I like the idea of MLB teams scouting in India. Even better, I like the idea of the Cubs sending me to scout in India. I’d even go so far as to say there might be a better chance of finding a hidden gem in India than China, seeing as cricket isn’t entirely dissimilar from baseball.
You might remember this piece I wrote a few months back detailing a barnstorming-style contest called The Million Dollar Arm, which was basically a talent hunt for baseball players in India. Well, the Reuters has an article about the two guys that won (hat tip to BBTF), who are now in LA for a year of major league level training.
Rinku Singh, 18, and fellow javelin thrower Dinesh Patel began a year-long training stint in Los Angeles last week after winning an India-wide pitching contest, “The Million-Dollar Arm.”
The boys, from poor families, used their natural shoulder strength to take the top two spots from among 8,000 participants.
Another teenager, Manoj Shukla, will receive a month’s training after he came third of the 27 finalists.
Love it. A javelin thrower. The article mentions that baseball isn’t the only sport attempting to make inroads into India. Golf has been gaining in popularity and has two tour events scheduled there during the next year. Soccer has also been knocking at the door, and just this week Australian Rules Football announced to host a clinic as well.
“The training has started and it feels very good,” Singh told Reuters by telephone. “We’ve just got back after watching a match, we had no clue about the game.”
The left-handed Singh, who has hurled the javelin to a modest distance of 67 metres, is aware of the tough job on hand.
“The first trial was held when I had taken a break from my athletics training because of injury.
“Our coach told me and Dinesh that they were looking for a ‘bowler’ in this game,” he said. “I tried and felt good because here too you throw the ball javelin style.”
One of seven children, Singh is hoping he can forge a professional career and support his family.
“My father was a truck driver but he is at home for the last one year,” he said. “I want to buy a truck for him, my (family) background is very bad.”
Hopefully someone will keep following this story.
4 responses so far ↓
1 simon // May 14, 2008 at 1:18 am
If one of them even turns out to be alright, look for a slew of teams to seek out javelin throwers from Eastern Europe! In a semi-related note about 40% of the top division of the professional sumo ranks are now foreign, that’s on the level of NHL and MLB, I believe. Many of these imports are former wrestling champions back in their own country, be it that Mongolian or Korean wrestling, or amateur wrestling for the Eastern Europeans.
2 Baseball » Still Looking For Ramakrishna Maddux // May 14, 2008 at 1:31 am
[…] Brian Foley wrote an interesting post today on Still Looking For Ramakrishna MadduxHere’s a quick excerpt…to say there might be a better chance of finding a hidden gem in India than China, seeing as cricket isn’t entirely dissimilar from baseball. […]
3 baekgom84 // May 14, 2008 at 9:10 am
This probably could have happened even sooner. A friend of mine back in Australia plays both cricket and baseball, and the skill sets seem to translate well. Given the rabid popularity of cricket in India and the megabucks on offer for baseball players in comparison to top level cricketers, I think baseball has a chance to carve itself a real niche there and in other cricket-obsessed sub-continent nations.
4 Ash // May 23, 2008 at 2:10 am
I love the title. I am one of the founders of the group that launched the contest in India. Stay tuned for contest 2. Happy to keep you posted on the progress. Dinesh and Rinku are progressing remarkably well.
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