The Pittsburgh Pirates will be bringing back and honoring a former Bucco All-Star, as Josh Harrison is set to officially retire as a Pirate.
Harrison was visiting PNC Park in June for the first time since he was there as a visiting player with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. In the swirl of emotions and interactions, it was one conversation with owner and chairman Bob Nutting that sparked this reunion for Harrison. Despite not playing for the Pirates since 2018, Nutting made it a point to express
his fondness of “JHay” and the time he spent in Pittsburgh.
“Throughout his career, Josh Harrison embodied what it means to be a Pittsburgh Pirate: a gritty, hardworking player, a great teammate and a kind person who was always gracious with his time. He was and remains a cherished member of our organization,” Nutting said. “Josh is incredibly deserving of this celebration, and we look forward to honoring him alongside his family and friends in front of our fans at PNC Park.”
Harrison expressed that while he never thought about it seriously, he was excited at the opportunity to retire with the team that he became a star with.
“It’s not anything I thought much about,” Harrison said. “It’s easy when someone plays for one team their whole career. I played for six. But I know when people talk about my body of work, mostly the Pirates come to mind. “I was never gonna say, ‘Let me retire a Pirate.’ But it’s always cool when it happens naturally and organically. That’s how I wanted it to be.”
JHay said his conversation with Nutting was surprising but was one that he was excited was happening.
“Bob said the Pirates wanted to bring me and my family back and have me retire as a Pirate,” Harrison said. “I was excited. I thought it was pretty cool. “I don’t know how those things work, but when Bob mentioned it, I thought, ‘Oh, yeah. We can definitely make something happen.’”
At this point in his life he Harrison also has the opportunity to bring his family back to the city where he started his major league career.
“The city means a lot to us,” Harrison said. “It’s our home away from home. I had some of my better years in Pittsburgh and grew a lot. That’s where me and my family started. For it to come full circle is really special.”
During his career as a member of the Pirates, Harrison became one of the most electrifying players in baseball. While in Pittsburgh he was named to two All-Star teams and collected 773 hits while hitting .277 with 73 home runs and 91 stolen bases. He had a breakout season in 2014 when he finished second in the NL batting title race with a career high .315 batting average. That season he had 13 home runs and snagged 18 stolen bases. In 2017 as a member of the Pirates, he also represented Team USA at the World Baseball classic when the team won Gold.
JHay will officially retire as a Pirate on Friday with a corresponding press conference, before being honored on Saturday with a pre-game ceremony, a game-time first pitch and the first 20,000 fans at PNC Park will receive a commemorative T-shirt as a part of the weekend’s celebrations.
Harrison was a key part of the Pirates’ post season run from 2013-2015 and was undoubtedly one of the most exciting Pirates of the 21st century. Very few had the talent that he had to play at five different positions at any given time, while also being one of the most elusive baserunners in baseball. He enjoyed the most success in his career in Pittsburgh and it’s only fitting that Harrison officially retires with the Pirates.
“As a player, you don’t sit there and think about your numbers or what you meant to a city,” Harrison said. “I just kind of lived in the moment.” “But it’s cool to be acknowledged that way. I was just in the right place at the right time with those guys. Pittsburgh gave me an opportunity. I’ll always be a Pirate.”
