Remembering Brian Cole

[Zvon]

This really doesn't belong here but I know we have Brian Cole fans and I wanted to share it. I looked 5 pages back for a better choice. I haven't even read this myself yet. Just ran into it.

http://www.si.com/vault/2013/04/01/106303842/the-best-player-you-never-saw?xid=si_social

[fimg=700]http://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/brian-cole-mets.jpg[/fimg]


OE: This is a great read. Excellent.

[Zvon]

Did anyone read this^? I had read and heard many things about Cole, but this is the only thing that ever had me coming away thinking, man, what could have been...
Wright, Reyes, & Cole.

[Edgy MD]

I tended to think building an article by starting with testimony offered on his family's behalf in a lawsuit and taking it a face value was sort of irresponsible. Cole was a baseball player with a halfback's body and if I remember, the thinking of the time was that, if things broke nicely for the Mets, they had a guy with a Kirby Puckett-type skill set.

But he was widely ranked as the Mets second-best outfield prospect at the time, and their top outfield prospect was Alex Escobar. So Cole was probably a long way from a sure thing.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That said this is a hell of a quote:

"I remember telling him to hit the ball on the ground and use his speed," says Pat Strange, then the Mets' top pitching prospect, who would become close friends with Cole. "I believe his response was, 'Shut the f--- up and worry about throwing strikes.' "

[batmagadanleadoff]

Some Cole cards:

]

[Guest cooby]

We need a Brian Cole thread. That article is really special.

Not to make this personal but the description of Brian's movements after the crash were exactly like what my dad did. They had to put him in a medically induced coma before they could put him in the helicopter. Seeing that is something you never forget.

I think we really missed out on something wonderful when Brian died

[G-Fafif]

cooby wrote: We need a Brian Cole thread.

I thought this might be a helpful starting point. Perhaps the Cole remembrances can migrate here from Pop Culture.

[ashie62]

I remember the day.