Jameson Taillon first went through discomfort before discovering he had testicular cancer, then surgery to address the problem.
This was 2017. And what Gerrit Cole loved was that every time Taillon reached out to find out how one of his best friends was or to offer comfort, somehow shifted the conversation to Cole’s pitching. He noted that it could help his Pirates teammate and friend.
“He gave me his opinion from TV on how I was doing,” Cole said by phone on Sunday, not long after it was announced that the Yankees had gotten his friend from the Pirates in front of four potential clients. “He gave his thoughts and was a sounding board as if he were still in the clubhouse. Obviously I’m checking him for cancer purposes and he’s still watching me to push me and make me better. “
It was part of the reason that when Aaron Boone called a few weeks ago to get intelligence on Taillon while the Yankees chased the righthander, Cole was able to gush so easily. After all, the Yanks had done their homework on Taillon’s pitching stuff and wanted a look behind the scenes if he had the right stuff to get to New York.
“I told them if you’re going to bet on somebody, if you’re going to fight somebody, that Jameson is the man you want next to you,” Cole said. He is not surprised. He always makes the people around him better. He is one of the most resilient people I’ve ever known. “
Taillon was taken with the Pirates ‘second overall pick in 2010, Cole with the Pirates’ first overall pick in 2011. They became fast friends, with similar expectations and a similar climb. Cole immediately noticed the accuracy of Taillon’s fastball and curveball excellence like he had never seen before. But it was more than that.
Taillon first needed surgery for Tommy John on the minors. He had a hernia. He had the testicular cancer. He had to undergo another surgery by Tommy John in 2019 and missed the entire season. But with every physical setback, “he just bounces off it better than some can even imagine,” Cole said. “He remains incredibly positive. He’s fun to be around when it’s not the easiest thing to do. He always has a positive influence on the culture and other teammates. He is a very special boy. “
Taillon and Cole pitched together for under-.500 Pirate Clubs in 2016-17. Now Taillon joins Cole in New York in a team with championship ambitions.
“He’s doing everything he can to get back,” Cole said. “He will put himself in a good position [in New York] adapt to all things because he is a professional. “