Andrew McCutchen – Nice Guy, Fan Favorite

As a child, one of the most exciting parts of going to a baseball game is getting autographs from players.  As a fan, I often watch from my seat to see which players will sign and which ones will not.  For me, it’s fun to watch a child turn to his mother and/or father after getting an autograph from their favorite player with a big smile on their face.  That is a memory a child will cherish for a very long-time.  In the past few years, I have noticed more and more players who refuse to sign and it just doesn’t make any sense to me.

Last month during my annual trip to Pittsburgh to watch the Pirates, I noticed something I had never seen before.  Pittsburgh Pirates Center Fielder, Andrew McCutchen, makes it a priority, every game, to sign autographs after he finishes stretching and warming up.  There was one night, in particular, when my brother turned to me and said “it’s five minutes to game-time and McCutchen is still signing autographs, that is really cool”.  I watched this happen four days in a row and couldn’t help but think how that impacts him and the way baseball fans view him.  It’s certainly out of the ordinary, it’s very positive, and it’s good for the game of baseball.

Andrew McCutchen is viewed as the “star” of the Pirates.  It’s rare to see the “star” of any team act like this all the time and that’s why he deserves a Gold Star! Well done, Andrew!