For quite sometime, America has been casting its network towards the more populous east. Korea and Japan have responded well to America’s baseball charms and the Yankee land more-or-less has captured the big audience in China by signing Yao Ming for the NBA.
While India along with the rest of the world is trying to cash-in on the tremendous potential for cricket in the States, America has in cast its nest in India in the hope of unearthing a Yao Ming like baseball pitcher.
They launched their “Million Dollar Arm” search all over India and 37,000 turned-up to participate. Finally Rinku Singh and Dinesh Kumar Patel were chosen as the winners and were sent to America for further training.
The below video shows the journey of Rinku and Dinesh from not knowing what is baseball to being professional baseball players. (Though the video at times paints the picture of India as a land of snakes, beggars and cattle, I can assure you from personal experience that not all Westerners are that naïve.)
Yes, the video culminates with Pittsburgh Pirates signing Rinku and Dinesh in November 2008. What happened after that?
Good news.
In July this year, Rinku became the first Indian (or Indian-born as MLB.com and Americans prefer it) to win a professional baseball match by striking out the only batter he faced. Dinesh followed suit in August with his first success.
For Pirates’ management team of Neal Huntington and Frank Coonelly, it is a significant moment as Rinku and Dinesh are the first non-Americans they have signed.
They both must feel vindicated with MLB.com having only good things to say about their India signings, “the 6′2″ Singh throws 89-90 mph and has a split-finger changeup pitch, [while] the 5′11″ Patel throws a circle change and can reach 91-92 mph with his heater”
America and Pirates will hope that they can tap into the riches India has to offer–both economically and in providing a pool of talent.
Here’s hoping that there’s more to follow.
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Author: Goutham Chakravarthi – Upcoming Keeda
Goutham is an IT professional and a passionate sports follower. His columns have featured in Cricbuzz, CBS Sport among others. He enjoys travel, adventure, reading, writing and swimming.
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Hey Nice Blog Dude…Thanks
Very nice !! India is huge, they can absorb many games….
Do we have a Baseball team of India ?
I throw faster than that. Please tell me where do i play Baseball in India
great to listen u throw faster , prove yourself in contest the million dollar arm.
buddy all the best.
come to mumbai if u can throw faster than them .
i run The Million Dollar Arm Baseball Academy .
my cell no is 9867988000
Baseball being somewhat similar to cricket does have a lot of scope in India
Interesting news!!
I have once watched Baseball being played at Kodaikanal!
Hey years ago I knew a young Indian kid who was a really good baseball player. I dont keep in touch with him much, but he lives in Los Angeles, he had a big build, he is a nice guy, and he knows how to play baseball, and he’s Indian American. Is their someone who I can talk to about getting this guy a chance to play cus I think he can really do good in baseball and he can really help with bringing baseball to India. I left his myspace website that is the guy – Myspace.Com/BeverlyGlen.
[...] otro día leí en un blog llamado SportsKeeda un post titulado “Getting To Know India’s First Baseball Superstars” y ví un vídeo, que lo pondré al final de este post para que todos ustedes lo puedan [...]