Former Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen remains a class act.
On Friday before the Pittsburgh Pirates matchup with theTampa Bay Rays, McCutchen entered PNC Park rocking a Giants Willie Mays jersey signed by the late “Say Hey Kid” himself.
Andrew McCutchen rocking a signed Willie Mays jersey ❤️
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 21, 2024
(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/fPVPR5meAV
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McCutchen, like many, idolized Mays and is coming to terms with his passing, reflecting on all the stories -- including his own -- surrounding one of the most iconic baseball players to ever live.
"Before there was [Barry] Bonds and [Ken Griffey Jr.] and all these guys, and [Willie] Stargell, there was Willie Mays,” McCutchen said (h/t MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf). “He was the guy who, before Rickey Henderson, before all these great center fielders even, there was Willie Mays. There was Willie Mays. He was a pioneer for the game.”
Fortunately, McCutchen was able to form a relationship with Mays before he passed away at 93.
McCutchen, formerly spent nine years as a Pirate before Pittsburgh traded him across the country to San Francisco in 2018, where he connected with Mays after becoming a Giant.
San Francisco Giants
“Any chance I got [to talk to him], I was just in there, man,” McCutchen added. “I was just trying to [get] any words of wisdom, any ball talk. Whatever would get to me. I just tried to be around him as much as I could.”
McCutchen added that Mays nicknamed him “Pittsburgh,” paying homage to the current 16-year MLB veteran’s tenure in the Steel City.
McCutchen, who played only that 2018 season with San Francisco, has been with Pittsburgh for 11 seasons of his big league career.
MLB fans everywhere will miss Mays for eternity. But those same fans, just like McCutchen, know Mays’ contributions will live on forever.
“You kind of understand in that moment the player he was and how big of a player he was,” McCutchen said. “Not just by his stature necessarily, because he wasn't the biggest guy, but he was a guy who played the game very big.
“His legacy is going to live on.”
While playing in San Francisco just for a short while, McCutchen is a total pro’s pro and fan favorite.
Mays would be proud to have McCutchen, a fellow outfielder, authentically repping his jersey.