Monday, May 24, 2010
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/?m=1
Compared to other Pirates fans who have paid their way into PNC Park this season, the 23,045 there Sunday on a spectacular spring afternoon were treated to that rarest of treats. A first, actually.
No, not a hit by Pirates second baseman Aki Iwamura. That's a good guess, though.
Not a home run by the home team. Catcher Ryan Doumit's shot in the 10th inning wasn't the Pirates' first of the season, merely their first in 62 innings.
Not even a win by the Pirates. The 3-2 victory against the Atlanta Braves -- constructed primarily by Doumit's home run and seven superb innings of pitching by starter Zach Duke -- ran their PNC Park record to 11-12.
PITTSBURGH - MAY 23: Andrew McCutchen(notes) #22 of the Pittsburgh Pirates evades a thrown ball while sliding into third base past Omar Infante(notes) #4 of the Atlanta Braves during the game on May 23, 2010 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)I'm talking about a triple by Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen.
It's hard to imagine a more exciting play at any ballyard.
It has been that way as long as there has been baseball.
If you're old enough to remember Roberto Clemente playing here, what struck you most about his game? His fabulous throwing arm, sure. His 3,000 hits, no question. But I can't stop thinking about the amazing sight of him digging around second base at Forbes Field, headed for third, his batting helmet flying off along his way to a triple.
Man, I can close my eyes and still see that.
What a joy it was to watch McCutchen do it Sunday.
For most of us, anyway.
"I was standing there just watching him and I thought, 'Man, that guy is super-fast,'" Braves starter Kris Medlen told the Atlanta media after serving up the sixth-inning pitch to McCutchen.
Everyone in the park knew it was going to be a triple as soon as it left the bat. The drive to right-center couldn't have come at a better time for the Pirates. They were trailing Medlen and the Braves, 1-0, and, with their punchless offense doing what it normally does, which is to say nothing, appeared headed to a fourth consecutive defeat. McCutchen's triple gave them life and led to their first run when first baseman Steve Pearce delivered a sacrifice fly.
"I'm always thinking extra base," McCutchen said. "If it's in the gap, I'm thinking triple. If it's a single up the middle, I'm thinking about trying to get to second base. I'm always thinking extra base."
Surprisingly, it took McCutchen until May 23 -- his 43rd game of the season -- to get that first triple. Last season after making it to the big leagues and playing lights-out ball, he had nine triples in 108 games.
"If you keep doing the right things, eventually they'll come -- just like doubles and home runs," McCutchen said.
So far, this is a kid who has done just about everything right. On most days and nights, he's the one good reason -- maybe the only reason -- to buy a ticket to watch the Pirates.
"If people are saying that, I guess that's cool," McCutchen said.
That's exactly what they are saying.
We're coming up on the one-year anniversary of McCutchen's promotion to the major leagues -- June 4. His numbers after what amounts to a full season -- 151 games and 600 at-bats -- are staggering: A .297 average with 36 doubles, 10 triples, 17 home runs, 67 RBIs, 102 runs scored and 34 stolen bases.
It's no wonder McCutchen has settled nicely into the third hole in a Pirates' lineup that otherwise has very little to offer. He is hitting .323 this season, the sixth-best average in the National League. There's no doubt the doubles, triples and home runs will come -- and keep coming.
McCutchen said he doesn't feel the pressure of having to carry the Pirates -- "I'm just playing baseball" -- but it's there. You had better believe it's there. McCutchen is very much the face of the franchise, just as Sidney Crosby is with the Penguins and Ben Roethlisberger is -- or, at least, was -- with the Steelers.
"I've never called myself that," McCutchen said. "If other people say that, so be it. I'm just Andrew McCutchen. I'm just trying to help us win games."
It's nice to think better players are on their way from the minors to provide more support for McCutchen. There's no reason Neil Walker shouldn't be playing second base tonight in Cincinnati instead of the weak-hitting Iwamura, who, somehow, delivered a single and a double Sunday to raise his average all the way to .161. Outfielder Jose Tabata and pitcher Brad Lincoln should be called up any day. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez shouldn't be far behind.
"Their time is coming," McCutchen said. "They just have to keep doing what they're doing. They'll be here soon enough. But, right now, all I'm focused on is what we have here. We're trying to win as many games as we can."
These Pirates will lose a lot more than they win. That's why the game Sunday on such a nice day was so enjoyable.
That and watching McCutchen.
That's a pleasure every game.
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan. More articles by this author
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