VIDEO: Gerrit Cole Discussed Appreciation of Yankee Stadium Ahead of 2014 Start With Pirates
By Jerry Trotta
Gerrit Cole has been on the Yankees radar since his high school days, having actually been drafted by the organization before opting to go to UCLA and play college ball. Well, after signing his mammoth nine-year, $324 million deal with the Bombers on Tuesday night, it's become more and more apparent that the Bronx is the right place for Cole. Footage from a 2014 interview ahead of a start against New York during Cole's tenure with the Pirates has emerged. He talks about what it means to pitch at Yankee Stadium and the deep-rooted appreciation he has for the iconic ballpark.
Even when he was in Pittsburgh, Gerrit Cole had a deep appreciation for the New York Yankees. pic.twitter.com/cQ38YaFLqE
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 11, 2019
Cole wasn't afraid to wear his infatuation for the Yankees right on his sleeve and it's almost mind-boggling to think that there were rumors of him potentially signing elsewhere in free agency.
The 29-year-old has been a lifelong Yankee fan, and he will now live out his dream of taking the mound in the Bronx.
Nine years. $324M.
— ESPN (@espn) December 11, 2019
Gerrit Cole is headed to New York, sources tell @JeffPassan. pic.twitter.com/O583pW35xM
The Yanks were simply the perfect landing spot for him in free agency, and it's only fitting that his monstrous contract fueled the club's long-awaited return as baseball's Evil Empire.