Gerrit Cole remembers his major-league debut in great detail, to the point that he knew why PNC Park was so empty to start the game.
The team had recently instituted extra security to enter the ballpark, and as a result, many missed Cole’s first big-league pitch to Gregor Blanco of the Giants.
"Everyone was coming in late and a little hot, a little edgy,” Cole said in PNC Park’s visitor’s dugout Tuesday before the Pirates and Yankees played. “... The crowd was not fully in, but it started to get louder and louder until the base hit was loud. The standing ovation heading off the field was loud. And when we won the game, it was just pretty sweet."
That summer night from nine seasons ago was Cole’s first time at PNC Park as a member of the Pirates. Tuesday, he is making his first trip as a visitor, nearly five years after the Pirates traded him to the Astros.
“[My wife] Amy and I were walking around town the other day with [my son] Caeden,” Cole said. “It's a bit surreal. The last time we left, we felt like we were just kids. Now we have a 2-year-old.”
Also making their first trips back to PNC Park were Clay Holmes and Tuesday’s starter, Jameson Taillon, both of whom were traded to the Yankees last year.
“A little weird from the visitor’s side, coming out on the first-base side it was a little weird,” Taillon said after the game. “But it was cool to be back. It was a great crowd that came out.”
With the Yankees, Cole gets to visit Houston every year. He pitched and beat the Pirates at Minute Maid Park in 2019, but five years away from PNC Park and Pittsburgh makes this a special reunion for him.
“I just really haven’t been back to kind of soak it all up and think about it and how this feels,” Cole said.
Cole spoke to reporters Tuesday with earnestness, showing that he enjoyed his time here, not just saying it. And while he won't pitch during this series back in Pittsburgh, he's looking forward to the first time he will.
It is certainly a different group of people here since the last time Cole wore black and gold. Gone is every player Cole ever played a major-league game with the Pirates. The only remaining coach is bullpen catcher Jordan Comadena.
While the overhaul Taillon has seen to the Pirates since his exit isn’t as drastic as Cole, it’s still significant. Perhaps not as significant as his own personal challenges to get back on a mound, from Tommy John surgeries, cancer and plenty more.
“He’s been through a lot in his career,” Derek Shelton said before the game. “Multiple Tommy Johns. I think the talent is there. Everyone knew the talent was there. Where I give him a ton of credit, this kid’s persevered through a lot, and he’s persevered through it. If you spent any time with it, with probably as good of a frame of mind or mindset as you can. He was always looking forward. He was always having the positives. With the exception of tonight, I will cheer for Jameson Taillon every time he pitches.”
Walking over to the ballpark from his hotel Tuesday, Taillon reflected about his journey to this point.
"I went through a lot here,” Taillon said. “Made lifelong friends that I’m lucky I kept in touch with. I’ve been in these people’s weddings. I’ve watched families grow. It’s definitely good to be back. This city always treated me really well."
Cole felt the same way.
“A lot of good memories,” Cole said. “We really fought hard for the fan base here. We really embraced it and did the best we could. We were tough. We played through a lot of injuries. We played through a lot of stuff. We got a lot of stuff done. Ultimately we came up short. The elation I feel like that we shared, I feel like we were able to share it with the fans.”
“I mean, you know, my first RBI, first base hits, first pitch, first strikeout first win, the wildcard win here — just a lot of great baseball that we played on this field,” he elaborated. “A lot of hard work. So, I don't know. It’s kind of tough for me to sum it up into words. But I do wish at some point I get to come back here and pitch, for sure.”
So does he have any regrets about his Pirates tenure?
“I'd probably take back that slider to [Kyle] Schwarber, to be honest,” he said, referencing a long home run in the 2015 Wild Card game that effectively put the game out of reach.
Ouch, Gerrit.
“I just wish we would have gotten out of the wild card one more time,” Cole said. “We played so much good baseball in what was one of the tougher divisions at that time.”
