The number 22 was not Andrew McCutchen's first choice.
He wanted to wear No. 24 in honor of his idol, Ken Griffey Jr., but Tom Gorzelanny had it when McCutchen was called up to the majors in June 2009. McCutchen planned on changing his number for his second year in the majors, but by that point he had seen people wearing his No. 22 jersey around the ballpark. He loved the sight and knew he couldn't change it.
Since then, no Pirate besides McCutchen has worn No. 22, even in the five years since he was traded. It was his number.
And now, 22 is back.
On Friday, the Pirates formally announced the McCutchen signing, bringing back the former Most Valuable Player and easily the most beloved member of the franchise's recent history.
"I’m overly excited," McCutchen said. "There’s not a word that really describes how I feel in this moment, leading to this time and being in this position with not only me but my wife, my kids. It’s amazing to be here."
McCutchen would continue shortly after, "I'm not here as a spokesperson or as a spokesman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I'm not here on a farewell tour. I'm here to play. I'm here to help this ballclub win. That's first and foremost. That's what I want people to know."
Hey, if there's anyone who knows what it takes to win in Pittsburgh, it's the guy who led the charge to get the Pirates back to the playoffs a decade ago. It's a scenario that seemed perhaps bleak going into the offseason after the Pirates finished with their second straight 100-loss season, but after some savvy free-agent pickups and the promise of a wave of prospects due to come up at some point next year, there's reason to believe that next year's club could take a step forward.
And throughout the 28-minute press conference that was filled with smiles, good humor and a sense of pride that one can argue has been in short supply since he was traded to the Giants five years ago, it was clear that McCutchen wasn't going to return just to lose. He was a part of a 100-loss team at the start of the last decade, and he thought this group was better. Whether it was the prospects or some major-league players like Oneil Cruz -- who he lovingly called a "freak" -- the rebuild is in position where it could start bearing fruit sooner rather than later.
"I want to win," McCutchen said. "Plain and simple. I want to win. Specifically, I want to win here. I know what it feels like to win here and I know what it feels like to lose here too. So I think I can be able to be that voice in that clubhouse to those guys, to my teammates and let them know what it feels like, what it is like and for them to know it wasn't like 30 years ago. this was something that was recent. This was something that I was a part of. And I want to be able to help and instill in them what a place it is, one, what a place it is already to be here, what a place it is when you win here, too. I just want to be able to be their voice."
"It's so exciting to hear that in his voice — it was part of the conversation I had with him when we were trying to agree to a deal — his excitement and belief in what we're doing," Ben Cherington said.
Thank Maria McCutchen for helping to get the ball rolling for a reunion. She told her husband to reach out to Bob Nutting, and while Andrew didn't know how exactly he would fit into this team, he always knew he wanted to return.
"You’re naive when you’re younger," McCutchen said. "I remember when I got drafted by the Pirates, you always see the people before you, the people who came before you, specifically in this uniform. People like Roberto Clemente. Then you look at other places, people like Derek Jeter and so forth and so on. Guys who have made a lot of history with one ball club. In my mind, I thought that was who I was going to be. That’s what I wanted to be.
"I also realized, as time goes on, sometimes it’s a part of the business and part of the game. Things happen. But to have this opportunity to be able to come back, it doesn’t always happen. You don’t always get that chance. For me, I was just hoping that I did get that chance again. This place is a part of me. There’s nothing like it."
Things moved quickly after McCutchen reached out. McCutchen wasn't a typical free agent. Cherington didn't want to "dance." If this was to happen, it couldn't be contingent on three or four other things happening. It would have to be serious.
The talks went well, an offer was quickly made and a reunion came together almost exactly five years to the day when McCutchen was traded to San Francisco.
"In the back of my mind, I was hoping this would happen at some point," Cherington said. "With Andrew, given everything he's accomplished with the team and what he means to the Pirates and Pittsburgh, in this case, I really didn't want to open that door formally until we were certain we had a role that might match up, certain that we were ready to pursue it formally and that we weren't messing around."
“His return just feels right," Nutting said in the team's press release. "It is right for our team, for Andrew and his family, for our fans and for the game of baseball. Andrew is a special player and person. It is going to be exciting to again see him take the field wearing 22 in the black and gold.”
Fans in those 22 jerseys still frequented the ballpark these past five years, partially because McCutchen and the city have a bond together. Sure, some of that was because the Pirates won with him at the center of the team, but he also lived downtown and got to know people through being frequently stopped.
"I think that helped me develop a relationship not only just with people around that area but it also helped me to realize the passion of the fans – knowing their frustrations, knowing what they were excited about, and it helped me grow," McCutchen said. "We grew together. I grew with them. I was a part of the losing but I was also a part of the winning, so we were – it wasn’t just the Pirates, it was the fan base, as well. That in itself helped that relationship and bond. Anyone who has been in Pittsburgh, you come here, it’s a big city but it has a very small feel to it. I think that’s what makes the Pirates and the city of Pittsburgh unique in a sense. I think that’s what created this bond with me and with them. We went through it all."
That bond, along with elite play for years, is why McCutchen became so beloved in the city. And it's part of the reason why he, in his absence, was remembered not just as a ball player, but a person.
And that's one of the reasons why McCutchen has something that few Pirates from the past four decades have: A legacy. One that, depending how this second stint goes, could cement him as one of the best in the franchise's history, even if he doesn't see himself as being part of that pantheon yet.
“I don’t put myself in those categories because to me, I look at them as they’re the Mount Rushmore of baseball, especially in the Pirates organization," McCutchen said. "I know you’ll have some numbers and people will say ‘Hey, you’re one of four’ and I’ll sit there and I’m like ‘Wow, that’s tremendous, like that’s awesome.’ But, to me, I mean, they’re who they are for a reason, Hall of Famers. I’m not done."
And by "not done," he doesn't just mean 2023, either.
"This isn't like a one-and-done type thing for me. I don't look forward to just playing this year and being done. I want to continue to keep playing, and to have the chance this year to come back is special."
