Andrew McCutchen, a former outfielder for the Giants, is still a gentleman.
Before the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays game on Friday, McCutchen arrived at PNC Park wearing a Giants Willie Mays jersey that the late “Say Hey Kid” personally autographed.
Like many others, McCutchen was a huge fan of Mays and is processing his loss by thinking back on all the legends surrounding one of the greatest baseball players of all time, including his own.
According to McCutchen, “Willie Mays existed before there was [Barry] Bonds, [Ken Griffey Jr.], and all these guys, and [Willie] Stargell” (via MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf). He was the one who existed before Willie Mays, Rickey Henderson, and all of these incredible center fielders. Willie Mays was present. He was an innovator in the game.
Luckily, McCutchen had a relationship with Mays before to his death at the age of ninety-three.
Before being moved by Pittsburgh to San Francisco in 2018, McCutchen played for the Pirates for nine years. It was there that he made his first acquaintance with Mays as a Giant.
McCutchen said, “Any chance I got [to talk to him], I was just in there, man.” “I was only attempting to obtain any pearls of knowledge or conversation. Anything that would reach me. I made an effort to spend as much time as possible with him.
Mays gave McCutchen the nickname “Pittsburgh,” referring to the current 16-year MLB veteran’s time spent in the Steel City, McCutchen continued.
McCutchen has spent 11 of his big league seasons with Pittsburgh; he only spent that 2018 season playing for San Francisco Forever, MLB fans worldwide will mourn Mays. However, like McCutchen, those same fans are aware that Mays’ legacy will endure forever.
McCutchen remarked, “You kind of understand in that moment the player he was and how big of a player he was.”
He wasn’t the biggest player, thus his size wasn’t the only factor in his success; he was a very major player in the game.
“His influence will endure.”
McCutchen is a fan favorite and a true pro despite just having played briefly in San Francisco.
Having teammate outfielder McCutchen properly represent his jersey would make Mays proud.
