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Drew Maggi, 33, gets MLB opportunity with Pirates after 13 minor-league seasons

callie lawson-freeman
Contributing writer
·2 min read
45
BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Drew Maggi #73 of the Pittsburgh Pirates poses for a portrait during the 2023 Pittsburgh Pirates Photo Day at Pirate City on February 22, 2023 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Drew Maggi got the opportunity to play in his first MLB game at 33 years old. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

After playing in 1,155 minor-league games since 2010, 33-year-old Drew Maggi was beginning to wonder if he would ever get another opportunity to play with a big-league club.

On Sunday, the Double-A Altoona Curve infielder learned that he was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

His reaction to the news speaks for itself:

Calix Crabbe, the Altoona Curve Manager and assistant hitting coordinator with the Pirates, notified Maggi of the development with a speech that represented exactly what makes stories such as Maggi's special.

"Baseball is like this wonderful microcosm to everything that we do," Crabbe said. "It is with great pleasure that I get to promote my first person to the major leagues, someone that is tremendously important to this group. someone that exemplifies grit, the choice to continue to fight for what he wants in life, and a lot of that is have the right perspective."

Maggi's response was the icing on the cake. "Holy f***," "Let's f***ing go," he exclaimed.

The Pirates added Maggi as the team announced outfielder Bryan Reynolds was placed on the bereavement list. The Pirates cleared a roster spot while placing Ji Man Choi on the 60-day injured list, retroactive to April 14.

Maggi, who has spent 13 seasons in MiLB, was selected by the Pirates in the 15th round of the 2010 draft. Eleven years into his career, the veteran made the Minnesota Twins' roster on Sept. 18, 2021. He did not appear in a game.

“You always believe that you can get another shot, but as you get older, you have that in your mind: ‘This could be it for me,’” Maggi said via MLB.com in March.

Now, he will wear No. 39 for the team that drafted him all those years ago.

"Never give up on your dream, man," Pirates manager Derek Shelton told Maggi when he arrived at the team's facilities.

While Maggi was not in the Pirates' starting lineup for Sunday's game vs. the Cincinnati Reds, his first MLB appearance could be on the horizon.

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