Dear Andrew McCutchen,

You tweeted,

"Pittsburgh. My Home. My Fans. My City. The placed that raised me and helped mold me into the man I am today. You will forever be in my heart. A tip of the cap to all who have been on this journey with me.
With Love and respect, Cutch."

First off, thank you.

Thank you for bringing so much hope back in baseball to the city of Pittsburgh. For that, our city should be the ones tipping our caps to YOU, a true hero both on and off of the field, and one of the greatest players to wear a Pirates uniform.

You never trashed it.

You never gave up on it.

You treated your uniform like it was gold because you knew how much it meant to our city.

You wore it with the most proud feelings of dignity and respect for not only your last name and your iconic 22 on the back, but what organization you chose to represent across the front of your chest.

May 11th, 2018 might be the hardest and tear-jerking ballgame I will have witnessed in my entire 21 years of being a Pittsburgh native Pirate fan. Seeing you in something other than a Pirates jersey at PNC Park is something I can barely swallow and imagine.

When you first cut your hair, the entire city of Pittsburgh seemed to drop everything and stop. If it is possible to stop time completely there for a couple days, I'm pretty sure you did it. Your hair was your signature thing! You were like Samson!...only you didn't become weak and lose your muscles after it was cut. Instead, you actually won our hearts once again by announcing how you had donated your lost locks to a charity of your choice.

You gave and still give me so many reasons to believe that there is still good in a world that seems to be filled with a whole ton of darkness. In 2015, you won the Roberto Clemente Award for the time you dedicated in your life humane services in order to help others before yourself.

I remember going to games and specifically picking you out amongst the all the players in the park while yelling, "That's my role model." And...I'm sure half the country could feel my excitement whenever you SIGNED my softball glove. I went to practice the next day, and showed all of my teammates how I got your official autograph...and then they thought I was the craziest person alive to continue to play with that very same glove that you touched!

But, here's the thing:

That day you signed my glove - you told me something I have never forgotten to this day...you told me to never lose sight of my dreams, and even though you probably don't remember, hearing that from you is something that meant to me more than your autograph ever did.

You have represented everything unique and lovely that makes our city so one of the best, and gave us memories that Pirate fans for many generations to come will always hear about. You helped make "Buctober" a reality, and brought a winning season back to PNC Park, restoring hope I thought was lost for many years. I know that you loved the city of Pittsburgh, but I hope you also know that our city loves you more than you'll ever know.

You're going to a team who will compete, and will be surrounded by an organization's ownership who wants to win a World Series. We wish you nothing but the best because you are a man who deserves a standing ovation every single time you step inside of PNC Park.

Forever a Pirate in our hearts...

Thank you, Andrew McCutchen.

(Photo by Dave DiCello)