Celebrating the Cinderella Story: Alpha Tavern Hosts Drew Maggi

WHEELING -- Nick Sparachane loves a good success story, especially one built on hard work. So he paid special attention to the tale of Drew Maggi's journey to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He watched Maggi, a 13-year veteran of the minor leagues, make his Major League Baseball debut with the Pirates, recording his first MLB hit and driving in his first run to the applause of thousands.

Sparachane wanted to show Maggi how much he appreciated his journey, so he invited Maggi to dinner at the Alpha Tavern, which he owns with brother Anthony "Herk" Sparachane and Beau Catalano.

On Monday evening, Maggi, his mother Sara and youngest brother Dane came to Wheeling as Sparachane's guests.

Maggi, a Phoenix, Arizona, native, said he hadn't been to the Mountain State since he was a member of the West Virginia Power, playing the 2011 season at the former Appalachian Power Park in Charleston.

"It brought back a lot of memories," he said of driving through Wheeling. "The summers here are beautiful with the scenery and the people are great. I was actually kind of excited to roll back into West Virginia."

Sparachane wanted to give Maggi that chance to see West Virginia again. He had already been talking to the Pirates organization about taking tour buses up to games and told team officials that, if Maggi ever had the chance, he'd like to invite him to the Friendly City for dinner.

"I just thought it was an amazing story of perseverance," Sparachane said. "I was proud of the fact he hung in there and proud of the fact he made the major leagues."

Sparachane also enjoyed that Maggi was of Italian descent. The Sparachanes have owned Undo's Family Restraurants, the sponsor of the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival, since 1954.

Maggi said he was excited to meet someone who has been so influential and successful in the Ohio Valley community.

"He wants to meet me and said was inspired by my story," Maggi said. "I mean, that was very humbling and cool, and I'm excited to meet him."

The dinner was part of the whirlwind that Maggi's life has become after being called up from the Class AA Altoona Curve to the Pirates. After toiling for 13 years in the minors, and playing in the farm systems of seven different MLB teams, Maggi finally earned his moment to step into a Major League batter's box.

Even his first MLB hit came with drama. He learned before the game that he was heading back down to Altoona. Then, in the bottom of the seventh at the Washington Nationals, he roped a single to center on a 2-2 count to earn that milestone. The utility infielder went 2 for 6 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base during his time with the Pirates.

One of the best feelings, he said, was hearing the crowd both in Pittsburgh and in Washington D.C. chant his name, an acknowledgment of the hard work he put into reaching that point and a show of respect.

"I think my story just related to a lot of people," Maggi said. "I think that seeing somebody that you know for a fact went so long and really grinded it out, I just think it related to people.

"And then seeing someone, at the end of the day, succeed and finally get what he dreamed about for so long. I think people really galvanized around that."

As exciting as those games were, they now have Maggi looking to the future of his professional career.

"Now, it's just opening up all this optimism," Maggi said. "It's so early in the season right now. So what's next, you know? Do I get another opportunity? Baseball's crazy. It's kind of like life, like anything can happen."