On June 18th, the baseball world mourned the loss of a legend in Willie Mays.
A man who accomplished so much during his playing days will forever be remembered and his impact on the game opened the door for many Black players.
Andrew McCutchen Was Inspired By His Interactions With Willie Mays
Andrew McCutchen was one of many Black players who had a chance to meet and have numerous conversations with the late Willie Mays. Like Mays, McCutchen played with the San Francisco Giants and that’s where the two connected.
After spending his first nine seasons in Pittsburgh, McCutchen joined the Giants during the 2018 season.
Growing up, McCutchen thought very highly of Mays and like the Say Hey Kid, McCutchen plays the outfield position.
Mays even gave McCutchen a nickname.
“My nickname was Pittsburgh,” McCutchen said. “That was my nickname to him. I was from Pittsburgh.”
A very fitting nickname for McCutchen who established himself as one of the best to suit up in that Pirates uniform those nine seasons before going out to the west coast.
He played in 130 games with the Giants and hit .255 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI.
During his time with the Giants, McCutchen remembers those moments he shared with Mays.
“I came back and there he was that next day in the clubhouse,” McCutchen said as he recalled a time he shared with Mays in 2018. “I came in, I said, ‘Willie! What’s going on, Willie?’ He tried to figure out the voice. I was like, ‘It’s Pittsburgh.’
“He’s like, ‘Ah, Pittsburgh. Well, you left to go on the road for 10 games, you had 10 home runs. You came back, still got 10 home runs.’”
During that conversation, McCutchen knew what Mays was trying to do.
“There was no laugh that came out of his direction,” he said. “He was dead serious, trying to motivate me in his way, to be better…That’s one of the stories. There are a lot of them.”
“I just don’t forget that interaction I had with him. That was a pretty good interaction.”
Those are the kind of memories McCutchen can go on to tell his current teammates and even his children.
McCutchen and Mays have been named to multiple all-star teams, have won the Roberto Clemente Award, have been named NL MVP, and have won Gold Glove awards.
So, it makes sense why McCutchen has looked up to Mays.
McCutchen Continues Legacy Of Mays
“His legacy is going to live on,” McCutchen said. “Anyone who has ever come in contact with Mays for even a day is going to have a story, is going to have something.”
Mays has paved the way for so many talented Black baseball players and those current players like McCutchen want to do the same for the younger generation.
At 37, McCutchen continues to play this game at a high level just like Mays did throughout his career.
When he decides to hang the cleats up for good, McCutchen will have a legacy that many will remember, especially during his time in Pittsburgh.
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