Gerrit Cole Reportedly Snapped On Brett Gardner Back In June After a Pine Tar Prank Gone Wrong

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Just when I thought the Yankees 2021 season couldn't bother me anymore here we have a story about a Gerrit Cole-Brett Gardner altercation following the sticky substance rule enforcement. Shoot me. 

Little back story first. Brett Gardner (still somehow on this team) is a big time prankster. When he's not hitting .220 and inexplicably playing in 140 games, the Yankees 38 year old outfielder likes to mess around with the guys. Anytime we have a player on the pod we have to ask if Gardy has gotten them good with one of his pranks. Tyler Wade is usually the victim, but apparently anyone is a potential target no matter how big the star power. Gerrit Cole, on the flip side, is basically a polar opposite personality in every way. He carries himself with this super serious demeanor, seemingly only caring about pitching. Cole has always been an intense guy and it's been well-documented dating back to his UCLA days when he clashed with Trevor Bauer's free and easy attitude. It's just who he is and I've got no problem with it. I just want him to pitch better in big moments. 

Now flashback to months ago, just as Major League Baseball began cracking down on pitchers using sticky substances. Gerrit Cole was clearly going through his own hell and Gardner thought it would be a good opportunity to bust some balls. NJ.com's Bob Klapisch detailed the incident in an article found here. 

To soften the blow and lighten the moment, Gardner paraded around the clubhouse with pine tar on his hat. He was trying to get a laugh out of Cole. Apparently it had just the opposite effect. According to the source, Cole, in full view of his teammates, got in Gardner's face and told him to know it off. 

If anybody knows about winning - and the clubhouse chemistry that goes with it - it's Gardner. Cole didn't see it that way, pushing back in a way that must've shocked the veteran outfielder. It took a full day for Cole to calm down; he ended up apologizing to Gardner. The matter was dropped, but it nevertheless spoke to Cole's skittishness. 

Okay, not the biggest deal in the world, but certainly not something you wanna hear if you're a Yankees fan. I honestly think there's blame to go around everywhere. We'll start with Brett Gardner. Yeah dude I get you're this big jokester sure, but maybe don't mock the sticky substance thing as Cole was going through his very own living nightmare. Major League Baseball basically made the dude the poster boy of this whole shit storm and he was not handling it well. I know zero people are going to have sympathy for a guy who was taking advantage like this, but baseball changing the rules on the fly and causing Cole (and basically every hard thrower in the game) to rework their entire pitching plan wasn't the most ideal situation, unless you were a hitter. 

Anyways, I'm not sure Gardy mocking his own teammate was the best way to lighten the mood in the clubhouse. You think when deflate gate was going on guys were going up to Tom Brady in the locker room with deflated balls to get a nice chuckle? Think when CC Sabathia had to step away from the game because of his drinking problem guys were leaving empty bottles of vodka in his locker? Am I saying he's as big of a star as Brady or this was as serious as the CC stuff? No, but when a dude is going through a crisis maybe just leave him the fuck alone and go steal Tyler Wade's car again. 

On the other side of the coin Cole has gotta chill. I totally get losing it in the heat of the moment that happens, but needing a whole day to cool down? Come on dude, lighten up for a second. Gardy didn't talk about your family, he put some pine tar on his hat. It's all stupid and this is something that was dealt with months ago. Cole came to his senses, apologized, and squashed it. Why are we hearing it now? I'd wager it has something to do with the assistant coaches that were moved on from last week and someone leaking it as a parting gift. How lovely. 

Please let this be the last I hear about 2021 and let's turn the page for the love of god.