dust and emerging with the ball to save the no-hitter.
"I think I've been here a few times when the wind was blowing out," Hamels said. "So I think knowing that every once in a while you'd like to get away with a pitch, that was definitely the one pitch I was glad I got away with.
"You have a great hitter up there in Kris Bryant, and to be able to keep that in the ballpark and for Herrera making that amazing play, the second time. ... Outstanding for him to be able to go all out. ... A surreal moment."
It was the first time the Cubs had been no-hit in 7,920 games, since Sandy Koufax threw a perfect game against them on Sept. 9, 1965, at Dodgers Stadium.
Hamels, 31, had a few things in his favor -- a struggling Cubs' offense that came into the game hitting .223 in July, and a wind blowing in from the north, an oddity on a humid midsummer afternoon near the lake. Hamels struck out 13 and issued two walks -- both to Dexter Fowler -- while throwing 129 pitches.
Catcher Carlos Ruiz said he knew something special was happening during the sixth inning. Ruiz tried to do everything exactly the same way after each inning to keep the mojo working, but took off his sunglasses before the ninth because the shadows were covering the infield.
"I'm superstitious, and I was like, 'Oh, man, I don't think it can happen,' " Ruiz said. "But then finally it happened and I'm real happy."
Hamels, a three-time National League All-Star with a career record of 114-90 and 3.30 ERA, said he takes all the trade talk as a "compliment" and just tries to "live in the moment."
The fact the no-hitter was against the Cubs, a team interested in acquiring him, wasn't on his mind.
"No, there's a great history in this ballpark," he said. "It's a fun place. It's one of our top places to play. This is something that I grew up watching on WGN, the Cubs playing, as a kid. ... It's a special moment."
Hamels, MVP of the 2008 World Series, wouldn't say whether he could envision himself in a Cubs' uniform.
"Right now I'm wearing the Phillies red and that's where I plan to play,' he said. "That's all I can really do. It's out of my control."
Now, the question is whether Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro can trade someone as popular as Hamels coming off a no-hitter? Hamels' trade value, high before the no-hitter, was soaring late Saturday afternoon.
"I'd be surprised if Ruben's phone isn't off the hook right now," Mackanin said.
Good thing Cubs GM Theo Epstein has speed-dial.
Sports on 07/27/2015