Few days have ever angered me more than January 18th, 2018. I remember walking to practice after my afternoon classes with some friends when I saw the Ken Rosenthal tweet saying Andrew McCutchen was traded to the San Francisco Giants for two guys I had never heard of before. I was pretty much silent for the rest of the day, in utter disbelief that Cutch was no longer a Pirate. That is because, to me and thousands of others, Andrew McCutchen isn’t just a player on our favorite baseball team. Cutch is Pittsburgh Pirates baseball and the reason I am still obsessed with this team to this very day. From a business point of view, it was understandable why they didn’t feel the need to bring him back. However, the idea that the greatest Pirate of my generation will never take another at-bat for this team is a sickening thought. It’s easy to remember that he loves this franchise so much that he took a hometown discount to extend here, and actively chose to spend the last few years of his career here instead of chasing rings. If this is where it ends, Cutch, I just want to say from the bottom of my heart: Thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve abandoned this sport years ago.
As of writing this, I am a 27-year-old man who has followed the Pirates since I was 4 or 5 years old. I am sure people reading this who are around my age can sympathize with what I am about to say. Despite cheering for this team for 22 years of my life, I have seen four winning seasons. Baseball was always my favorite sport growing up, and as far as I can remember, it was a bonding experience for my entire family. However, without fail the calendar would hit August, and every single time the Pirates season was over. Sure, you watched some fun seasons from the likes of Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, and for me, adopted the number 2 for all sports because of Jack Wilson. But you never really felt like the Pirates were ever worth dedicating every single evening to. Cutch made the Pirates must-watch baseball as soon as he entered the league and fundamentally changed my relationship with the franchise.
Pirates fans in particular are very prospect fatigued. We are used to hearing prospect hype and seeing the guy come up to the majors and completely stink up the joint. Cutch was different, as my parents will tell me it only took two weeks after he debuted for me to start begging for his jersey for my birthday. When Andrew McCutchen came up to the majors and started balling out immediately, there was a weird feeling that many fans like me had never experienced in their lives: Hope. McCutchen was the catalyst of belief in a baseball team that had died nearly two decades ago, where the Pirates had become a laughing stock throughout the city of Pittsburgh. The Pirates became a franchise that you could take seriously and we all owe that to Cutch.
Watching prime Andrew McCutchen was something you couldn’t take your eyes off of. A guy who was simultaneously a 30-homer power threat, could steal at ease, and ran like a gazelle in the outfield was such a beauty to watch. His iconic dreadlocks had 47-year-old men from New Castle and Butler, PA showing up to the ballpark in fake dreads and a Cutch Air Jordan T-shirt. He was singlehandedly getting fans back into PNC Park on a regular basis, which had turned into a ghost town during the 2000s years. He was effortlessly cool, leading dance parties in the dugouts before games while also beaming ear to ear while sucking the soul out of opponents on a nightly basis. I still get a dopamine hit seeing him do his little trot over home plate after a home run. It doesn’t hurt that he was also a top 10 player in the sport during this crazy run. His MVP-caliber performances were finally being backed up with wins as well. Pittsburgh fully believed the Pirates could win with Cutch leading the charge from 2011 to 2017, which simply never happened after Barry Bonds left way back in 1993. Some of the happiest memories I have ever made with friends and family were watching that special group of players between 2013 and 2015. I still chant “Cueto” from my couch at Cincinnati Reds pitchers. Attending Game 3 of the NLDS in 2013 is still a top 5 day for me ever, and I have Andrew McCutchen to thank for that.
It is unlikely that McCutchen is ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His run of dominance most likely keeps him out unless something crazy happens in these next few years. However, there should already be plans within the Pirates organization to have a statue built outside of PNC Park as soon as he retires. Andrew McCutchen saved and defined Pittsburgh baseball by dragging us to relevance. He is the reason grown men were crying and hugging each other in the streets all over this town. He made me passionate enough about this sport to watch numerous 100-loss seasons in the hope we get another person like him. Thank you, Andrew, for everything you have done and for what you mean to us. You will forever be loved and admired in this city.
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