He almost went completely unnoticed. Every beat reporter was too occupied with wondering if that was Tommy Hunter on the practice field or just a random fan.
Only one hawk-eyed Philly radio personality noticed the new player in camp.
It seems Howard Eskin did some research of his own. He must have contacted the Phillies’ physical training staff, noting that McCutcheon was coming back from an ACL tear.
With that fact, we can only assume one thing.
Lawrence McCutcheon is nonother than a non-roster invitee who was missed by the Philly media. NBC Sports Philadelphia released a piece trying to clear up the confusion. The article seemed to raise more questions than answers.
Well thanks to the great writers at Philly Sports Network, we have the real scoop on new Phillie Lawrence McCutcheon.
“Larry”, as he prefers to be called, actually has some Phillies roots. His grandfather was Ronald McCutcheon. That name might not ring any bells but he was once a Phillies’ farmhand.
In 1961, Ron McCutcheon played with the Phillies’ minor league affiliate the Des Moines Demons. He performed well, slashing .284/.376/.389. Despite his batting acumen, Ron McCutcheon called it a career.
Nearly 50 years later, his grandson Larry McCutcheon made his professional debut, but not in the usual sense. In 2009, McCutcheon debuted with the Pittsburu Privateers of the Korean Baseball Association.
Larry would go on to become one of the most dynamic players in the KBA. In 2012, he led the entire league in hits. In 2013, he became the KBA MVP by slashing .317/.404/.508. He followed that up by leading the league in OBP (.410) and OPS (.952).
He received multiple big league offers from MLB clubs but decided to stay in Korea. He met the love of his life and settled down. Because of his love for Pittsburu, he named his firstborn son Seal after the bustling seal industry there.
Now he looks to make the Phillies roster at age 33 after his long stint in Korea. He’ll find plenty of competition from returning left fielder Andrew McCutchen.
No relation.
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
