USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com
March 15, 2013
BRADENTON, Fla. — Joe Walsh sang the memorable line, "Everybody's so different, I haven't changed," in the song Life's Been Good.
That was back in the summer of the 1978, more than eight years before Andrew McCutchen was born. Nearly 35 years later, Walsh's line applies to McCutchen.
The Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder is one of baseball's burgeoning superstars, coming off a season in which he finished third in the National League MVP voting. No longer is he a good young player hidden in the baseball hinterlands, but rather one of the new faces of the sport.
McCutchen is the cover boy for the video game MLB 13: The Show, pretty heady stuff coming from someone who plays for a team that hasn't hosted aSunday Night Baseball game on ESPN since 1996.
Yet McCutchen has his feet firmly on the ground. His teammates have noticed no discernible difference in McCutchen's personality as his profile has risen.
"The great thing about Andrew is that he's the same person every day," Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett says. "He has that big smile for everybody he sees. He doesn't treat some people one way and other people another way. He's a great teammate and a great person. You won't find anyone in this clubhouse who would say one bad word about Andrew."
McCutchen, though, notices people treat him differently than they did even a year ago.
He smiles when he recalls the story about the little girl who was so excited about meeting him on the Pirates' winter caravan that she burst into tears. On that same caravan, a Pirates fan in his 20s asked McCutchen to hold the engagement ring while he proposed to his girlfriend.
Then there was the rather awkward moment in his hometown of Fort Meade, Fla., this past offseason, when one of his old classmates made such a big fuss that McCutchen had to laugh and remind him he was still the same person.
"I get noticed more, there's no doubt, but I guess that comes with the territory," McCutchen says. "It doesn't bother me. I'm not the type of person who goes out and seeks attention, but it's nice that people want to say hello. I look at it like this: People are either going to notice you if you're doing something good or if you're doing something bad. At least, they are noticing me for the right reasons."
Since arriving in the major leagues in June 2009, McCutchen has hit .290 with 82 home runs and 98 stolen bases. He has been selected to the last two All-Star Games and had a breakout season last year when he led the NL with 194 hits, batted .327 with 31 home runs and 96 RBI, finished with a .400 on-base percentage and won Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards.
That enabled him to finish behind Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants and Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers in the MVP voting. Considering McCutchen is 26, he figures to have more big years in his future and possibly an MVP trophy or two, particularly if the Pirates can eventually get over the hump of 20 consecutive losing seasons and begin contending in the NL Central.
"He can beat you in so many ways: with his bat, with his glove, with his legs," Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum says. "He's still young, too. We probably haven't seen the best of him yet. He even isn't in his prime. Who knows what he could end up accomplishing?"
Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland follows the Pirates with great interest, and it goes beyond the fact Detroit and Pittsburgh have been designated as natural rivals by Major League Baseball and face each other each season in interleague play. Leyland managed the Pirates from 1986 to 1996, still lives in Pittsburgh in the offseason and is admittedly a Pirates fan.
"It's exciting to see a player like that in Pittsburgh," Leyland says. "He gives the fans a reason to go out to the ballpark because he can put on a show every night with the talent he has. He is the type of guy you can build a winning ballclub around.
"What I really like about him is he plays the game hard, he plays it the right way and he seems like a great kid. From what little bit I've got to know him, he's a very impressive guy."
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Pittsburgh's golden boy
The last time the Pirates had a player this talented was in the days when Leyland was managing and they were winning three consecutive NL East titles from 1990 to 1992.
That player was Barry Bonds, baseball's all-time home run leader.
McCutchen is a similar all-around player with his ability to hit for power, steal bases and make great plays in the outfield. But McCutchen is more beloved than Bonds ever was during his seven seasons with the Pirates from 1986 to 1992, and his popularity rivals such current iconic Pittsburgh sports figures as Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Though Bonds won two NL MVP awards with the Pirates, he never won over the fans because of his sometimes abrasive personality. McCutchen, on the other hand, is a hit because of his charismatic personality, megawatt smile — and loads of ability.
McCutchen also has the Everyman-type attitude that comes from growing up in Fort Meade, a small town in central Florida. It is a close-knit community of 5,600 in the heart of phosphate-mining country.
"I think my background keeps me grounded, and a lot of that has to do with my parents and the way they raised me," McCutchen says. "They taught me to work hard, be humble and always be thankful to the Good Lord for being blessed with the talent to play baseball at the highest level."
McCutchen has talents beyond baseball. He likes to write poetry, draw and freestyle rap, and he cracks up his teammates with impersonations, two of his best being the Peter Griffin and Cleveland Brown characters from the cartoon TV series Family Guy.
Being so well-rounded seems to help McCutchen cut through any cultural or positional divides that might exist in a clubhouse.
"You don't usually see a player so young be that guy that everyone in the clubhouse kind of gravitates to," says Pirates shortstop Clint Barmes, a 10-year veteran. "He just has that type of personality. He's a fun guy, and you feel good being around him."
The Pirates felt good enough about McCutchen that they signed him to a six-year, $51.5 million contract extension last year during spring training. The deal goes into effect this season and includes a club option for 2018.
It was the second-largest contract ever handed out by a small-market franchise noted for frugality, behind the six-year, $60 million deal catcher Jason Kendall received in the 2000-01 offseason, just before the Pirates moved into PNC Park.
"It meant a lot to me," McCutchen says of the contract. "I love Pittsburgh, love the fans and appreciate the organization thinking so highly of me. I want to play in Pittsburgh for a long time, and I want to win a championship. That would be the ultimate."
The Pirates haven't won a championship of any kind since 1992 when they captured the NL East title during their last winning season. They haven't won or been to a World Series since 1979.
The Pirates have been building their way back toward respectability in the last two seasons behind a core group of players that also includes second baseman Neil Walker and third baseman Pedro Alvarez. The Pirates improved by 15wins to 72-90 in 2011 in Clint Hurdle's first season as manager, then jumped to 79-83 last season, though that was tempered by going 15-35 in the last 50 games to again finish below .500.
If the Pirates are to take the next step and contend or get to the playoffs, McCutchen is surely the player who will lead them to that level.
"The simplest thing I can say is when your best player is your hardest worker, your organization has a tremendous advantage," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington says. "He shows up every day to get better, to do everything in his power to help his team win the game, and as a result he sets the bar high for his teammates. It has been and will be enjoyable to watch him continue to develop as a player and as a man."
Hurdle echoed those thoughts.
"You're getting to see a young man grow up right in front of your eyes in a city that's very deserving of having that kind of player," Hurdle says. "The commitment he's made to our organization is significant. The commitment we've made to him is significant. The passion that he goes out and plays with, the reverence for the game and his teammates, is special. You talk about a win-win opportunity to watch a young man grow up and take this game wherever he's going to take it, we're all fortunate to be along for the ride."
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