Alek Manoah Doesn't Regret Calling Gerrit Cole a Cheater

Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah doesn't have any regrets about calling Yankees ace Gerrit Cole a cheater.
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He stands by his comments.

Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah is doubling down that Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is the biggest cheater in baseball.

In the offseason, Manoah cited Cole's excessive usage of sticky substances as the reason: 

When asked on Friday if he regretted his comments, Manoah told reporters "No. Not at all."

The feud first began last August when the Yankees were playing the Blue Jays and Manoah plunked superstar Aaron Judge with a pitch. This enraged Cole.

After the game, Manoah appeared to challenge Cole. "I think if Gerrit wants to do something, he can walk past the Audi sign next time," Manoah said.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider tried to downplay Manoah's comments by attributing them to his fiery personality. 

"Some of the things that Alek has said - between the Audi sign and other things - it's Alek being him," Schneider said Friday.

Manoah and Cole are facing each other in the Yankees-Blue Jays matchup in the Bronx on Saturday.

Cole is off to a terrific start this season, posting a 0.86 ERA and 0.77 WHIP across five starts.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.