Gerrit Cole is now a staple of the New York Yankees organization, but that wasn't always the case. The hard-throwing righty was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates first overall in 2011 and then eventually moved onto the Houston Astros as well before landing in the Bronx.

Nevertheless, Cole has been a Yankees fan his whole life, growing up watching the team. He was even able to be in the stands on that special day on July 9, 2011, when franchise icon Derek Jeter registered his 3,000th hit, a line-drive home run to right field.

So why exactly was Cole at that game? It was the week of the MLB Draft in the Big Apple.

Via Bryan Hoch:

Probably one of the most iconic moments to witness firsthand as a Yankees supporter. I couldn't even imagine how electric the energy was at Yankee Stadium during that game.

Cole was scheduled to pitch on Thursday on Opening Day against the Boston Red Sox, but the game ultimately got postponed until Friday due to rain. The New York ace will be looking for revenge after the BoSox lit him up for three runs and two homers in just a pair of innings in the AL Wild Card Game last season.

Nevertheless, the veteran put together a fine campaign in 2021, despite the Yankees' inability to make a playoff run. He went 16-8 with a 3.23 ERA, striking out 243 batters in 181.1 innings. Let's hope he can replicate those numbers in 2022.