Published 11:06 IST, December 19th 2019
MLB's $324 million star Gerrit Cole displays nostalgic childhood sign at Yankees unveiling
Gerrit Cole signed for the Yankees on a record-breaking nine-year $324 million contract last week. He was officially unveiled as a Yankees player on Wednesday
"Yankee fan today. Tomorrow. Forever.", read a sign in the hands of a boy in attendance at the 2001 World Series. Eighteen years later, that sign was once again on show in New York, the home of the Yankees. Interestingly, that sign hasn't changed hands in 18 years.
MLB: Gerrit Cole takes a trip down memory lane at New York Yankees unveiling
Gerrit Cole was officially unveiled as a member of the New York Yankees 40-man roster last night. While the three-time MLB All-Star arrived in New York amid much fanfare, his arrival was made all the more iconic when the $324 million man held the "Yankee fan today. Tomorrow. Forever." sign from his childhood. “I can remember as a little boy dreaming about being a Major League Baseball player, specifically a Yankee,” Gerrit Cole was quoted as saying at his official unveiling. “I’m just tremendously excited, and I hope there’s a lot of young boys out there that chase their dreams just like I did.”, he continued.
Gerrit Cole's move to the New York Yankees signifies a major push in the Yankees' pursuit of their next World Series victories. "I'm here", Cole said at his unveiling, "I've always been here". Fitting words for a player who was spotted with the "Yankee fan today. Tomorrow. Forever." sign at the 2001 MLB World Series. Gerrit Cole's childhood fascination with the New York Yankees is believed to be a major factor in the three-time MLB All-Star's move to the Yankees. The Gerrit Cole contract is now the fourth-largest overall in the history of baseball, behind only Mike Trout ($426.5 million), Bryce Harper ($330 million) and Giancarlo Stanton ($325 million).
Updated 17:55 IST, December 19th 2019