WATCH: Drew Maggi receives warm welcome from the Pirates fans after 3,846 Minor League at-bats
Drew Maggi received a standing ovation as he made his MLB debut after spending 13 years in the minors.
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[Drew Maggi for the Pirates. Pic Credit: ABC News]
Being a professional player is the dream of every kid who grew up idolizing a sport. Only a very few people cut it. For some, even after making this cut, things do not go as they initially hoped. This was a likely scenario with Drew Maggi of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 33-year-old made his major league debut on Wednesday night, 13 years after staying in the minors.
The rookie batter has experienced 1,154 games in the minor league. He received a major ovation from the Pirates faithful as he walked out of the dugout. In the eighth inning, he was called to pinch-hit for Andrew McCutchen. His team was leading by seven runs when he came to bat. Unfortunately for him, he was struck out on four pitches. His at-bat also included a pitch clock violation.
Despite getting struck out at his first major league plate appearance, Maggi was all smiles after the game. “It’s the best strikeout I ever had,” he said after the game as his side destroyed the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1. He was called up from the minors on Sunday after Bryan Reynolds was placed on the bereavement list.
Maggi could not get into the team in the first two games and feared the repeat of a similar cycle. In 2019, he was called up by the Minnesota Twins for a few games but failed to make a single appearance for his team. The Pirates’ current manager Derek Shelton was the bench coach of the Twins back then.
A shining moment for Drew Maggi in a shining season for Pirates
It was a crowning moment for Drew Maggi as he finally got to swing a bat after 4,494 plate appearances in the minor leagues. “I love baseball. I was grinding for 13 years but i was doing what I loved,” Maggi said in his post-match conference. After the game, he was spotted spending few moments with his close ones.
His team is also enjoying a great run of form at the moment. Despite seeing their seven-game winning run come to an end, they bounced back emphatically. Starting pitcher Roansy Contreras gave up just two hits while throwing six scoreless innings. He struck out five batters and gave up two walks. The pitcher took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, eventually broken by Dodgers’ catcher Austin Wynss.
Another significant development in the Pirates’ season was when outfielder Bryan Reynolds signed a long-term deal. He is said to have signed an 8-year, $106.7 million contract. The 28-year-old has been one of the team’s best hitters this season. He is batting with an average of .292 and has five home runs and nineteen RBIs next to his name. He will be a crucial part of the Pirates this season as they sit at the top of the NL Central with a 17-8 record.
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Siddid Dey Purkayastha
(528 Articles Published)