PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Everyone knew Friday, April 7 would be crazy from the day Andrew McCutchen signed back as a free agent. What it really became for the former National League MVP was about family.
“I love these fans,” McCutchen said. “I love these fans, man. It was great. The whole experience, from the ovation to the umpire giving me the time to be able to experience that. The fans wearing all black. The whole experience.”
“My mom singing the anthem. AJ and Russell going out there. Kind of was able to relive in the past a little bit, which wasn’t a bad thing to do. All-around good day.”
His first game as a home Pittsburgh Pirate since 2017, it’s different for McCutchen now. Instead of a single, then married 20-something, McCutchen is a father of three returning to a job in Pittsburgh.
“It’s cool to be able to tell them stories about that time before they were here,” McCutchen said. “Now they are going to be able to experience it with me. They are going to be able to see reasons why Daddy loves the Pirates. I’ve been here with no kids and now I’m here with three. It’s going to be fun.”
One of the first questions he got as his kids looked at pictures of their dad as a Pirate was why he had long hair. He laughed about it as he said he can now tell them he’s going to work in Pittsburgh, not in Philadelphia or Milwaukee. That means it’s a short drive home after a game.
“You all are in the way of that right now,” McCutchen said in the clubhouse after a nice conversation with AJ Burnett. “I can’t wait. Can’t wait to get in that car and get back to my kids and be home. I’m looking forward to it.”
Grandma was also around. McCutchen’s mother singing the National Anthem again, she did that in the 2013 Wild Card game as well. As he stood there on the third base line, he was taken back to the first time hearing her voice and specifically hearing her sing.
“She’s been doing it my entire life,” McCutchen said. “For me, I’m thinking about all of that. I’m thinking about all of the times I was a little kid riding in the car listening to her rehearsing a song she needed to sing the next day. I’ve heard it so much, it’s always special to still be in the moment and hear her sing the Anthem. It’s special for me.”
“It’s nice to be able to see her shine. She always got to see me do it. It’s nice that I’m able to sit back and watch her be amazing at her craft. It was a special moment.”
On the day, McCutchen went 2-5, those hits coming in his first two at bats, the first after a rousing ovation from the sold-out crowd.
It ended up being a 13-8 win over the White Sox. It got the Pirates to 5-2 on the season, but Friday was about family for McCutchen. His immediate family and his adopted Pittsburgh family.
“It was somewhat of a surreal feeling, honestly,” McCutchen said. “It’s something that I’m going to sit back and look on and think about more when it’s quiet and [I’m not] amped up from the game and I’m actually able to be home and relax when the kids are sleeping.”
“I’ll be able to sit there and really think about it. It was emotional. It was good. It was positive.”
“It was awesome.”