First Pitch: A Primer on a Potential Andrew McCutchen Trade

I had a rare experience growing up that very few sports fans will have going forward. I got to see my favorite player play for my favorite team for his entire career.

Growing up, I was an Orioles fan, and my favorite player was obviously Cal Ripken. Occasionally, you’d hear rumors that the Orioles might let him walk, or might trade him. But you knew that this wouldn’t happen. Ripken was the face of the franchise. He was a Baltimore Oriole, and that would always be the case. If he didn’t end his career in Baltimore, fans would have rioted.

Of course, this was also during a time when you didn’t hear a lot about market sizes. The Yankees still paid for the biggest names, but it was still…