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What was Andrew McCutchen hiding Sunday night?

By Stephen J. Nesbitt / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8 years ago

In the seventh inning of a 5-2 Pirates win Sunday night at PNC Park, Andrew McCutchen crushed a hanging curveball to left for a solo home run, his 19th homer this season. It was a big run, giving the Pirates a two-run cushion as their stellar bullpen took over, but McCutchen never broke into a smile as he rounded the bases.

To be honest, he’d looked a little leery most of the night. But this was especially strange. The superstar with a mega-watt smile finished his solemn home-run trot by giving his trademark tip o’ the cap at the plate, then started toward the bench. Halfway there, he pointed both index fingers to his mouth, like fangs, and his teammates in the dugout roared.


 (AP)

Once in the dugout, McCutchen covered his mouth with a gloved right hand and gave high fives with his left.


 (USA TODAY Sports)

Later, as the Pirates celebrated their third win in four days against the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants, McCutchen went through the motions of the Pirates’ postgame celebrations with his Nike mitt covering most of his face.


 (AP)

So, what was that all about? Here’s his answer.

You knew it, didn’t you? There just had to be something up with that Cutch last night. And, hey, here’s a bonus nugget to make you sound smart around family and friends. See the black and white half-sleeve on McCutchen’s right arm? That’s a sock he cut in half.

“Yes, that is a sock,” he explained. “I’ve got style. I’m a trend-setter, man. Nah, I don’t know, something comes into my head, I just do it. I don’t care.”

Quite a character, that Andrew McCutchen.