Pirates' Gerrit Cole Looking Forward To Eventful Year With Wedding, World Series
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Pittsburgh Pirates' Gerrit Cole has plenty of big plans for the year 2016.
On the field, Cole would like to reach the 20-win milestone for the first time in his young major league career. Last year, the right-hander fell one win shy of that mark, finishing 2015 with a record of 19-8. Cole also has plans of leading the Pirates back to the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.
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The 25-year-old has life-changing plans for the end of this year, as he told KDKA-TV's Rich Walsh that he plans on marrying his long-time girlfriend, Amy Crawford. Since the next few months will spent pitching for the Pirates, Cole and his new fiancée started wedding planning.
"I did some wedding planning, it was fun," Cole said. "We looked at venues together and went through that whole process. It was nice to get it out of the way because we have our hands tied during the season."
Cole told Walsh that he's planning a fall wedding with Crawford at a resort in Santa Barbara.
Does he have an official date set?
"November 12, after the season," Cole said.
If all things go well, it will follow a Pirates World Series Championship.
"That would be a real tight squeeze (between a trip to the World Series and his wedding)," he said. "It would be like 10 days. But we got enough time."
Cole's fiancée will handle the bulk of the wedding planning from here on out while Cole concentrates on baseball... and trying to put that Wild Card loss behind him.
"You know, you turn the page, and spring training is about focusing on this year (2016)," he said, "but you know, you carry that with you, and try to use it to your advantage, and you get better from it."
The Bucs' ace wants more than a Wild Card appearance this year. He has his sights set on winning the division and much more.
"If we win the World Series and then 10 days later I got married, it would be the best 10 days of my life," Cole said.
Although it hasn't been made official, manager Clint Hurdle will most likely name Cole as the Pirates Opening Day starter on April 3 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.
