Leslie Gudel of CSNphilly.com interviewed Cole Hamels and asked him his thoughts on playing for the Dodgers:
LG: I’m going to ask you about one team specifically, because it’s been talked about much of the season. Is there an appeal to the Dodgers for you?
CH: It’s going home, I mean, that’s pretty much it. I know the West Coast really well. I pitch really well on the west coast. I think it’s appealing to every player when they’re growing up that, one day, hoping they can play in the major leagues, it’s always to play for your home team. Even though the Padres were obviously the home team I grew up with, the Dodgers were kind of there neck and neck, so I think that’s the closest home team I would ever get to.
LG: When it comes down to it, if it’s the Phillies and Dodgers and the money is the same, what are you picking?
CH: That’s a tough question, because I have a lot of more positive influences here, and just with everything we have, with our foundation needs and how well we’ve been able to do in the community and how much the community has supported us. I think that’s a huge factor.
We obviously live here, so I think that makes it a lot easier with kids and once they start getting into school, the choices you have to make there… I don’t think you can beat this organization just in the way they treat their players and families. It’s outstanding. So, ultimately that’s probably the highest positive you could ever have is what your value is to a team… what you know versus the unknown. And when things are good, you don’t ever leave when things are good."