June 2, 2014
SPORTS
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 7
Asians in American sports w Asian Americans in world sports
Where are those million dollar arms now?
By Mike Street
Special to The Asian Reporter
merican baseball teams looking for new talent
have increasingly looked east, finding players in
Japan, Korea, and China. India, with a population
of more than a billion, has remained an untapped
resource, however. Million Dollar Arm, released last
month, tells the true story of the discovery of two
promising Indian baseball talents, with a predictable
Disney happy ending. The actual ending to the story
remains unwritten, as one player has left the American
game, while the other still hopes to continue his quest to
pitch in the major leagues.
The film shares its name with an Indian reality show
that offered $100,000 to anyone who could throw the most
strikes over 85 miles per hour (MPH) in a 20-pitch
sequence, with the winner given a chance at a prize of a
million dollars if he could throw three consecutive strikes
at 90 MPH or higher. The idea was to tap the Indian
market and prove the baseball adage that a pitching coach
needs only a player with a good arm — even if that player
has never played, or even seen, the game.
The reality show featured 28 finalists, and the $100,000
winner was Rinku Singh, a lefty who topped out at 89
MPH, with second prize going to Dinesh Patel, a righty
whose fastball registered at 87. Singh didn’t win the
million dollars, but both players travelled to the United
States for coaching and a 2008 tryout that is the climax of
the film. Both were signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates and
began their careers with the rookie-league GCL Pirates in
2009. Here, their stories diverged.
Patel had a good first year, notching a 1.42 Earned Run
Average (ERA) and a 0.79 Walks plus Hits per Innings
Pitched (WHIP), taking the mound for just 6 1/3 innings.
Many players start out in the rookie leagues, but those
with a promising future typically advance to the next level
in their second season. Patel failed to do so.
In his second year in the rookie leagues, he still threw
just 7 1/3 innings, with much poorer results. His ERA and
WHIP ballooned to 8.59 and 2.32, respectively, and he was
getting hit hard, despite a good fastball. Pittsburgh did
not offer him a contract for his third season. Down but not
out, Patel returned home, determined to continue his
baseball career as the sport’s greatest Indian ambassador
by teaching the sport to young Indian boys.
Singh, on the other hand, has fared much better. He had
weaker numbers than Patel his first year with the GCL
Pirates, with a 5.84 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. But Singh
logged 12 1/3 innings, almost twice as much mound time
as Patel, and improved the following season, nearly
MILLION DOLLAR ARM. Million Dollar Arm, a film released last
month, tells the true story of the discovery of two promising Indian base-
ball talents: Rinku Singh (left) and Dinesh Patel. The film shares its name
with an Indian reality show that offered $100,000 to anyone who could
throw the most strikes over 85 miles per hour (MPH) in a 20-pitch se-
quence, with the winner given a chance at a prize of a million dollars if he
could throw three consecutive strikes at 90 MPH or higher. The film cul-
minates with the two players earning contracts with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The actual ending of the story remains unwritten, as one player has left
the American game, while the other still hopes to continue his quest to
pitch in the major leagues.
doubling his workload to 22 2/3 innings while dropping his
ERA and WHIP to a much stronger 2.38 and 1.28,
respectively. His development was further highlighted by
his promotion to the low-A State College Spikes.
In 2011, Singh played with four different minor-league
teams: the GCL Pirates and the Spikes, as well as the
Pirates’ Dominican Summer League affiliate and the
A-league West Virginia Power. Across those four leagues,
the Indian lefty threw 40 1/3 innings, maintaining a good
2.45 ERA and very strong 1.19 WHIP.
Singh returned to the Power in 2012, throwing 72
innings, almost as many as he had the previous three
seasons combined. He again showed a very good 3.00 ERA
and 1.25 WHIP to go along with 65 strikeouts and 18
walks, but his heavy workload was about to take its toll.
In addition to his work in the American minors, Singh
spent three winters in the Australian Baseball League,
logging another 45 innings between 2010 and 2012, in
addition to many workouts and training sessions. Still
AP Photo/Matt York, File
Mike Janes/Four Seam Images via AP Images
A
new to the unique rigors of pitching in baseball, Singh’s
arm couldn’t handle the strain.
Last year, Singh underwent Tommy John surgery, the
ligament-replacement procedure, followed by a second
surgery to remove a bone chip in his elbow, and he is not
expected to return to the field until 2015. Recovery from
any surgery is a challenge for a professional athlete,
particularly arm surgery for a major-league pitcher, but
Singh has several factors in his favor.
First, recovery from Tommy John surgery has become
so common that he has a well-established path to health,
and many pitchers throw as well, or even better, when
they return. Second, Singh is a hard-throwing lefty (he
now reaches 92 MPH), a scarce commodity that teams are
always hungry for.
Third, Singh is determined to make good on the
expectations created by representing a country of 1.2
billion people, setting an example for Indian children and
every child worldwide.
Speaking about the movie recently, he said, “This story
isn’t done yet. There’s more to do to keep this story alive
and keep inspiring more young kids.”
Whether Singh ever makes it to the American major
leagues, he will remain a trailblazer and inspirational
figure, and he and Patel could bring even more Indian
talent to the increasingly international American pas-
time.
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