Andrew McCutchen was on the New York Yankees for only about a month, but when he showed some Steve Pearce on Twitter, Bombers fans lost their minds.
When veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen sent out a simple, two-word tweet on Sunday night, he had no idea how much grief he’d get back from New York Yankees fans.
Peearce!!!!! MVP
— andrew mccutchen (@TheCUTCH22) October 29, 2018
The congratulatory Tweet referenced Boston Red Sox infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce, who was named MVP of the 2018 World Series. Pearce, who played with McCutchen for three years in Pittsburgh, earned the award by posting a 1.167 OPS and driving in eight runs as Boston defeated the Dodgers in five games.
McCutchen thought he was just giving props to a friend and former teammate. Yankees fans, still mourning their team’s loss to the Red Sox in the ALDS, didn’t see it that way.
Some were mildly disappointed:
Cmon cutch you’re better than this
— rachel (@goodjobrachel) October 29, 2018
Others were just confused:
Don’t you technically play for the Yankees?
— Nick B (@nickycheckmark) October 29, 2018
And then there were the straight up disgusted:
Thanks for nothing Cutch
— Gary (@GaryIsScary) October 29, 2018
— ??????? ?????? (@killahbytez) October 29, 2018
With 2018 expectations high for the Bombers, following a 2017 ALCS appearance, the fan reaction is understandable. However, the non-Yankee segment of Twitter quickly jumped in to point out the overreaction:
Yankee fans…. pic.twitter.com/4AfrB38U8P
— Brian Chinnici (@Brian_Chinnici) October 29, 2018
McCutchen also went back to Twitter to defend himself, making a pretty valid point that’s kind of hard to argue with:
For yall crowding my comments. Guess I cant be happy for my friend. I mean not like he was in my wedding or anything. Smh pic.twitter.com/PZDVFXnUfV
— andrew mccutchen (@TheCUTCH22) October 29, 2018
Baseball is a business, and McCutchen is a businessman. Just because he was willing to shave his beard to put on the pinstripes doesn’t mean he has to take a blood oath of loyalty to the Yankees and turn his back on any friends who dare to put on a Boston uniform.
If he had spent more time in New York, the situation would be different. In that case, a private text or DM to his old buddy would be a better way to go.
But McCutchen was just a last-minute Yankee in 2018.
I mean, it’s not like he’s Derek Jeter, who took the hundreds of millions of dollars he made from the Yankees, bought the Miami Marlins, and dumped his new team’s worst contract in the Bronx.
