Gerrit Cole was awarded the Cy Young Award for his incredible season with the Yankees. But a moment of awkwardness on national television threatened to ruin it all.
Cole has had a successful baseball season, going 15-4 for the Yankees in 209.0 innings. He struck out 222 batters, and accumulated a 2.63 ERA. For his efforts, he was granted the prestigious Cy Young Award on November 15, a prize given to the best pitcher in the American League.
It’s the first time in a pitcher from the New York Yankees has won the title since Roger Clemens in 2001. He’d been nominated for the prestigious title twice before, and this year was finally his year. However, Cole’s awkward response to an interview question put his joy in jeopardy.
What Happened?
When asked by MLB Network’s Pedro Martinez “If you have to name someone who you want to have with you receiving the trophy because of how much he means to you or she means to you or that person who you want to really think of when you receive the trophy, who would that be?” Cole initially looked confused.
It took him eight seconds to come up with a response, all while his wife Amy was sitting awkwardly next to him.
Eventually he came up with: “I think it would probably be … it would be tough not to say Amy right next to me”.
It seems the awkward moment left no hard feelings between the two, as they were seen hugging in celebration shortly afterwards. A nice save from Cole!
Cole’s Family
Amy Crawford and Cole Gerrit were married in 2016, and since then they’ve been capturing the hearts of all the internet. A clip of them playing a throwing and catching ball game surfaced in 2020, with commenters saying “love him and his wife” and “absolute goals”.
But Cole’s marriage isn’t the only part of his family stealing hearts across the internet. Someone recorded his mom and dad’s reaction to hearing the news of their son’s success, and the footage is adorable.
You can see the joy and pride in his parents’ faces as they realised! His mom even interrupted the interview to come and give him a hug. Too cute!
Cheating Allegations
But social media users aren’t always the biggest fans of Cole. Conspiracy theories have abounded about his quick rise to success and his stellar record. Some have even suggested that he has been using foreign substances.
Until there is concrete evidence, it simply sounds like a way for naysayers to discredit Cole’s win. Well done Cole and best of luck in the future!
