Back in 2019, Major League Baseball star pitcher Gerrit Cole had a chance to sign with the Los Angeles Angels and stay close to his childhood home of Orange County. Instead, he signed with the New York Yankees. And as he prepares to pitch in the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, he’s got some thoughts about the Angels.
In an interview with The Athletic, Cole addressed his decision to sign with the Yankees back in 2019 and threw some shocking shade at the Angels in the process.
“It’d be very nice to be living at home, playing with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani,” Cole said. “I could be spending today grilling burgers and drinking beer and gambling on football games. Instead, I’m here at Yankee Stadium throwing a bullpen at 10 f—ing 40 am, but we’ve got the LDS coming up, and I’m pumped.”
Instead of playing for the Angels, Cole is with the Yankees serving as the team’s ace – which he calls “the hardest job in the league.”
“I think it’s the hardest job in the league,” Cole says. “I don’t think there’s a harder place to be the ace. I think it’s the most hunted job in the league and I think it comes with the most weight. The division is a f*cking (gauntlet). Above all else, I’m paid to keep us in the game as long as I can and take the ball every single f*cking time that I can and charge straight into the fire.”
Cole and the Yankees will now face the Guardians in the MLB playoffs.
