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LA Times | Mike DiGiovanna: As part of his defamation complaint in court against his old employer, former Angels visiting clubhouse manager Bubba Harkins named Gerrit Cole as one of many players to seek his help over the years in using foreign substances on the baseball. Harkins released a text message exchange he had with Cole in 2019, when the then-Astros ace not-so-subtly requested some of his concoction. Obviously, Cole is far from the only pitcher in the game to doctor the ball to get a better grip in cold weather, but for him to put it in writing is. unwise at best.