“Whatever you do, never give up.”
No hit in 1 at bat. I waited 13 years for this record without anything special.
Pittsburgh Pirates 메이저놀이터infielder Drew Magee (34) made his major league debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ‘2023 Major League Baseball’ held at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on the 27th (Korean time).
Literally his first big league game. Although he is a veteran who has gone through all kinds of battles while playing baseball, it was the moment he took his first steps in the major leagues.
Maggie was drafted by Pittsburgh with the 447th overall pick in the 15th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. He is a veteran who has played 13 years of his professional career and 1154 games in the minor leagues alone. A long time has passed, but the door to the major leagues did not open easily. In 2021, he was called up to the big leagues once as a member of the Minnesota Twins, but returned to the minor leagues in two days without being able to play a single game.
Teammates and Pittsburgh fans who knew Maggie’s story sent enthusiastic support to Maggie, and eventually, the sign to play fell. In the bottom of the 8th inning, he came on as a pinch hitter in place of Andrew McCutchen and pitched in his first major league game of his career.
Pittsburgh was leading 8-1. The stadium, which had been quiet with a large score difference, heated up. Fans chanted Maggie’s name loudly and cheered generously.
As if to wash away the 13-year wait, aggressive blows continued from the first pitch. He caught and hit reliever Alex Becia’s four-seam fastball well, but it turned out to be a foul. I did my best with each ball, but the result was a swing strikeout. Fans cheered Maggie on her way to the dugout, clapping as loudly as the hits and home runs.
After the game, Maggie revealed her feelings before her debut in an interview with sports media outlets such as ‘Fox Sports’. He smiled, saying, “Whatever you do, I hope you never give up. Then (someday) it is possible. If you love something, you should (continue) do it.”
Maggie’s countless sweat and hard work paid off in the end. I went back a little, but I made my goal of debuting in the major leagues after 13 years. Maggie is now an undisputed major leaguer. Many people are focusing on another story he will unfold.
