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Andrew McCutchen keeps climbing the charts in Pittsburgh. He still can't shake what might have been

Published

4 months ago

September 11, 2024

Andrew McCutchen keeps climbing the charts in Pittsburgh. He still can't shake what might have been

PITTSBURGH — The pain still lingers for Andrew McCutchen, even now in the final stages of a comeback season few saw coming.

So while the 37-year-old designated hitter appreciates the milestones he keeps checking off — like reaching 20 home runs in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform for the eighth time during Tuesday night’s 6-4 win over Miami — the thoughts still linger about what might have been.

The truth is, he never wanted to leave. He became a victim of baseball economics in January 2018 when the Pirates traded their franchsie cornerstone to San Francisco, starting McCutchen on a five-year odyssey in which he bounced from the Giants to the New York Yankees to Philadelphia to Milwaukee.

Nice places, all. Good teammates. Some good times. But not Pittsburgh. Not his adopted home.

And so while McCutchen understands he is reaching rarified air on a team that’s been in the National League since 1887 — only Hall of Famer Willie Stargell has more 20 homer seasons with the Pirates than McCutchen — he can’t help but think about how much higher he’d be on some of the club’s all-time lists if not for that nomadic half-decade when he felt at times like a mercenary.

“It’s nice to be able to be with those guys and those greats, it’s amazing,” McCutchen said. “But it would be cool if I was here my whole career and then see where I would be at.”

Only, that didn’t happen. And as much as he has leaned into the warm embrace that accompanied his somewhat surprising return in early 2023, there’s a small part of him that is frustrated he had to leave in the first place.

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen watches his three-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Pittsburgh. Credit: AP/Matt Freed

“Every time I hear (where I rank), I’m like ‘Dang man, if only,’” McCutchen said. “I just go ‘cool’ and then I just move on.”

He admits legs that carried him to five All-Star appearances, the 2013 NL MVP and a Gold Glove don’t move quite like they used to. A partially torn left Achilles last September forced him to spend a portion of the offseason in a protective boot. Spring training was a slog. He felt like he was playing catchup, admitting “I just wasn’t there” and only too aware of doubters.

That made the 403-foot shot to the left-field seats off Miami’s Adam Oller with two on in the fifth — the 319th homer of McCutchen’s 16-year career — all the sweeter.

“Would a lot of people think I’d have (reached 20 homers)? Probably not,” he said. “It’s why I don’t look at them … because I know I can do it.”

Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen hits a three-run home run during... — Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen hits a three-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Pittsburgh. Credit: AP/Matt Freed

McCutchen has morphed from dreadlocked, swagged-out blur to elder statesman. The gap between his age and 22-year-old Pirates rookie ace Paul Skenes is just one year less than the gap between Skenes and McCutchen’s 6-year-old son Steel.

Yet with all those years comes wisdom. Asked if he thinks he’s a sharper hitter now than he when he led the Pirates to three straight playoff appearances from 2013-15, he laughs and points out he’s become a cliche of sorts. The whole “if I knew then what I know now” thing.

Then, growing a little more serious, he sounded very much like a player who believes there is still plenty left to do in the game before walking away.

“I’ve definitely gotten better over the past five, six, seven, eight – I don’t know how many years it’s been – but I’ve gotten better,” he said. “And I’ve gotten myself back to where I feel like I can be.”

And while his batting average (.241) isn’t what it was a decade ago — the wear and tear on his body that comes from 2,116 games has seen to that — his eye remains elite.

What impressed Pirates manager Derek Shelton as much as McCutchen’s power surge — his 20 homers this season are the most he’s hit since 2021 — was the full-count curveball he let go by for ball four in his next at bat.

“Nobody takes that pitch,” Shelton said.

McCutchen still does. The walk was the team-high 53rd this season, his approach in the batter’s box an example of what being a professional hitter means to a team whose lackluster offense led to a second-half swoon that dropped them out of postseason contention.

The optimism that accompanied Skenes’ arrival in mid-May has turned into the reality that the young Pirates core isn’t quite ready. McCutchen, whose charisma and talent authored the last Pittsburgh baseball renaissance a decade ago, believes another one is on the way. And he very much wants to be a part of it.

While he will technically can become a free agent after the season and he wants to play “if I don’t embarrass myself,” the Florida native wants very much to do it in the place he never wants to leave again.

“I haven’t been in the playoffs in a while here and it would be nice to do it here,” McCutchen said. “We’re a special group of guys. We’re a special team. It’s there.”

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Pittsburg, PA

Stick a fork in the Pittsburgh Steelers

Published

6 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

As I sit here feeling a headache form in between sips of egg nog in my new Ice Nine Kills sweatshirt, I’ve written, erased, and rewritten the opener for this six times. What can even be said after what we just watched other than “Yeah, this team isn’t going anywhere.”

From the opening drive, these were the same Steelers we’ve seen the last two weeks – unorganized, unmotivated, and a complete non-threat to teams that are actually contenders in the AFC.

The Chiefs jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the Steelers punted on their first two drives that spanned a combined eight plays. The Steelers weren’t down and out yet, though. A quick drive that featured several big Jaylen Warren runs got them into the red zone in three plays. Warren ran into the end zone, but a holding call on Darnell Washington brought it back. The next play, Russell Wilson threw an interception to Justin Reid and that all but sealed the deal. Even when Wilson ran in for a score to make the lead 13-7, it never really felt like the Steelers would take the game by the horns and make a statement. The only statement they made is that they remain a second-class team.

Even when they owned time of possession, they didn’t do anything with the ball. They had the ball for 31:22, but their two turnovers plus a turnover on downs did them in. They ran the ball well, as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both finished with over 70 yards and the team accumulated over 200 yards on the day. But five Russell Wilson sacks and a lackluster passing game were Pittsburgh’s undoing offensively.

Defensively, this team is lost. After the first two scores, multiple players are throwing up their hands in confusion wondering what happened. They didn’t register a sack on Mahomes, they gave up 320 yards through the air, and allowed 16 first downs via Mahomes’ arm. This is not a good defense, and they lack any sort of aggressiveness to try and help the back end with pressure. Now at 10-6 and losers of three straight, Pittsburgh will likely be the No. 5 seed and travel to Houston or Baltimore for the wild card round, and nothing they’ve shown over the last month gives anyone any reason to believe they’d win. Stick a fork in the Pittsburgh Steelers, this isn’t a serious football team.

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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day History: Record, Statistics, & More

Published

16 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day History: Record, Statistics, & More

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day as part of a two-game showcase on Netflix.

A Brief History of the Steelers on Christmas Day

Wednesday’s matchup against the Chiefs will only be the third time the Steelers have played on Christmas Day in their history. Pittsburgh played on consecutive Christmas Days in 2016 and in ’17. They hold a 2–0 record on Christmas, beating the Baltimore Ravens in ’16 and the Houston Texans in ’17. A win over the Chiefs this year would allow the Steelers to keep their undefeated Christmas record.

The NFL first played Christmas games in 1971 when hosting two matchups: Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins. The league took a long break from hosting Christmas Day games until 1989. The NFL didn’t consistently showcase Christmas Day games until somewhat recently. Games on the holiday used to happened every few years or so, but now there’s been at least one if not more Christmas Day games every year since 2020.

The 2022 and ’23 seasons saw three Christmas Day games each, the most ever hosted on the holiday. It’s more rare for the NFL to have Christmas games compared to the long-standing tradition of Thanksgiving games.

Key Moments in Steelers’ Christmas Day History

The Steelers’ first Christmas Day game back in 2016 vs. the Ravens was one for the history books. Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title after former receiver Antonio Brown scored a four-yard touchdown with nine seconds left in the game to give the Steelers a 31–27 victory. It’s always a huge win when the Steelers beat their AFC North rivals, but it helps that a playoff spot was on the line, too. Pittsburgh advanced to the AFC Championship that season, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl championship-winning New England Patriots.

The Steelers’ 2017 Christmas Day matchup vs. the Texans the following year wasn’t as nail-biting as Pittsburgh dominated 34–6. The Steelers scored four touchdowns in the game compared to the Texans’ one touchdown, which resulted in no two-point conversion. The Steelers would go on to lose in the wild-card round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s been so long since the Steelers have played in a Christmas Day game, though, as former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the team to both of these key wins mentioned above. The Steelers are on their fourth starting quarterback since Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.

By the Numbers: Steelers’ Christmas Day Record

The Steelers hold a 2–0 record on Christmas Day.

Year Advertisement	Opponent	Result
2016	Baltimore Ravens	W, 31–27 Advertisement
2017	Houston Texans	W, 34–6

Roethlisberger threw for 279 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions during the win over the Ravens. Running back Le’Veon Bell carried the ball 20 times for 122 yards and one touchdown. And, another blast from the past, Brown caught the ball 10 times for 96 yards and one touchdown.

Both Roethlisberger and Bell showed out for the Steelers in 2017, too. The quarterback threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, while the running back carried the ball 14 times for 69 yards and one touchdown. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster led the Steelers with six catches for 75 yards and one touchdown in the contest. Brown missed the game due to injury.

Steelers’ Christmas Day Heroes

As mentioned above, both Roethlisberger and Bell appeared as heroes for the Steelers in both previous Christmas Day games. Brown, too, is considered the hero of the 2016 game as he scored the final touchdown to seal the win.

Memorable Rivalries and Matchups

Rivalry games are often showcased during the Christmas Day matchups. The Steelers were a part of that narrative in 2016 when playing against the Ravens, but this year the Steelers and Ravens will be playing in different Christmas games. The Ravens will be playing the Texans after the Steelers–Chiefs game.

The Chiefs have appeared in multiple rivalry Christmas Day games against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2004 and ’23, and also against the Denver Broncos in 2016. Kansas City holds a 2–2 record on Christmas Day.

The Christmas Day games often hold playoff implications for teams as the games are played near the end of the regular season. Before the 18-week season, the Christmas Day games were sometimes the last games of the season for some teams. However, both the Steelers and Chiefs clinched playoff spots already. The Steelers will need to win in order to keep the top AFC North seed, especially if the Ravens beat the Texans.

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