New York Yankees unveil Gerrit Cole, pulls out childhood sign

Ace pitcher Gerrit Cole has fulfilled a childhood dream by signing with the New York Yankees, which comes with a unique expectation.

The New York Yankees officially have their ace — and he’s clean-shaven.

Gerrit Cole, who followed the Yankee Way by getting rid of his beard, put on pinstripes for the first time Wednesday during his introductory press conference after signing a blockbuster nine-year, $324 million contract.

“I’d like to start with something that’s pretty special to my heart,” Cole said before taking out the famous sign he was photographed with at a Yankees game as a child, which reads “Yankee fan today tomorrow forever.”

“I’m here,” he said. “I’ve always been here.”

Cole told YES Network his parents kept the sign in a closet at their house.

“We didn’t know he had the sign,” Steinbrenner told YES Network. “That’s amazing he kept it all these years. It proves he says what he says he is: a lifelong Yankees fan.”

Gerrit Cole kept the sign 😭 pic.twitter.com/WduQ4bDtY1

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 18, 2019

Holy shit, Gerrit Cole brought the "Yankee fan today, tomorrow, forever" sign he famously held at a game as a child.

— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) December 18, 2019

“I’m here. I’ve always been here.” - @GerritCole45 pic.twitter.com/NFXEH4u4Uo

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) December 18, 2019

As Cole — who had his beard shaved in his hotel room by a Yankees clubhouse attendant — buttoned up his new No. 45 Yankees jersey, manager Aaron Boone said with a laugh, “He cleans up nice, doesn’t he?”

Cole, who was accompanied by his wife, Amy, and sported slicked-back hair to mask his locks, was immediately asked what made him choose the Yankees.

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“Because it was my dream,” Cole said. “I had a second opportunity to chase it and it’s the best organisation, in my opinion, in the league. There’s a process here that [general manager] Brian [Cashman] spoke to and that he just alluded to a couple minutes ago, about trying to bring the best people at each individual position to surround everybody with the best opportunity to succeed.

“And it doesn’t hurt to play for your favourite team.”

"If you're a Yankee, you shave, and that's what's up" @GerritCole45 pic.twitter.com/25ttfasAfn

— SNY (@SNYtv) December 18, 2019

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.