THE MOMENT

“It took me a second to let it sink in,” Hudson recalled. “I ran to the clubhouse, texted my then-girlfriend, now wife, and told her to stand up in front of everybody and yell it. It was pretty cool.”

Barkett has a story, too. The call came only once in his 11-year minor league career. Playing for Class AAA Nashville, then a Pirates affiliate, he was left out of lineup May 27, 2001, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Manager Marty Brown offered no explanation but told Barkett he could pinch-hit if someone reached base in the ninth. Someone did. With two outs Barkett walked toward home plate. Brown yanked him back and sent in backup catcher Humberto Cota instead.

“I go, ‘Wait a minute, Cota has been sleeping on the bench for four innings. You’re going to pinch-hit a right-hander versus a righthander?’ ” Barkett said. “I was furious. Cota wakes up, grabs his bat, swings at the first pitch and hits it about 15 feet in the air to the pitcher to end the game.

“I had tears in my eyes I was so angry.”

In the tunnel, Brown stopped Barkett and asked, “Know why I didn’t let you hit there?”

“No, man, why?” a bitter Barkett responded.

“Because you’re going to the big leagues,” Brown said.

This season, Barkett has sent Jose Osuna, Neverauskas, Johnny Barbato, Ngoepe, Danny Ortiz and Elias Diaz to the Pirates. Four of the six made their major league debuts. On May 1, the catcher Diaz was scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C, to complete his passport application. On the bus the day before, Barkett tapped Diaz on the shoulder and asked, “Do you want to go to Washington, D.C., or do you want to go to the big leagues?”

Diaz smiled and replied, “I want to go to the big leagues.”