Soquel High Alum Traded to Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh: Home of 446 bridges, 151 high-rise buildings, the Penguins, the Steelers, and as of this week, .

The former baseball phenom from Santa Cruz was traded on Monday from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a deal that sent pitcher Jose Veras to Miller Park. 

The 2011 season was an abysmal one for McGehee, who after a teriffic 2010 campaign, saw his batting average drop to just .223. 

Despite weak numbers of late, McGehee remained a fan favorite in Wisconsin, where he contributed to the Miracle League of Milwaukee, an organization that allows disabled children to play baseball on a an accessible, rubberized field. McGehee's own son, who suffers from cerebral palsy, participated in the league. 

Just last month, McGehee returned to along with Olympian Monica Abbott and Major League Umpire Bill Miller to meet students and discuss their athletic and personal journies. 

"I'm going to go in and do what I've always done," McGehee told the Santa Cruz Sentinel, about being traded. "And if that's the case, things will work out like they're supposed to. ... I'm going to go in with a fresh mindset. I think I learned a lot about myself last year. You can't make up for what happened in the past all at once. You've got do things day-by-day and be patient."

McGehee and the Pirates will be in San Francisco to play the Giants April 13 - 15. To read McGehee's one-on-one with Capitola-Soquel Patch from May, .