Pittsburgh Pirates: Chris Archer Loved Already

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a splash bringing in pitcher Chris Archer.  He already is receiving positive reviews from the fan base.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates made the deal for Chris Archer, it created an instant buzz among the Bucs fan base.  For once the team went “out of their comfort zone” and acquired an established player that is perceived as one of the better pitchers in baseball.  That alone made Chris Archer beloved to Pittsburgh Pirates fans.  He did not have to do anything, but since 4:00 on Tuesday he gave the Pittsburgh Pirates fan base an instant jolt.

Honestly, it was very similar to when the team acquired A.J. Burnett.  When the Pittsburgh Pirates brought Burnett in back during the 2011-2012 offseason many fans were excited.  Burnett was an established named after being one of the more dominant young pitchers in baseball during the early and mid 2000s.  However, his stay in the AL East started to catch up with him.  After signing a mega deal with the Yankees, he posted three straight seasons with an ERA north of 4.00.  He become unwanted in New York, the fans hated him, and he obviously was not effective anymore.  So they dealt him off to the Pittsburgh Pirates while eating much of his contract.

That is where Chris Archer and A.J. Burnett differ. Archer is not an overpaid player who was getting booed at his home ballpark.  In fact, he was the work horse ace for the Rays over the last four years.  Still, it was time for the Rays to trade him, Archer was becoming stale in the AL East and was in the midst of a season that saw his ERA up above 4.00.  In baseball they call this a guy in a need of “change of scenery.”

When the team acquired Burnett the fan base did not care about his numbers the last few years with the Yankees.  What the fan base did care about was that they were acquiring a guy who was good for more of his career than not.  Then he showed up here and immediately performed.  He almost got the team back into the playoffs in 2012 and did so in 2013. In both seasons he pitched to sub 3.60 ERAs.  What the fans loved about him the most was his attitude on the mound, he not only pitched like a front of the rotation guy but he also acted like one.

Chris Archer has the chance to do the same thing.  While his numbers this year are not ace like, he was one not that long ago.  Unlike Burnett, Archer is still relatively young and should bounce back to his dominant form.  It is not like he has shown flashes, the guy has been in the top five in strikeouts in each of the last three years.  He only trails names like Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, and Corey Kluber. The key will be for him to adjust from the offensive juggernaut and hitter friendly AL East parks and come to PNC Park, which should be better built for him.

If he performs, then you won’t be able to look in an isle at the game without seeing his jersey or shersey.  The guy has already become one the fans over before even throwing a pitch.  Archer did this by immediately showing up to the Pittsburgh airport in an Antonio Brown Steelers jersey.  If there is one thing that Pittsburgh people like, it is stars showing their support for the city.  Then he hit his introductory press conference out of the park. Archer answered all the questions in the right way.  He often talked about how excited he was and how excited everyone in the Pirates organization was that he was coming to Pittsburgh. Here are more comments from his Interview, these come from Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

“It just felt really good,” Archer said. “I know one of the sayings for a long time here has been, ‘We are family.’ And I already feel like a part of the family.”“The future looks very, very bright here. … I’m in the phase where I want to win, and I think I’m in the right environment to do that.”

Really, We are Family?  That was a slogan created by one of the most famous of all Pittsburgh Pirates, Willie Stargell. This instantly hit home with the team’s older fans who were around for those iconic years.   Archer just showed a lot of character and personality in his interview.  When the player looks and sounds excited to be here it just immediately translates to the fan base.  It gives the fans hope and a reason to believe and to be excited. However, he really impressed with one  specific answer in his interview.  It was when asked if he would wear 22 in Pittsburgh, the number he wore for Tampa.  Of course, the issue with this is that Andrew McCutchen wore this number.  Here is what Archer said about it:

“He is what I aspire to be,” he said of McCutchen, now with the San Francisco Giants. “I aspire to be that influential and that successful. So, in that same regard, I didn’t want to take his number, especially without talking to him about it. He might not have an issue about it. But just out of respect for him, this is his first year away from the organization. That is his number.”

He tipped his hat to Willie Stargell earlier in the interview, then he one upped it by tipping his hat to the player that revived the franchise.  A player who is still, and always will be, beloved by Pittsburgh Pirates fans.  The guy just knew how to answer the questions in a way that Pittsburgh Pirates fans wanted to hear them.  It also helped that he talked about his mom being a Pittsburgh Steeler fan as well.

Archer followed up his impressive interview by showing his character during the game.  He immediately signed a child’s new Archer jersey.  During the game he was often caught talking to the other pitchers on the team, trying to get to know them, studying the game.  Also, he was often seen smiling and looking in the crowd and communicating with people. He is already loved by the fan base before even throwing a pitch. Most of all, Archer was caught with a smile on his face and looking happy to be in Black and Gold.

*Note: Archer makes his debut Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals