New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole lives slightly off-center, and we love and respect that about him.
But … you have to admit … his recent motivational comments, as the Yankees near a season-defining nine-game stretch, would not feel out of place exiting the mouth of Napoleon Dynamite.
Cole has been pitted against Nathan Eovaldi in a Friday night showcase at Fenway, the type of tone-setter that could change his entire New York narrative to day. That sounds extreme, but I … don’t think I’m exaggerating?
It certainly seems like the great Cole is pitching through a balky hamstring, but he didn’t do a great job of gutting through it Sunday against Cleveland, leading to boo birds and f-bombs.