Look, I get that there’s a background story here, with Gerrit Cole being a Yankees fan since he was a kid. I’ve seen the picture of him holding the sign – which he kept over the years – and then bringing it with him to his press conference last year.
The guy is predisposed to really loving the Yankees, and that’s before they gave him $324 million.
But, I’m sorry, a little part of me cringed when I heard this part of his post-game following his start in the Yankees’ ALDS Game One victory over the Rays: “Whether it’s the Yankees or any other team, [winning it all is] everybody’s goal. Obviously, leading the charge with the most world championships ever, more often times than not the Yankees come through.”
Mathematically, that’s not quite true, but he’s right that 27 championships is a shitload. The Yankees have earned the right to say whatever.
But there’s something about a guy who joined up with them saying it at the start of the postseason. Like, I’m not mad about it or anything like that. It’s not a big deal. It just has a little bit of, “Oh come onnnnnnnn” to it. It sounds like the public relations officer being sent out to read positivity talking points off a sheet. Like a good boy earning his pat on the head from the ghosts of Ruth and DiMaggio.
The Yankees are the greatest ever. We get it. And maybe they’ll win their first title in 11 years this time.