What was famous about young Cole at the 2001 World Series?

He held a sign declaring lifelong Yankee fandom

Gerrit Cole Quiz: Yankees Pitching and the Cy Young

A California kid who cheered for the Yankees at the 2001 World Series grew up to sign the biggest pitching contract of its time with them, and this Gerrit Cole quiz follows the journey. Play 10 interactive questions on UCLA, the first overall pick, Pittsburgh, Houston's 326 strikeouts, the record deal, the 2023 Cy Young and Tommy John surgery.

Start Gerrit Cole Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Sign
What was famous about young Cole at the 2001 World Series?
College
Which college did Cole attend after turning down the Yankees in 2008?
Draft
Which team took Cole first overall in 2011?
Houston
How many strikeouts did Cole record in 2019 with Houston?
Contract
How long was Cole's December 2019 contract with the Yankees?
Cy Young
In which year did Cole win the AL Cy Young Award?
Hometown
In which California city was Cole born?
Pitch
Which pitch is Cole best known for?
Injury
Which surgery did Cole undergo in 2025?
2024
Which team did Cole face in the 2024 World Series?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What was famous about young Cole at the 2001 World Series?
Answer: He held a sign declaring lifelong Yankee fandom
Photos of the sign resurfaced when he signed with New York.
Q2: Which college did Cole attend after turning down the Yankees in 2008?
Answer: UCLA
New York drafted him in the first round out of high school.
Q3: Which team took Cole first overall in 2011?
Answer: Pittsburgh Pirates
He debuted for Pittsburgh in 2013.
Q4: How many strikeouts did Cole record in 2019 with Houston?
Answer: 326
He led the American League.
Q5: How long was Cole's December 2019 contract with the Yankees?
Answer: Nine years
Worth 324 million dollars, it was a record for a pitcher at the time.
Q6: In which year did Cole win the AL Cy Young Award?
Answer: 2023
He won it unanimously.
Q7: In which California city was Cole born?
Answer: Newport Beach
He grew up in Orange County.
Q8: Which pitch is Cole best known for?
Answer: A high-velocity fastball
His fastball often tops 97 mph.
Q9: Which surgery did Cole undergo in 2025?
Answer: Tommy John elbow surgery
It repaired his ulnar collateral ligament.
Q10: Which team did Cole face in the 2024 World Series?
Answer: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Yankees lost the Series in five games.

Gerrit Cole Quiz – A Lifelong Yankee Fan on the Mound

Gerrit Cole was born in Newport Beach, California, in 1990 and grew up a Yankees fan, famously holding a sign at the 2001 World Series. He turned down the Yankees after the 2008 draft to pitch for UCLA.

The Pittsburgh Pirates took him first overall in 2011. After a trade to Houston, he struck out 326 batters in 2019. In December 2019 he signed a nine-year, 324 million dollar deal with the Yankees, a pitching record at the time.

Cole won the 2023 AL Cy Young Award unanimously and pitched in the 2024 World Series against the Dodgers. He had Tommy John surgery in 2025.

What This Quiz Teaches

Baseball fans will enjoy these questions on a modern ace.

Where Cole grew up
How he was drafted
Which records he set
What awards he won
Which setbacks he faced

Did You Know?

Cole wears number 45 with the Yankees.
His wife Amy is the sister of infielder Brandon Crawford.
Trevor Bauer was his college teammate.
Velocity and spin rate are key to his pitching.
Yankee Stadium opened in 2009.