Yankees fans will never get answer about Gerrit Cole’s health in ALWC Game

The night that threw New York Yankees fans into an unrelenting frenzy will likely not provide anybody tangible answers until a tell-all book comes out in like 10 years, unfortunately.

The ill-fated AL Wild Card Game against the Boston Red Sox went just about as badly as it could’ve and it all stemmed from Gerrit Cole’s non-ace-like outing in which he was tagged early by the Sox’s high-powered offense.

Knee-jerk reactions and hot takes from all areas of the baseball world hit the timeline, but many Yankees fans rationalized by claiming Cole’s fatigue related to a balky hamstring may have been the main culprit.

It’s hard to disagree with that, too. Cole wasn’t the same after the early September incident and the fact is he lasted just two innings after throwing 50 pitches, all the while struggling with his control.

If you ask Cole, though, that’s a moot point. He didn’t perform, and that’s the bottom line. Then again, the answer to the question is pertinent because if he wasn’t physically able to perform at his best, then why didn’t the Yankees have an alternative solution?

At the very least, fans got a very professional and accountable response from their ace about what had happened on Oct. 5. But it’s just not the revelation most want to hear.

Yankees fans won’t get a real answer about Gerrit Cole’s health last year.

The usual, a lot of “ya knows” and generalities about what could have been the problem, most notably the reality that he didn’t perform up to standard in the high-stakes opportunity.

And at this point, it doesn’t really matter. The 2021 season, even though it ended with the Yankees notching 92 wins, was largely a nightmare from start to finish. Meanwhile, the Red Sox were bounced in the ALCS. Had they reached the World Series, fans might’ve been more fervent in regard to getting to the bottom of everything, but what’s done is done. The 2022 campaign is the new focus.

And Cole is already throwing heat as he prepares for what’s next.

The beef with Josh Donaldson, the newest Yankee, is apparently squashed, as the two decided they have one goal: to win a championship with the Bronx Bombers. With a new-look infield and attitude (Donaldson brings a bit of fire and Isiah Kiner-Falefa looked up to Derek Jeter as a kid), these fresh new expectations should be the primary focus rather than harping on a season Red Sox fans can’t even really brag about because they fell short of the ultimate goal.

Donaldson hates the Red Sox, too, so maybe he and Cole can bond over that as the Yankees work to put their rivals in the rearview instead of having them stick around as long as they did last year.

Ex-Red Sox star rips Yankees’ Gerrit Cole for playoff performances

Boston Red Sox World Series champion Koji Uehara ripped New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole for his MLB Playoffs performances.