This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat publication, written this week by Paul Casella. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it commonly in your inbox.
That is why Dahl quietly switched his quantity from No. 35 to No. 31 on Thursday’s off-day.
“I respect Cole loads and what he is finished on this group,” Dahl stated. “I simply felt like he is retiring a Phillie, and with all the things happening [Friday night], it is most likely finest, simply out of respect for him, to vary numbers.”
Dahl really received to know Hamels final yr when the duo was rehabbing collectively within the Padres’ system. Dahl was rehabbing a proper quad pressure with Triple-A El Paso whereas Hamels was attempting to make one final push to increase his profession after signing a Minor League cope with San Diego throughout Spring Coaching.
“Not solely was he a fantastic pitcher, however simply how he handled everybody and the way he got here to work each day — I revered him a ton,” Dahl stated. “In order that was the explanation for the choice.”
Dahl rattled off Hamels’ Phillies accolades unprompted previous to Friday’s ceremony: “Three All-Stars, a World Collection David Dahl switches quantity earlier than Cole Hamels’ retirement, the World Collection MVP.”
Dahl stated he did not speak to Hamels in regards to the quantity change forward of time, although he did get the prospect to meet up with the southpaw previous to Friday’s ceremony.
The present Phillies outfielder was on his approach to dinner along with his spouse on Thursday evening when he simply so occurred to stumble upon the previous pitcher.
“We simply bumped into one another on the road and we talked about it,” Dahl stated. “Like I stated, he is simply an superior particular person; he talked to me for some time. Only a nice dude.”
For Dahl, there wasn’t a lot significance to the No. 35. That was simply the uniform quantity they gave him when he signed a Minor League deal on Feb. 19, 2024, throughout Spring Coaching.
However as soon as Dahl discovered that Hamels was retiring as a Phillie throughout Friday’s ceremony, he took it upon himself to swap numbers — regardless of the on-field “historical past” between the 2.
Dahl first confronted Hamels within the 2018 NL Wild Card Recreation when the previous (Dahl) was with the Rockies and the latter (Hamels) was with the Cubs.
“He carved me up,” Dahl recalled. “Stored throwing me left-on-left changeups and I used to be rolling over.”
Dahl received his revenge the next season, when he went 3-for-3 off Hamels of their solely different assembly. Take into account the uniform gesture a peace providing.
As for Dahl, he wore No. 26 when he first got here up with the Rockies, however he clearly wasn’t about to modify from Hamels’ quantity to Chase Utley’s quantity.
“There wasn’t a ton to select from, so I simply went with 31,” he stated. “I feel it will be an excellent quantity for me.”