New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole plays for the New York Yankees under a record-setting contract that brings in $36 million each year. He’s in the midst of an impressive season that prompted talk of a Cy Young Award earlier in the year. What does a leading athlete like that drive? Well, when he’s near his home in California, it turns out he still drives the Toyota Tacoma he got when he was in high school.
Writing at NJ.com, Brendan Kuty has more details on Cole’s 2006 Toyota Tacoma. Earlier this month, when the Yankees faced the Angels in Anaheim, Cole drove his car to the stadium. It’s worth mentioning here that he likely didn’t drive it across the country. Cole grew up in southern California, and has held on to his first car ever since getting it from his father for his birthday.
As Kuty notes, Cole got plenty of use out of the Tacoma, driving it in college, through spring training and the minor leagues, and at the beginning of his MLB career with the Pirates. All told, the Tacoma has 82,000 miles on it.
And while he could certainly afford something newer or fancier, his explanation for why he’s kept it around suggests a certain pragmatism. He told NJ.com that it was “[s]uper reliable.”
“[W]hen we go to the beach or when we lug around Christmas presents or things like that, it comes in handy,” he added. It’s a testament to the staying power of this particular Tacoma as well.
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