Pirates Expand Their Families During The Off-Season
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In their street clothes, it could have been a gathering of any group of Millennials, but really, it was an Easter celebration for the Pittsburgh Pirates and their families.
While some Pirates visited weird or exotic places during the off-season, others expanded their family.
"I had another kid," said Jordy Mercer. "I don't know if that's weird or exotic. I was Daddy all off-season, which is really cool and I enjoyed it.
Jordy and Kacey Mercer's first son, Maverick, is now 3, and Maddon is 5-months-old.
KDKA's John Shumway also reports on team camaraderie:
Tatum Neise is already 8-months-old and crawling, and his sister, Graylee, is 2½-years-old. Dad can put a curve on the outside corner, but there was a learning curve with changing a son.
"I've had him pee on me a few times, so learn after the first or second time," says Pirates pitcher Jonathan Neise.
Mark and Mary Catherine Melancon are known for adventuresome off-seasons, but this year they added to their family as well.
"Well, I had a third child, that's probably the most exotic thing," said Mark, the Pirates closer.
Ella Grace joined the family five months ago and went with 2-year-old Jack, and 4-year-old Brooklyn on the family's vacation to Hawaii.
"It's so cool right now because my kids are at that age where they want to give Daddy a hug when I come through the door. When they wake up, they want to see me. And it's a blast," said Melancon.
Mia Jade Harrison just celebrated her second birthday and wears Brittany and Josh out.
"It's a good 'wear out' though," said Josh, the Pirates second baseman. "No matter what happens at the field or how tired I am, as soon as I see her, she's 'Daddy get up… let's go play.'"
The Watson family is a developing story. Tony and Cassie are having a lot of fun with 15-month-old Wynn.
"She's climbing all over the place, trying to talk, she's not really talking," said Pirates pitcher Tony Watson. "She's got a little brother on the way, so when he comes, I'm guessing she's going to be fighting for attention and all of a sudden she's going to be talking a lot."
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Pirates star outfielder Andrew McCutchen, of course, is just a year into enjoying married life with Maria.
"I don't know how that feels, but I'm sure hopefully one day I'll be able to feel that," he says of fatherhood. "Now I can go home and I can sit there and talk to my wife, and we can sit down and she just lets me air out when I need to, and she listens. It's great, it's awesome, it's one of the small things that is great about marriage."