Former Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen stays a category act.
On Friday earlier than the Pittsburgh Pirates matchup with theTampa Bay Rays, McCutchen entered PNC Park rocking a Giants Willie Mays jersey signed by the late “Say Hey Child” himself.
Andrew McCutchen rocking a signed Willie Mays jersey ❤️
(through @MLB) pic.twitter.com/fPVPR5meAV
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 21, 2024
McCutchen, like many, idolized Mays and is coming to phrases along with his passing, reflecting on all of the tales — together with his personal — surrounding some of the iconic baseball gamers to ever reside.
“Earlier than there was [Barry] Bonds and [Ken Griffey Jr.] and all these guys, and [Willie] Stargell, there was Willie Mays,” McCutchen stated (h/t MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf). “He was the man who, earlier than Rickey Henderson, earlier than all these nice heart fielders even, there was Willie Mays. There was Willie Mays. He was a pioneer for the sport.”
Thankfully, McCutchen was capable of kind a relationship with Mays earlier than he handed away at 93.
McCutchen, previously spent 9 years as a Pirate earlier than Pittsburgh traded him throughout the nation to San Francisco in 2018, the place he linked with Mays after changing into a Large.
“Any probability I acquired [to talk to him], I used to be simply in there, man,” McCutchen added. “I used to be simply making an attempt to [get] any phrases of knowledge, any ball discuss. No matter would get to me. I simply tried to be round him as a lot as I may.”
McCutchen added that Mays nicknamed him “Pittsburgh,” paying homage to the present 16-year MLB veteran’s tenure within the Metal Metropolis.
McCutchen, who performed solely that 2018 season with San Francisco, has been with Pittsburgh for 11 seasons of his large league profession.
MLB followers all over the place will miss Mays for eternity. However those self same followers, identical to McCutchen, know Mays’ contributions will reside on eternally.
“You sort of perceive in that second the participant he was and the way large of a participant he was,” McCutchen stated. “Not simply by his stature essentially, as a result of he wasn’t the most important man, however he was a man who performed the sport very large.
“His legacy goes to reside on.”
Whereas taking part in in San Francisco only for a short time, McCutchen is a complete professional’s professional and fan favourite.
Mays can be proud to have McCutchen, a fellow outfielder, authentically repping his jersey.
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