PITTSBURGH — The video made its rounds on Twitter, the Pirates' team account posting an inside-the-clubhouse look at how and when manager Derek Shelton told Adam Frazier he would be starting at second base for the National League on Tuesday for the MLB All-Star Game in Denver.
That moment, with Shelton jokingly calling a team meeting and Frazier looking surprised because he just got out of the shower, was only half the story. The first part came last season, after the Pirates' 5-1 victory over the Cardinals on July 26 — Shelton's first win as a major league manager.
To commemorate that occurrence, Frazier actually gifted Shelton a bottle of the same bourbon that Shelton gave him — Old Fitzgerald. It wasn't a case of Tim Whatley regifting a label-maker, either. The same as many baseball players, Shelton and Frazier are both bourbon fanatics, and it was just an appropriate way to celebrate a milestone.
The love of bourbon is a unique dynamic to baseball, as it's not nearly as prevalent in hockey or football, two other sports I've covered in Pittsburgh. It's a great way to unwind after a long day. It's also a way to cultivate sources. And for players, it's often about the collection.
"I've gotten to the point now where I collect it more than I'm drinking it," Frazier said. "But it's fun."
Frazier doesn't remember exactly how he got into bourbon. It's just one of those things that's grown over time, helped along by recommendations by older teammates and a passion for trying new bottles that tends to permeate most major league clubhouses.
Among the more advanced collectors on the team, Frazier said he has around 150 bottles. They include everything from Elmer T. Lee, Blanton's Gold and Weller C.Y.P.B. to Japanese brands that Frazier also really likes.
"We're always talking about it," Frazier said. "We find good bottles we send to each other, send pictures of our collections, that sort of stuff. The longer you're in the league, you start to figure out who on other teams collects stuff."
One example there comes from another bourbon drinker on the team, Wil Crowe. In the Nationals organization, pitcher Patrick Corbin was one of the go-to sources for bourbon intel, the same way it used to be guys like Trevor Williams, Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon here.
Taillon was especially passionate about it. His love for bourbon was a close second to his coffee obsession, and Taillon was always eager to give bourbon recommendations to someone who never really got into it much before. Shelton, too.
"It's kind of like wine, but I think bourbon is more of an acquired taste," Frazier said. "Then once you start tasting nice bourbons, it's like, 'Wow, that's way better than Jack Daniel's or whatever it may be.' That's how to get started."
That's sort of what hooked the Pirates' Kevin Newman, who was never really that into bourbon before but has recently taken up the hobby. Now, Newman's collection has grown to a modest 20 or so bottles, while some of his favorites have been E.H. Taylor, Smoke Wagon and 1792.
When Newman expressed his interest in bourbon to Shelton, the Pirates skipper bought him a bottle of Stagg Jr., which became another key part of his collection.
"You find rare bottles, you collect 'em, slowly drink 'em, try 'em out," Newman said. "I think it's just a fun little hobby, honestly."
The entanglement between baseball and bourbon has always fascinated me. I had never had a drop of it until I started covering baseball, and now it's one of my favorite things to drink. After starting out with Woodford Reserve and Basil Hayden's, I've advanced a little. Buffalo Trace remains my favorite so far, and I'm always looking for decent recommendations. "Neat: The Story of Bourbon" is a tremendous documentary if you have the time.
But, why? Why is bourbon so prevalent around baseball culture? I have two theories. One, it's uniquely American and extremely prevalent in the south, the same as baseball. It's also not anything you can enjoy quickly.
Part of what makes baseball great — and sometimes also drives me up a wall — is the time commitment required. In practice. Covering it. The length of games. The number of games. It's great because it's hard. But very little in baseball happens fast, the same as a night spent drinking bourbon with friends.
"I think it's just the times you have when you drink bourbon," Frazier said. "It's a good time with the company you're with. You have a nice bottle, you like to have good company around when you're drinking it. Baseball players like to drink, too."
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