CHICAGO — A simple unsaid rule in baseball clubhouses: Don’t talk to that day’s starting pitcher. Starters usually keep to themselves on those days, touching base with coaches and their catcher, but otherwise preparing for the task. Jameson Taillon is a different sort, though.
According to his close friend and former teammate Gerrit Cole , Taillon is locked in and ready to go before a start, but he won’t bite your head off if he’s addressed. Advertisement “He’s the same guy before and after the game,” Cole said. “If you wanted him to make you a pour-over coffee on the day that he’s pitching, he would be like, ‘You know what? I’ll try to find some time to make you coffee.
’ He’s just such a lovely human being.” On a beautiful, sunny Sunday at Wrigley Field, the two faced off on the mound for the first time. Taillon outdueled Cole in a well-pitched, 2-1 Chicago Cubs victory over the New York Yankees .
The Cubs starter allowed just the lone run in six innings while striking out six and walking one, spreading out six hits. Cole allowed two runs, but neither was earned as he struck out seven Cubs and walked one, allowing just three hits in six innings. It’s a common occurrence to hear Taillon bring up the Yankees’ ace in fawning terms.
It’s clear listening to Taillon talk that Cole has had a great impact on his career, setting an example of how to go about life as a starting pitcher in the big leagues. Taillon was drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010, a year before they selected Cole with the No. 1 pick.
Cole, who went to college at UCLA, is a little over a year older than Taillon, who signed straight out of high school. The way Taillon talks about Cole can come across as an admiring younger sibling, but the feeling is mutual with Cole. “When I got drafted and went to Pirates City, Jamo was one of the first five people I met in professional baseball,” Cole said.
“There’s just a bond that you form with somebody like that. He’s got two brothers, but we’re kind of brothers in that regard. We’ve known each other for a long time, watch each other pitch all the time, root for each other, help each other out and spend a lot of time together.
” During the Clubhouse Report, @M_Marakovits spoke with Gerrit Cole on his friendship with Jameson Taillon, previews his outing and more. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.
com/qZUKmdtg3F — YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 8, 2024 “I feel like we bonded over that,” Taillon said. “Being young and having a lot of pressure and expectations, there’s not many people that can understand what you’re going through when you’re that age. Put under that spotlight and on that platform.
” Sunday marked Cole’s 34th birthday, and earlier in the week, Taillon and Cole’s wife surprised him with a boat trip on Lake Michigan and a nice dinner at an upscale restaurant. Quite different than the two-for-one specials the two would seek from Applebee’s during their days in the minors. Although, with their immense first-round bonuses, it’s not as if the duo was just scraping by at the time.
Advertisement “I feel like we kind of hit it off over (high expectations) immediately,” Taillon said. “That bond continued over coffee, wine, baseball, pitching, same TV shows. All that.
We lived together for multiple spring trainings. We went fishing together, golfing together, all of it. We kind of grew up together through the Pirates system.
” The two were only briefly teammates with the big-league Pirates before Cole was traded to the Houston Astros . It was there that Cole went from a really good pitcher to an obvious ace. After two standout seasons in Houston, Cole continued his dominance in New York, signing what was at the time the biggest contract ever for a free-agent pitcher.
Taillon was traded to the Yankees before the 2021 season and spent two seasons with Cole before signing with the Cubs. Taillon brought a lot of what he learned by observing Cole over to the North Side of Chicago. “You hear a lot about guys who are good teammates and good friends,” Taillon said.
“To me, those are different things. It’s easier to be a good friend away from the field. But at the field, that dude would watch my bullpens, he would do post-outing reviews with me, he’d talk about dialing my routine in.
That’s different than being a friend. That’s caring about the organization and making everyone better around him.” Taillon makes a big deal out of paying attention to those around him.
There are always learning moments and times when you can positively impact a teammate’s career. He saw Cole do it in New York and wants to create a similar sense of camaraderie in Chicago. “If you look in dugouts around the league, not many starting pitchers are out there all game,” Taillon said.
“Gerrit’s outside for most of the game. The only time he’s inside is when he’s getting treatment. I learned that from him, just how to watch a big-league game.
I thought that was something big. The dude’s the highest-paid pitcher in baseball hanging onto every pitch you throw.” Advertisement Taillon can make it seem like Cole taught him everything he knows.
But Cole is quick to point out that this is a symbiotic relationship. The two fed off each other and have grown together on and off the field. “We played a lot of baseball together,” Cole said.
“He’s probably contributed to (the way I act) maybe more so than he’s aware. He’s the quintessential example of an all-around great teammate and advocate for his rotation mates and whoever else is on the club with him. You’d be hard-pressed to find a person in this world who doesn’t adore him.
” Taillon makes sure to watch teammates’ bullpen sessions and encourages those in the rotation to do the same. Taillon pointed out how in between his innings Sunday he made sure to watch Cole. It had been a while since he’d done that.
At least in person. Because according to Cole, Taillon is an avid watcher of his starts, often giving him tips. “‘I watched you two days ago and this is what I got,’” Cole said Taillon will sometimes text.
“I’ve made over 300 career starts and he’s watched at least 250. That just speaks to who he is.” Taillon and Cole are both clearly students of the game.
Not only do they want to better themselves, but they believe by going the extra mile as a teammate and friend, you can better those around you. The two are tight, but it’s not as though they believe there’s only one path to success. “I feel like me and him do things differently,” Taillon said.
“He spends hours taking notes on lineups. He throws 100. We do things differently and our styles are different.
I prepare differently, I throw more pitches. I have to prepare differently because my stuff is different.” “Maybe I bring different qualities than he does, a lot of times I find myself trying to be more like Jamo, too,” Cole said.
“He sets an example in a lot of great ways and is an impactful human and teammate. We go about it in our own ways, but I do believe we’re trying to accomplish the same things. I think he’s like-minded in that regard.
” Advertisement Taillon may not have the hardware that Cole has, but by being a great teammate and friend, perhaps he can similarly impact the group around him as Cole does in New York. Taillon was brought to Chicago to do exactly what he’s done this season, eat innings and provide a steady performance every fifth day. Some believed it would have been valuable to trade Taillon at the deadline in July.
But players like Cole and Taillon are valuable beyond their numbers. The Cubs need more players like Taillon, not fewer. Those with the mindset that there are more ways to help your team than just with your actions on the field.
(Photo of Jameson Taillon: Matt Marton / USA Today).
