Willie Mays signed jersey worn by former Giants shortstop Andrew McCutchen – NBC Sports Bay Area and California

Former Giants shortstop Andrew McCutchen remains a class act.

On Friday before the Pittsburgh Pirates’ game with the Tampa Bay Rays, McCutchen entered PNC Park wearing a Giants Willie Mays jersey signed by the late “Say Hey Kid” himself.

See more

Andrew McCutcheon wearing a signed Willie Mays jersey ❤️

(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/fPVPR5meAV

– Talkin’ Baseball (TalkinBaseball_) June 21, 2024

McCutchen, like many, adored Mays, is coming to terms with his death, and reflects on all the stories — including his own — surrounding one of baseball’s most iconic players of all time.

“Before there was [Barry] Bonds and [Ken Griffey Jr.] And all these guys, and [Willie] “Stargell, there was Willie Mays,” McCutcheon said.h/t MLB.com Alex Stumpf). “He was the guy who, before Rickey Henderson, before all these great quarterbacks, there was Willie Mays. There was Willie Mays. He was a pioneer of the game.”

Fortunately, McCutcheon was able to form a relationship with Mays before his death at the age of 93.

McCutcheon, who previously spent nine years as a Buccaneer before Pittsburgh traded him across the country to San Francisco in 2018, where he connected with Mays after becoming a Giant.

“Any chance I get [to talk to him]I was just there, man,” McCutcheon added. “I was just trying it [get] Any wise words, any football words. Whatever it is will get me. I just tried to be around him as much as I could.

McCutchen added that Mays nicknamed him “Pittsburgh,” in honor of the MLB veteran’s 16-year stint in the Steel City.

McCutchen, who played only the 2018 season with San Francisco, was with Pittsburgh for 11 seasons of his big league career.

Mays will be forever missed by MLB fans everywhere. But those same fans, just like McCutchen, know Mays’ contributions will live on forever.

“I kind of understood at that moment what player he was and how big of a player he was,” McCutcheon said. “Not just necessarily because of his stature, because he wasn’t the biggest guy, but he was a guy who played the game very big.

“His legacy will live on.”

While only playing in San Francisco for a short time, McCutchen is an absolute pro and a fan favorite.
Mays would be proud to have McCutchen, a fellow outfielder, replicating his jersey authentically.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast