Sort of. Speaking with WFAN’s Joe Benigno-Gazingo and Evan Roberts earlier today, Phillies starter Cole Hamels — described by Roberts as “the police of etiquette” — detailed his distaste for Jose Reyes’ celebratory antics, and failed to shirk from using the “c” word. From the New York Post’s Justin Terravnova :
“Last year and this year I think we did believe that,” Hamels said when asked if the Mets are choke artists.
“Three years ago we didn’t because they smoked everybody, and I think we all thought they were going to win it all. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. But, yeah, that’s kind of what we believed and I think we’re always going to believe that until they prove us wrong.”
Roberts gave Hamels a chance to back away from his comments, but the southpaw didn’t.
“For the past two years they’ve been choke artists,” Hamels said.
It was the second time in as many days a member of the Phillies organization took a shot at the Amazin’s.
The World Series MVP’s comments came a day after the Phillies’ new GM, Ruben Amaro Jr., downplayed the Mets signing of Francisco Rodriguez.
“I don’t think it affects us much,” Amaro Jr. told the Philadelphia Daily News. “They’ve had Billy Wagner and we still beat them the last two years in our division.”
Without getting into Hamels’ (or Roberts’) choice of rhetoric, Mets fans can take considerable solace in Amaro Jr.’s remarks. If being denied Billy Wagner is what it takes for the Mets to win the NL East, so be it.