"We were 14 when we met," Hicks recalled, grinning. "That first day, I asked Anthony what position he played. He said, `Center field.' He asked me what position I played, and I said, `Center field. You're going to be playing right field today.'
"When they put up the lineup, I was in right field. Gerrit Cole was definitely our ace."
Through their senior year in high school, Hicks and Gose were teammates with the Arsenal and at MLB's Urban Youth Academy in Compton. Both were swift, athletic and blessed with strong arms -- and both searched to find their hitting styles and strokes.