Chicago Gets a Taste of Utica’s Own, Avery Cook
By Gabriella Trevisani
We want to send a massive congratulations to former Blue Sox, Avery Cook, who recently signed a professional contract with the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League. Independent ball is a huge privilege to have achieved and on behalf of the entire Blue Sox family, we can’t wait to see what he does next!
The son of Bob and Alyssa Cook, he was practically born with a baseball in his hand. His father, Bob, grew up as an athlete in the Mohawk Valley, playing as a pitcher and infielder at Notre Dame High School. Despite staying in the area for college, his top-notch performance secured him a spot in the College World Series and the National Junior College All-Star Team. Although his Major League dreams never panned out, he saw how important and hard you need to train to make it to the next level and made it his mission to make that opportunity easier for the next generation of athletes, not to mention, giving back to the community that gave so much to him. So, he opened Field of Dreams, an indoor training facility open year-round to train players to their highest potential, one of the first of its kind in the area. This was the stomping ground of Avery and his three-years younger brother, Ryan. Ryan, a current member of the Utica Blue Sox tells me, “In the summers, my mom would drop my brother and I there in the mornings and we wouldn’t leave until it was dark out. Playing wiffle ball, throwing balls, hitting balls in the cage, playing catch…”. This sparked his love of the game, growing up to play first base and pitch for Whitesboro High School.
Avery Cook joined the Blue Sox in the 2019 season. Not only was Cook a local, but a six-foot-six pitching commit to Division I affiliate, St John’s University. That said, it didn’t take much convincing for general manager George Deak and head coach Doug Delett to take a chance on him. During this season, he sustained an impressive 3.00 ERA in 27 innings pitched. After a year at St. John’s, which ended with a COVID-19 outbreak, Cook traded his big city dreams to rediscover the rhythm of homegrown baseball at Purdue, claiming it “more (his) speed”. But all of that momentum came to a crashing halt in 2021, when a little arm trouble turned into a classic case of Tommy John surgery. We’re used to the comeback story: you fall down and you get back up. But for Cook, the road to recovery was anything but linear. 2023 was, in his own words, “the darkest year of his life” making only nine appearances with the Boilermaker squad. This setback pushed him to enter the transfer portal, certain that a change of scenery would do the trick. He was close to packing his bags for Georgia Southern, but a snag in his academic credits stopped him in his tracks. Looking back, it may have been a blessing in disguise. Purdue and his teammates welcomed him back with open arms, offering not just another shot, but the support system he needed to rebuild. This time, on his own terms.
This isn’t your average underdog story. Things weren’t perfect, and Cook still struggled with getting the ball over the plate. That was until Purdue University hitting coach, Josh Newman cracked the code. New to the University at the time, he asked him to adjust his approach by dropping down and throwing a side arm. “All of a sudden, he had great ball placement and velocity,” said Newman. Cook cannot thank his coaches enough for not giving up on him and making the road to recovery a lot less overwhelming. So who is Avery Cook? Cook is focused. He journals almost obsessively, recording the trials and triumphs, frustrations and fears of his baseball journey after every game. He is also an extraordinary leader. As a fifth-year player at Purdue University, the younger players look to him as a mentor and he is not short of good advice as a result of the setbacks and resilience that has led him to this point. In an article by Purdue University, Cook shared some wise words on how he defines his role on the team, “In baseball, you’re going to fail a lot. And I think what I bring to the table is the ability to talk to the guys about that. And not many guys in their college careers have experienced the number of failures that I have”. It is this mentality that drives him to persevere in a sport where failure is a part of the playbook.
As the school’s longest tenured player, his farewell season with the Purdue Boilermakers was one for the record books. Earning the title of the most reliable closer, he pitched a solid 42 innings. And in this work, he touted a 4.50 ERA with 9 saves and 40 strikeouts. The twenty-four year old local heads to Chicago fresh off of a historic run, and ready to make a name for himself after four years of finding his footing.
From long days at Field of Dreams to the mound in a professional stadium, Avery’s journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been inspiring. He’s faced his fair share of setbacks, but never stopped grinding, learning, and showing up for the people around him. And his story stands as a lesson to all future athletes and go-getters about trusting your gut and not letting insecurities get the best of you. That’s what makes this milestone so special.
Go get ‘em, Avery. The Windy City is lucky to have you and we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.