Even in new threads, McCutchen will be at home in Pittsburgh
During Andrew McCutchen's 673 home games as a Pittsburgh Pirate, he developed an appreciation for franchise history and a sense of comfort at PNC Park. But he never once felt emboldened enough by his achievements to see the statues of Honus Wagner,cheap nfl authentic jerseys Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski outside the stadium and entertain the possibility that he, too, might be immortalized in bronze one day.
"I don't think I'm that important,'' McCutchen said. "Those are guys in the past who did great things, who won championships. I didn't do that. I didn't win championships. I had some personal accolades, but we made the playoffs and that was it. Those are great guys who were there for a very, very long time. As far as me, I'm just a guy who is a part of history, but not to that stature.''
But sometimes a player's impact is measured more in hearts touched and warm memories triggered than trophies hoisted and champagne sprayed. Neil Walker, Pittsburgh born and raised, received a standing ovation when he returned home as a New York Met in 2016. Now it's McCutchen's turn to feel the love.
The festivities will be carefully choreographed when McCutchen returns to Pittsburgh in a San Francisco Giants uniform Friday night. He'll hold a pregame news conference for the local media and be recognized during two in-game celebrations. The Pirates have scheduled a brief video in conjunction with his first plate appearance in the top of the first inning. A longer, more elaborate video presentation will take place when he jogs out to right field in the bottom of the first.
"Our fans, for good reason, love Andrew and what he stands for and everything that he did,'' general manager Neal Huntington said. "There are going to be a lot of McCutchen jerseys -- some black and gold, and maybe even some black and orange. Throughout the ballpark,cheap nfl jerseys from china I fully anticipate an incredibly warm welcome.''
The buildup stems from McCutchen's impact as a driving force behind the franchise's emergence from baseball hell. McCutchen joined the Pirates as the 11th overall pick in the 2005 draft, as part of a stacked first round that included future All-Stars Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Braun, Ryan Zimmerman and Jay Bruce. Over nine seasons in Pittsburgh, McCutchen won a Most Valuable Player award, made five All-Star teams and led a franchise burdened by 20 straight losing seasons to three straight playoff appearances from 2013 to 2015.
