RHP Gerrit Cole just signed a monster deal with the New York Yankees for 9 years and $324 million. Contract aside, however, Cole brought something special with him to his introductory press conference.
Eighteen years ago, Gerrit Cole was just a young kid. In 2001 that young kid attended a World Series game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Yankees, and he brought along a sign with him to show just how big of a Yanks fan he truly was.
If Gerrit Cole doesn't walk into the press conference next week with this sign, it'll be so disappointing 😂😂😂. pic.twitter.com/drTXhnjZf1
— ✈⚾IGNYY⚾️✈ (@ignyy_2012) December 15, 2019
The sign read, "Yankee Fan Today Tomorrow Forever," and even though the youngster grew up in California, he was a Yankee fan through and through.
Now, 18 years later, Cole had a full-circle moment when he showed up to the press conference with that very sign, after signing a mega-deal with his beloved team.
"I'd just like to say—I'm here, I've always been here." HE KEPT THE SIGN. @GerritCole45 pic.twitter.com/6Uf03ybYNf
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) December 18, 2019
Cole proudly held up the sign once again at the press conference, saying he kept it all these years and his parents brought it to him when the news broke that he would be a Yankee.
"I'd just like to say—I'm here, I've always been here," Cole said to Yankee fans.