Does An ‘MLB The Show’ Cover Curse Exist? Is It Safe To Vote Pittsburgh Pirates Andrew McCutchen?

The Pittsburgh Pirates

is a finalist for the MLB 13 The Show cover

The MLB The Show Cover Showdown begins this week. Andrew McCutchen would have to be one of the favorites, but he can only win if you vote.   But the big question is what about a curse?

A lot of Pittsburghers will say, “Yinz ‘member whadhappenedafter Cutch was in dat Home Run Derby dontcha?

We say screw curses.  The next thing you know we will be talking about aliens taking over Federal Street causing the team to lose for twenty consecutive seasons.  All those losing seasons happened for a reason, none of which had anything to do with Sid Bream, well it kind of did, I guess.

But we do understand your concern, we’re also a bit superstitious. So let’s take a look at it.   MLB The Show proved anything but a curse for the player on its’ cover in the first few years.

David Ortiz

MLB06 The Show

Ortiz had a monster season year.  The Big guy hit 54 home runs, drove in 137 of his Red Sox teammates, scored 115 runs and added 119 walks.   Just look at those bombs, when he wasn’t circling the bases, he was on them!   Of course Ortiz hasn’t come close to those power numbers since, so there is that…

David Wright

MLB07 The Show

Wright crushed 30 home runs, drove in 107 teammates, scored 113 runs and walked 94 times.  Big season and the bombs continued for the cover boys along with a healthy OPS.

Of course, the skeptics will point to the 2006 season when the M-E-T-S Mets took the eventual St. Louis Cardinals to the brink in the NLCS.   And while Wright had a great year in 2007, the Mets finished twice in the NL East in 07 and 08 and fourth every other year since.

Ryan Howard

MLB08 The Show

The Philadelphia Phillies suck.  Howard had a big time season as he lead the Phillies to the World Series title with 48 home runs, 146 RBIs, 105 runs, and 81 walks.  It was a glorius time for the fine citizens of Philadelphia.  Screw them.

The 29-year old Howard was huge and any talk of a curse being placed on the team of the cover boy vanished.

Dustin Pedroia

MLB09 The Show

Pedroia didn’t have the big year that past cover boys did.   Boston’s favorite son did score 115 runs, put up a .371 OBP and popped 15 bombs as the Sox earned the Wild Card into the postseason.

Joe Mauer

MLB10 and MLB11 The Show

Mauer had one of the most memorable spots in the commercial for the game with the ‘well played Mauer’ catchphrase catching fire.  That’s about all that caught fire for Mauer.

The Twins didn’t love it.  Mauer was injured and his numbers fell dramatically from his 2009 season ( in 2010 and 2011, the Twins bopper hit only 12 bombs)

Adrian Gonzalez

Jose Bautista

MLB12 The Show

Ummm…AGon had one of the worst seasons in a long time hitting just 18 bombs and some said he was a snitch.  The Red Sox collapsed under Bobby Valentine.  Gonzalez was traded to L.A.  and the numbers simply didn’t add up to what he had produced in the past.

Joey Bats came into the season with two consecutive home run titles after playing 310 games in 2010 and 2011.  In 2012, the 31-year old played just 92 games while hitting 27 bombs as the monster WAR numbers from the past two years plummetted as he had season ending wrist surgery.

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MLB 13:  The Show

Candidates are as follows:    Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Bryce Harper, C.C. Sabathia, Buster Posey and Miguel Cabrera

We think Cutch is going to have a big year and snap the recent trend of the players gracing the cover of The Show. So vote away #MLB13Cutch

Vote early. 

Vote often.