Decent start
It was June 11, 2013 when Gerrit Cole made his MLB debut. It turned out pretty well: He struck out his first batter, and got an RBI hit.
Words with Gomez
On April 20, 2014, the benches cleared (and three guys were tossed) in the third inner after Cole and Carlos Gomez of the Milwaukee Brewers exchanged words at third base. Four guys ended up being suspended (but not Cole).
Remember how Travis Snider looked afterward?
Then he hits Gomez in their next matchup
On May 13, 2014, just a month after their heated exchange at third base, Cole faces off against Gomez again. And this time, the outfielder gets beaned.
His All-Star Game strikeout of Trout
Cole pitched the third inning of the MLB All Star Game in 2015. He came in with the score tied at 1 and retired the side, with one strikeout and one walk.
What's it like to see a Cole pitch?
Here's a neat viewpoint — that of the umpire. Here's what he sees when Cole's on the mound.
The liner off the head
On April 14, 2016, Cole was pitching against the Detroit Tigers and facing his mound opponent Jordan Zimmerman when a line drive came right back at him and clocked him in the head. After being evaluated by trainers, Cole stayed in the game to finish the inning.
Pumping up the Penguins crowd
On May 4, 2016, Cole attended the Penguins playoff game against the Washington Capitals at the then-Consol Energy Center. He was a rowdy fan, even getting a scolding from an usher. Maybe it had some effect: The Pens won in overtime.
His first complete game
It was July 27, 2016. Cole went the distance for the first time after 131 games. He threw a 93-pitch three-hitter in beating the Mariners 10-1.
2017 — the final season — highlights
Finally, here's the season most fans will recall the most, since it was his last with the club. Finishing at 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA, it wasn't the stellar season that you'd expect from someone making $3.7 million.
Oh, Gerrit Cole, we hardly knew ye.
Actually, we did. Some of it was good. Some bad. Some funny.
The right-hander came to PNC Park as a touted "Ace."
After weeks of negotiations and several false alarms, the Pirates on Saturday finally traded ace pitcher Cole, 27, to the Houston Astros.
Read all about the trade that sent Cole to the Houston Astros at TribLIVE.
What does the former (hard to type those words) Pirate Cole think of the move?
Let's take a quick walk down memory lane — viewing a few of the more memorable moments of Cole's tenure with the Pirates.