You can’t be one of the best players in your sport without boasting a healthy dose of self-confidence, and Gerrit Cole is brimming with it.
And it appears it’s always been that way.
The New York Yankees ace, even with an at times uneven 2021 season, is one of the top starters in the game right now. Most everywhere he’s been, he’s been one of the best.
Audacy MLB insider Cody Decker, a former pro ballplayer himself, was a senior in college at UCLA when Cole arrived as a freshman. Decker had just turned down a $50,000 offer to go pro, while Cole had just been picked 28th overall by the Yankees and was offered $4 million to sign.
The deadline to sign was August 15th, and Decker told the story on Audacy’s “Big Time Baseball” podcast of a conversation he had with Cole the day before the deadline.
“I want you to know something about Gerrit Cole,” Decker said. “You see Gerrit Cole in his interviews and he almost seems reserved and calm and collected – Gerrit Cole came to UCLA as a freshman when I was a senior. This is why I’ll love Gerrit Cole for the rest of my life. This kid comes in, he was brash, he was cocky when he came into UCLA, and at first it rubbed me the wrong way. Until our first full conversation. ...
“I’m borderline pissed off because my year was a disaster and I’m getting ready for my senior year and no matter what I know I’m not going to make any money. And Gerrit Cole walks in 12 hours away from possibly making $4 million dollars and he’s kind of sitting there with his normal Gerrit Cole swag and he says ‘Hey Deck, do you think I’m going to be here tomorrow?’ And I looked at him like ‘You better not be.’ And he was like 'Why is that?’ I told him you’re getting offered $4 million, I just turned down 50 grand, OK? If I got offered $4 million, I wouldn’t be here. He was like “Oh, it’s alright Deck. Don’t worry. I’ll just come here, turn down the $4 million, I’ll pitch here for three years, I’ll sign first overall for 10 million.
“I just looked at him for a second like who is this little cocky son of a b----h? Are you kidding me? I’ve been an All-American, I’ve led the nation in homers – who is this cocky little bastard? And guess what? He did exactly that. … And here’s the thing: I was so mad at him that day, and the next day when he showed up I thought this kid better be great. Then I saw his first bullpen and I’m like I take back every thought I’ve had, this kid is the greatest.”
As Decker pointed out, Cole’s vision really did come to pass. He was drafted first overall in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and by June of 2013 he was a full-time starter in the big leagues.
Not a bad path to take.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram