The restorative power of never giving up

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — When Drew Maggi stepped into the batter’s box in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter, fans at PNC Park knew they were about to witness something extraordinary. Maggi, a 33-year-old infielder who had played over 1,100 games for over 13 seasons in the minor leagues, was about to take his first pitch in the Majors Wednesday evening.

The crowd and his fellow players rewarded him with an emotional standing ovation. The sight of his parents, who were there to witness their son’s big moment, brought plenty of tears to the eyes of a fan base that has been looking for something inspirational for a very long time.

It didn’t matter what happened next — Maggi had made it to the Show. More importantly, he had earned his place there through perseverance, hard work, and faith.

He pulled his first pitch foul, got jammed up into an 0-2 hole, fouled off another pitch (had it been a smidge more inside, it might have landed him a home run), then struck out swinging on an Alex Vesia slider.

Maggi told reporters after the game that he had a hard time putting into words how that night felt. “I can’t explain how I was feeling in the box,” he said. “I didn’t even know what to do. You guys were cheering me on. I don’t know, I never expected that.”

Maggi added that, through his 12-year, 10-month journey up to that moment, he thought that if he ever got here, it would be a normal at bat. “Obviously special, but the crowd cheering my name, I got my parents here, my three brothers, a sister back at home…”

He also saw his Dad crying. “I don’t think I ever saw him cry before,” he said. “All those years, I wondered what I would say to my parents if that moment ever were to come. They’ve been right there with me. Hearing those words made it all worthwhile. I know the last 13 years have not been wasted.”

On Sunday, Maggi was headed back to the Minors , but not before he notched his first Major League hit and RBI. On Saturday night, he lined a pinch-hit single in the seventh inning of the Pirates’s doubleheader sweep over the Nationals.

Baseball, like life, gives and takes. Maggi’s story is evidence that you should never give up.

The whole article can be found here.