Cole aiming for a better ending
Amy Brenneman breaks down her new drama series on Amazon
TAMPA — Gerrit Cole came to the Yankees hoping to make October memories — or at least different postseason memories than the ones he already has.
“I can remember how every single season of mine has ended,’’ Cole said after the Yankees’ pitchers and catchers had their first workout of the spring at their minor league complex Thursday.
That obviously includes last year, when the Yankees lost to the Rays in the ALDS in five games despite Cole’s strong effort in Game 5 on three days’ rest.
“I was probably emotionally affected for a few weeks after that,’’ Cole said. “We’ve got to move on. You’ve got to prepare, so you can’t let it negatively impact your preparation or mindset going forward, but I carry it in my back pocket. I remember who we lost to and why we lost. It’s a motivational thing for me to try harder this year and try to get past where we did last year.”
After signing the richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history, Cole saw his first spring training with the Yankees interrupted by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a 60-game season.
Despite the limited workload a year ago, Cole said he hasn’t made any major changes in his preparation, though he’s aware all pitchers will be managed differently than in a typical 162-game season.
Among them are Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon, who are both coming off two consecutive seasons impacted by injury and will be counted on to bolster a rotation that is without a lot of certainty behind Cole.
On their first day of throwing, Kluber and Taillon impressed Aaron Boone, who hadn’t seen either pitch in person since signing with the Yankees.
“They looked like you hoped they would look here on Day 1,’’ Boone said of the right-handers.
Cole is among those expecting both Kluber and Taillon to pitch as well as they have at other points of their careers.
“Corey is a true craftsman [and] I’ve always enjoyed watching him pitch,’’ Cole said. “Jameson is in a really good spot. … They’ve had to overcome some adversity and they’re in the process of doing that right now.’’
Cole added that while he spoke highly to the front office about his former Pirates teammate Taillon, it was only after the Yankees came to him seeking his input.
“It’s not like I’m making calls, trying to pull strings to acquire anybody,’’ Cole said. ”I just spoke personally about a great friend. I spoke to the character of the player and how well he’s dealt with adversity and overcome challenges.”
He also expects to work with Kyle Higashioka and Gary Sanchez behind the plate, and he brought up a former catcher of his from Houston, Robinson Chirinos, whom the Yankees recently agreed to a deal with.
That will be sorted out during the spring and beyond.
But both Cole and Boone know where they want to end up.
Boone said his first address to the pitchers and catchers — which took place in two groups because of COVID-19 protocols — was about keeping expectations high.
“Knowing the group of guys, by and large, has had a lot of success, but a lot of disappointment, too,’’ Boone said. That includes Cole. “I’m extremely driven for a championship,’’ Cole said. “When you play, you play to win. Personal accolades take a backseat.”
AMY Brenneman plays a mother searching for her missing daughter in the Amazon thriller series “Tell Me Your Secrets,” premiering Friday. “It’s a great potboiler, it’s so binge-y,” Brenneman, 56, told The Post about the 10-episode drama, which follows three enigmatic characters: Mary (Brenneman), who’s determined to find her college-aged daughter who vanished seven years before — even as her husband and son want to grieve and move on; Emma Hall (Lily Rabe), a woman fresh off a stint in prison, who used to be intimately acquainted with a serial killer and might know information about the fate of Mary’s daughter; and John (Hamish Linklater), a former predator who’s trying to redeem himself.
“I do think the more profound part is that there aren’t good guys and bad guys,” said Brenneman. “People [in this show] are pushed to their limits, and the person you might have been vilifying turns out to be a human being as well.”
As the plot unfolds, the trio become intertwined in each other’s stories, and past relationships come to light.
“I had been a serious fan of Hamish’s for a long time, so when I found out he was playing John I was thrilled,” said Brenneman. “Because you literally never know what’s going to happen when you’re with him. In life or in art, he’s superlively and fun.”
Brenneman asked the show’s creator Harriet Warner for book or movie recommendations in order to get in the mood for “Tell me Your Secrets,” which was filmed in New Orleans.
“She turned me onto this show ‘Happy Valley,’ which actually turned me onto a whole bunch of those BBC shows with great characters. ‘Happy Valley’ is still one of my favorite shows. I thought, ‘If that’s what we’re going for, that’s awesome,’” said Brenneman. “It’s got characters that you love, and you love them so much that you don’t judge their actions.
“You’re scared for them; you’re sad for them; you’re just in it with them.”
Brenneman, who initially rose to prominence on “NYPD Blue” and 1995 film “Heat,” has played a wide variety of characters, from doctors (“Private Practice”) to cult members (“The Leftovers”) to her starring role in “Judging Amy,” which aired for six seasons on CBS (19992005). She said she can usually tell which of her roles she’s being approached about by a fan.
“It’s interesting. I feel like it’s true to the demographics. When it’s a younger person [coming up to me], especially women under 25, it’s always ‘Private Practice.’ When it’s an older person it’s ‘Judging Amy,’ and it used to be ‘Heat’ for any guy — but now it’s ‘Heat’ and ‘The Leftovers.’ I like getting to show all the facets of a character, and just having a smart writer who is comfortable with seeing the world as complex as it is. When things get too simpleminded, I kind of check out.”
Up next, Brenneman will co-star in FX on Hulu’s espionage drama “TheOldMan ,” which will mark Jeff Bridges’ inaugural small-screen starring role. The show follows a former intelligence officer (Bridges) who’s forced to re-enter a world he left behind after an assassination attempt and doesn’t yet have a premiere date.
“Best job in the world, best man in the world — it’s [John] Lithgow and Bridges and me, that’s heaven,” Brenneman said. “About a year ago at this time I was [filming] with Jeff [and] we didn’t really have material apart from one another. It seems like one of those pre-pandemic heavenly things, like ‘Did I really do that?’ ”
“But we’ll get back to it.”