CHICAGO — Shortly before his first season as the Pirates’ manager, Clint Hurdle had his first one-on-one conversation with Andrew McCutchen. They discussed their respective visions and hopes for the team and about the center fielder’s family, and Hurdle was struck by McCutchen’s respect for baseball.
“I remember walking away feeling there was a lot of thought involved,” Hurdle recalled. “He’s a smart guy. He articulated his thoughts clearly, communicated very well, had a passion for the game of baseball that you could feel.”
McCutchen will return to PNC Park Friday for the first time since being traded to the San Francisco Giants in January.