Gerrit Cole is credited with being, in a way, the face of the “Spider Tack” case in Major League Baseball. Why?
Because he is the first pitcher to have been publicly criticized for using a gumming product to give the ball a better grip.
In fact, it was Josh Donaldson who did it while he was still in Minnesota. Major League Baseball had changed its rules…and Donaldson had finally been traded to the Yankees.
Cole, sometimes recognized as a guy who likes to complain, had finally taken the transaction well.
But Donaldson is not the only player with whom there have been skirmishes. Alek Manoah, who had come under fire from Cole after hitting Aaron Judge last summer, had a run-in with the pitcher…and obviously he hasn’t forgotten what happened.
Yesterday a video of Manoah, who was never afraid to speak, circulated. And in the video, he says Cole is the worst cheater in baseball history.
Recall that Cole played in Houston for two years, but that Manoah cited him for his role in the Spider Tack case.
He didn’t name a doped player or an Astros hitter for the worst cheater. He will therefore clearly be eagerly awaited at Yankee Stadium this year…
Did he quote Cole just because the two guys don’t like each other? It’s possible. That’s his style, in Manoah. The guy sometimes talks too much…
One thing is certain: the stars of the Jays do not like the Yankees and it will spice up the rivalry.
