When Maverick “Mavi” Valle smacked a double down the third base line, the crowd roared like it was Vladdy with the bases loaded.
Never mind that Mavi is nine, or that the hit came after several misses on a temporary diamond in the Variety Village gym. Or that the crowd was mostly other kids, parents and Variety and Blue Jays staff.
Two weeks ago, Mavi had surgery to rebuild a fist-sized piece of his skull. The hole was left after a blood vessel burst in his brain in January 2023.
“Mavi pretty much died in my arms,” his mother, Janna, told me for a Sun Christmas Fund column that year.
Now, after a long, hard road, Mavi is slowly saying goodbye to his wheelchair and walker.
So that double was really something. He struck it standing on his own two feet, and later posed with ex-Jays star Kevin Pillar.
Mavi was taking part in the Fall Classic Legacy Initiative – by the Jays, MLB and Jays Care Foundation – a boisterous morning of games tailored to kids with disabilities.
The team announced a $50,000 donation to the Village, especially its Challenger Baseball program.
That’s where stars like Mavi hone their swings – and dream of World Series glory.
