Dozens of scouts watch Cole Hamels not get hurt

There was a scout or two at the Phillies spring training game Friday, which they lost to the Yankees 4-1.

You see, Cole Hamels pitched some baseball to live baseball hitters. The good news is that he threw two scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked no one and struck out two. The better news is that at no point during his outing did he grab something, wince or grimace in any way shape or form.

In other words, it was a healthy Hamels outing. And that's pretty much all anyone is looking for right now, especially teams with scouts in the stands.

Who was there? According to CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury, there was a smattering of scouts from the Rangers, Red Sox and Cardinals, among others. MLB.com's Paul Hagan reported 24 scouts were there, all watching as the 31-year-old lefthander fooled New York hitters with a collection of fastballs and changeups.

But really, 24 scouts? Was each scout assigned to watch a different body part?

After the game, which began with a light drizzle falling, Hamels said he wasn't worried about slipping and getting hurt, and is not worried about pitching under a microscope (quotes via Hagan).

"This has been a great spring, just from a sense of the overall team aspect of what we're trying to do out there, how we're trying to implement a new focus," he said. "But at the same time, we all know that we have to get ready and we have to be as competitive as we possibly can. So for what I like to do, and how I try to prepare, I've kept to the same sort of routine."

As for the game itself, the Phils were held to just four hits on the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Yankees scored three runs off minor leaguer Mike Nesseth in the fourth and one run off Ken Giles in the sixth. Xavier Paul hit a solo home run for the Phils' lone run.

The rest of the Phillies' bullpen did well, specifically Rule 5 draftee Andy Oliver, who pitched two scoreless innings and struck out four. He's competing with Mario Hollands and Elvis Araujo for a spot in the Phils' pen, but will get plenty of opportunities to show what he can do this spring.

One wonder is Hamels will be around to see it all.