Former Los Angeles Angels clubhouse attendant Brian Harkins is working to prove he was unfairly made a scapegoat when he was fired for supplying ball-doctoring substances to pitchers.
Harkins revealed a text message from Gerrit Cole as evidence. The message -- dated Jan. 17, 2019 -- was filed in Orange County Superior Court as opposition to a request to dismiss the original lawsuit submitted by Harkins\' attorneys in August.
\"Hey Bubba, it\'s Gerrit Cole,\" the text reads. \"I was wondering if you could help me out with this sticky situation [winky face emoji]. We don\'t see you until May, but we have some road games in April that are in cold weather places. The stuff I had last year seizes up when it gets cold ...\"
Harkins was fired last March, ending a nearly four-decade run with the Angels, after the organization was informed by Major League Baseball that he was providing pitchers with an illegal blend of rosin and pine tar, a violation of a rule that had never been strictly enforced.