...McCutcheon will break your heart.
Many casual fans in Pittsburgh wailed in desperation when the Pirates dealt McCutcheon to the Giants a few months ago, but knowledgeable fans bade him good riddance.
Have you ever wondered why, with his very suitable surname, no one has ever suggested calling him "Clutch McCutcheon"? It is no wonder.
He was, for the Pirates, the worst "clutch" hitter since the estimable Donn Clendenon. Batting mainly third and fourth through his Pirates tenure, he has driven in 60-80 runs each year. Think about that. With runners on base more than half of his times at bat in a 162 game schedule, he only managed 80 RBI's. He should have been over 100 every year. And although I have not done the detailed analysis, I would wager that 90% of his RBI's came in the first five innings of games. When the game was on the line, he was AWOL.
For the past several years, and even in the most successful Pirate years, I watched him make out after out with runners in scoring position in close games. It was so predictable you could go out for coffee when he came up.
And he has a horrible habit of watching pitches in the middle of the strike zone early in the count, even when he is struggling. He seems to think that there is something noble about maximizing the pitch count or hitting with two strikes. And the statistics DO support the observation that for the past three or four years, he had more swings with no contact than anyone else in the league.
Season ticket holders observed a few years ago that he lost his Center Field position to Starling Marte, NOT because he had lost his foot speed, but because he stopped going after balls that he wasn't sure he could catch. They laughingly called him the Central Park Jogger.
In 2013, when he won the MVP award, the trophy was a bizarre mistake that only Pirate fans could fully appreciate. The team had a great year for ONE REASON and one reason only: the relief pitchers were fantastic. They would get an early lead, then Hurdle would march out one reliever after another to hold those leads through the end of the game. McCutcheon was the most "visible" Pirate, so he got the award, but his contribution to the success of the team was only mid-pack, despite fairly good stats.
McCutcheon is a good guy. He is intelligent, articulate, personable, and he will NEVER embarrass himself or the team. When he came to the Pirates with his flowing dreadlocks a lot of Pirate fans were put off by his appearance, but he overcame all that within a fairly short time, and as a PERSON, no one can say anything against him. But as a player...what's that statistic...Wins Against Replacement?...he is barely average.
Many casual fans in Pittsburgh wailed in desperation when the Pirates dealt McCutcheon to the Giants a few months ago, but knowledgeable fans bade him good riddance.
Have you ever wondered why, with his very suitable surname, no one has ever suggested calling him "Clutch McCutcheon"? It is no wonder.
He was, for the Pirates, the worst "clutch" hitter since the estimable Donn Clendenon. Batting mainly third and fourth through his Pirates tenure, he has driven in 60-80 runs each year. Think about that. With runners on base more than half of his times at bat in a 162 game schedule, he only managed 80 RBI's. He should have been over 100 every year. And although I have not done the detailed analysis, I would wager that 90% of his RBI's came in the first five innings of games. When the game was on the line, he was AWOL.
For the past several years, and even in the most successful Pirate years, I watched him make out after out with runners in scoring position in close games. It was so predictable you could go out for coffee when he came up.
And he has a horrible habit of watching pitches in the middle of the strike zone early in the count, even when he is struggling. He seems to think that there is something noble about maximizing the pitch count or hitting with two strikes. And the statistics DO support the observation that for the past three or four years, he had more swings with no contact than anyone else in the league.
Season ticket holders observed a few years ago that he lost his Center Field position to Starling Marte, NOT because he had lost his foot speed, but because he stopped going after balls that he wasn't sure he could catch. They laughingly called him the Central Park Jogger.
In 2013, when he won the MVP award, the trophy was a bizarre mistake that only Pirate fans could fully appreciate. The team had a great year for ONE REASON and one reason only: the relief pitchers were fantastic. They would get an early lead, then Hurdle would march out one reliever after another to hold those leads through the end of the game. McCutcheon was the most "visible" Pirate, so he got the award, but his contribution to the success of the team was only mid-pack, despite fairly good stats.
McCutcheon is a good guy. He is intelligent, articulate, personable, and he will NEVER embarrass himself or the team. When he came to the Pirates with his flowing dreadlocks a lot of Pirate fans were put off by his appearance, but he overcame all that within a fairly short time, and as a PERSON, no one can say anything against him. But as a player...what's that statistic...Wins Against Replacement?...he is barely average.
