Continuity has finally paid off for Drew Maggi, who made his major league debut Wednesday night at age 33 after 13 seasons in pro baseball. The Pittsburgh Rovers promoted Maggi from their Class AA chapter on Sunday, but he didn’t. Big League Cannon didn’t play in either of his first two games.
Maybe it was his sweet debut. With his family and the Rovers leading 8-1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Maggi was called upon to pinch-hitter designated megahit Andrew McCutchen. After 13 seasons and 1,154 games in the minors.
The crowd at PNC Park in Pittsburgh gave Maggi a standing ovation when he stepped into the batter’s box for the first time as a big blocker. On the first pitch from Dodgers reliever Alex Vecia, Maggi hit a foul pitch down the left-field line.
He was a little late getting back into the box, and home plate arbiter Jeff Nelson called an automatic strike to put Maggi in an 0-2 hole. He eventually got hit, but that didn’t dampen his spirits. “I was trying to focus on the at-club, but also really enjoying the moment,” Maggi said later. thing.”
