Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1st Round of the 2002 MLB Draft, Cole Hamels, armed with a potent fastball and devastating change-up, has showed he has the goods to be among the elite pitchers in the Major League. After dominating at all levels in the minors, Hamels finally got the call up to the Philadelphia Phillies in the spring of 2006 and has since proven he belongs, quickly earning the title of staff ace and establishing himself as one of the premier pitchers in the league. Hamels has displayed an intense work ethic and eagerness to learn and improve, and has used his change-up, a pitch many are already referring to as one of the best pitches in the game, to vault to the top of the league in both wins and strikeouts. With an incredibly bright future ahead for the young star, both Philadelphia management and fans are excited for the emergence of this pitching phenom. Following a stellar start to the 2007 season, Cole Hamels earned his 1st All-Star Game invitation and would finish the season with an impressive 15-5 record, helping the Phillies return the the postseason for the first time in over a decade. Having established himself as one of the top young pitchers in the league, Hamels set out to prove he could be one of the game's top big game pitchers as well and did just that in 2008. He posted solid numbers throughout the 2008 regular season and then took his game to a different level in the playoffs. In his 5 postseason starts, Hamels posted a 4-0 record and a 1.80 ERA, earning both NLCS and World Series MVP honors, while leading the Phillies to the franchise's first World Series Championship since 1980. This 2008 World Series MLB Baseball is signed by Hamels and comes with a BC Sports Certificate of Authenticity.