PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – With a single to lead off the bottom of the first inning on Monday night against Texas, Andrew McCutchen became the 12th player to ever have 1,500 hits with the Pirates.
Teammates have lauded McCutchen, not just after signing, but what he continues to bring in his return to the Pirates after time with the Giants, Phillies, Yankees and Brewers.
“It’s awesome,” said pitcher Wil Crowe who has the locker closest to McCutchen. “Not only does he bring veteran leadership, that moxie he has. He’s a great human. He’s a great family man. He’s a great teammate. That is way better or cooler than him being a great baseball player.”
“It’s been awesome,” said outfielder Jack Suwinski. “He’s been playing this game for a long time. Obviously in this clubhouse we love having him. He’s a great leader and a great influence for us, especially for me. To be able to watch him go about his business and he’s obviously very professional in the way he plays the game. The other thing that is cool it looks like he is really enjoying it too. Being back here and being with this group, it looks like he’s having a lot of fun.”
“The leadership that he’s been able to bring in from his experiences of playing this game,” said Pirates starter Rich Hill. “Highly respected in the room, when he speaks, guys listen. That’s something you don’t often get everywhere from a veteran player all the time.”
Suwinski noted it’s not just that he’s back and a great veteran presence, but he can still play the game. The 36-year-old has hits in eight of his last eleven games and leads the team with seven home runs. He said a lot of people aspire to be what McCutchen is. Hill said what is impressive about McCutchen is he just focused on the moment.
“It’s something guys can learn from in the hitting department and also in the field,” Hill said. “It’s something a lot of guys are picking up from him, is how to be a professional day to day and not worry about the long-term outcome or the past. He does a great job of bringing that consistency every single day.”
“All the accolades and things he’s done in his career hasn’t changed him,” Crowe said. “He’s still the Cutch that grew up in Florida, got to the big leagues. He has a great personality, he’s funny, he loves the guys. Nothing has changed him. I think that’s the big thing with all the stardom and all the great things that have happened in his life.
He hadn’t changed who he is and I think that’s a testament to the person.”
McCutchen is now 15 hits shy of 2,000 for his career. The 36-year-old is three doubles from 400, one triple from 50 and six home runs from 300.