Why did Alek Manoah call Gerrit Cole 'the worst cheater in history'? Origins of beef between two aces explored

It's safe to say that Alek Manoah is not the biggest fan for All-Star Gerrit Cole. The Toronto Blue Jays starter has not hidden his feelings towards the New York Yankees ace and his alleged use of Spider Tack.

Spider Tack has become one of baseball's stickiest issues. While doctoring baseballs has always been a part of the game, the introduction of the sticky foreign substance has been an issue that the MLB has tried to crack down on in recent years.

Gerrit Cole has been called out by several players for being the most notorious abuser of the banned substance. Not only is Manoah on record for calling out Cole, but former American MVP Josh Donaldson also took shots at the All-Star prior to becoming teammates with the Yankees.

“Who is the worst cheater in baseball history” Alek Manoah: Gerrit Cole" - @StoolBaseball

In late 2022, Manoah joined former Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka on Sportsnet's "How Hungry Are You?" podcast, and during the interview, the pitcher revealed that he believes Cole is the "worst cheater" in baseball history.

“He cheated,” Manoah said, showing a baseball grip as he discussed the allegations against Cole. “He used a lot of sticky stuff to make his pitches better, and he kinda got called out on it.”

The Spider Tack call out was not the beginning of Alek Manoah's feud with Gerrit Cole

During a game last August, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was hit by an inside pitch by Manoah. Nothing occurred between the two teams, but Cole shouted back and forth with Manoah after Judge was plunked. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Toronto Blue Jays pitcher did not back down from Cole in a post-game interview, going so far as to challenge him to a brawl

"I think if Gerrit wants to do something, he can walk past the Audi sign next time," Manoah said after that game, referring to the Audi advertisement that sits right in front of the Yankees' home dugout.

"Alex Manoah is ready and willing if Gerrit Cole wants the smoke @Starting9" - @barstoolsports

Manoah has had a terrible season since calling Cole a 'cheater'

Alek Manoah played the role of the antagonist earlier on in the season but Gerrit Cole has had the last laugh. While the Yankees ace is primed for a Cy Young run, the Toronto Blue Jays star has been sent down, marking a new low in a season of failures.