Salisbury: Cole Hamels celebration a reminder of scouting wins on which Phillies' 2008 champs were built

Of all the remarkable achievements in Cole Hamels’ career, from putting a team and a championship-starved city on his back in October 2008 to pitching a storybook no-hitter in his final start as a Phillie, maybe the most impressive was simply getting to the big leagues.

We are reminded of Hamels’ story as he returns to Citizens Bank Park, the place where he once raised the World Series MVP trophy, for a well-deserved retirement ceremony Friday night.

Hamels is a testament to the timeless art of scouting and all that goes along with it. Much of the Phillies’ 2008 World Series championship team is, as well.

Let’s think about it for a second.

Jimmy Rollins was so small in high sch...