About 60 kids clad in red T-shirts formed a line Saturday afternoon inside Maplezone Sports Institute to greet the ace of Phillies past. For two days this weekend, this sprawling complex in Garnet Valley hosted Cole Hamels, who posed for photos with each camper before one of three four-hour pitching clinics.
The potential ace of Phillies future - the tallest one in the room - stood nearby. Jason Groome, a possible No. 1 choice in the draft in June, was a coach at Hamels' camp. The lanky lefthander with a powerful fastball from the Jersey Shore trains two days a week at Maplezone.