The grieving Orange Coast College baseball team received some support from one of Major League Baseball's biggest stars Tuesday, as Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole made a surprise appearance at the Pirates' season opener in Costa Mesa, California.
Longtime OCC coach John Altobelli; his wife, Keri, 46; and daughter Alyssa, 13, were among the nine people killed in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash Sunday.
Cole never played for OCC and did not know Altobelli, but as a baseball player and native of nearby Newport Beach, he wanted to pay his respects.
"Normally the season opener is a day filled with excitement and pageantry, instead it was a somber day to honor a family in the Orange County community," Cole said in a Twitter post. "We are all grieving this week for those who lost their lives tragically this past Sunday. Today was no different. I did not personally know Coach Altobelli, or 'Alto,' but his program carries a prestigious brand around here, something that I've known since my youth baseball days."
— Gerrit Cole (@GerritCole45) January 29, 2020Altobelli, 56, spent 27 seasons as OCC's coach. The team won a state championship last year, and Altobelli was named a national coach of the year by the American Baseball Coaches Association. He led the Pirates to more than 700 victories and four state titles.
Alyssa played on the same basketball team as Bryant's daughter, Gianna.
Cole said he met some of John Altobelli's family and friends at the game. The Yankees ace added that he realized how many people Altobelli knew who had impacted his own life and career.
Cole also noted that, while at UCLA, he competed against Altobelli's son, J.J., who played for Oregon. J.J. Altobelli, now a scout for the Boston Red Sox, was also in attendance at Wednesday's game.
"I admired his will to win, his love for his team and his disciplined work ethic," Cole said. "The Altobelli family is woven through the fabric of Orange County baseball. I play baseball and I am from Orange County. So thank you John, Keri, and Alyssa for the program you built, the example your family has set and the impact you've left on all of us."
John and Keri Altobelli are also survived by daughter Alexis, 16.
John Altobelli was also the head coach of the Brewster Whitecaps from 2012-14 in the Cape Cod Baseball League, a summer proving ground for elite college prospects. There he coached more than a dozen players who have reached the big leagues, including Mets star Jeff McNeil and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
