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Monday, November 24, 2008

Pittsburgh Sign Indian Pitchers

Found on Yahoo! Japan: the Pirates have signed Indian pitchers Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh. EastWindupChronicle had a detailed report on Patel and Singh earlier in the month. The two signed minor league contracts and will participate in the Pirates’ minor league camp next year.

How do you tell your mom that you were signed by the Pirates?

If some player are considered “raw” who have already played baseball before, then what are these guys?

Steve Sparks Flying Everywhere Posted: November 24, 2008 at 10:54 PM | 46 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: international, pirates

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1. Gamingboy Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:14 PM (#3015134)

The Pirates need all the publicity they can get.

2. Crispix Attacks Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:20 PM (#3015138)

All right! I am eagerly waiting to see if the State College Spikes will have one or both of these Indian guys, and recent signing Mpho Ngoepe, on the team at the same time.

3. Harold Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:21 PM (#3015139)

This Indian dude I knew in college used to wear a Pirates hat. One day I asked him why he was a Pirates fan. He replied, "Oh, it stands for Pirates? I got the hat because P is for Punjab!"

The same dude also wore on occasion the Cleveland Indians' alternate jersey (the blue one with script "Indians" across it).

4. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:21 PM (#3015140)

Oh no! Indians sink Pirate ships!

5. scareduck Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:22 PM (#3015141)

Isn't that contractual interference?

6. Crispix Attacks Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:25 PM (#3015144)

How do you tell your mom that you were signed by the Pirates?

"Mom, I'm going to Somalia to seek my fortune!"

-- that article is amazing. A ship more than a thousand feet long, with cargo worth $100,000,000 - and exactly 25 people on the crew. I think shipping companies might be hiring a lot more people right now; streamlining the work force to the point where it can easily be overpowered by a few Somalian pirates should not be their main priority.

7. Alberto Gilardino Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:26 PM (#3015146)

Shooty, that is awesomely played. Made my day.

8. Alberto Gilardino Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:28 PM (#3015147)

How do you tell your mom that you were signed by the Pirates?

It does not matter. All mom wants to know is who will make chappattis in America for her son. Although, this does make it easier for her to find him a wife.

9. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:29 PM (#3015149)

"When Frederic was a little lad he proved so brave and daring,
His father thought he'd 'prentice him to some career seafaring.
I was, alas! his nurs'rymaid, and so it fell to my lot
To take and bind the promising boy apprentice to a pilot --
A life not bad for a hardy lad, though surely not a high lot,
Though I'm a nurse, you might do worse than make your boy a pilot.
I was a stupid nurs'rymaid, on breakers always steering,
And I did not catch the word aright, through being hard of hearing;
Mistaking my instructions, which within my brain did gyrate,
I took and bound this promising boy apprentice to a pirate.
A sad mistake it was to make and doom him to a vile lot.
I bound him to a pirate -- you! -- instead of to a pilot.
I soon found out, beyond all doubt, the scope of this disaster,
But I hadn't the face to return to my place, and break it to my master.
A nurs'rymaid is not afraid of what you people call work,
So I made up my mind to go as a kind of piratical maid- of-all-work.
And that is how you find me now, a member of your shy lot,
Which you wouldn't have found, had he been bound apprentice to a pilot."

10. scotto Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:38 PM (#3015156)

All mom wants to know is who will make chappattis in America for her son.

His pappadum, so he don't care.

11. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:39 PM (#3015157)

Looking at this more seriously for a second, I like the idea. It gives the Pirates a foothold in a relatively untapped talent market, it opens up potential avenues for merchandising, and there's always the chance that one of these guys can actually pitch.

12. Heinie Mantush (Krusty) Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:45 PM (#3015164)

I misread this headline as the Pirates having signed former Cleveland Indians pitchers.

13. WTM Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:48 PM (#3015166)

FWIW, Huntington is saying the team is interested but hasn't signed either guy.

If they do sign, at least they won't need to change their names to Jason and Brett and take diction lessons.

14. rlc Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:54 PM (#3015170)

His pappadum, so he don't care.

Your jokes are second to nan.

15. Miko Supports Shane's Spam Habit Posted: November 24, 2008 at 11:59 PM (#3015174)

This Indian dude I knew in college used to wear a Pirates hat. One day I asked him why he was a Pirates fan. He replied, "Oh, it stands for Pirates? I got the hat because P is for Punjab!"

I wonder what percentage of Pirates caps sell due to mistakes like this?

I once worked in a lab in Boston; a Russian post-doc showed up in a nifty Pirates alternate cap. I asked him if he liked the Pirates and he pointed to it and said, "Patriots."

16. Dock Ellis on Acid

Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:02 AM (#3015175)

I misread this headline as the Pirates having signed former Cleveland Indians pitchers.

Red dot Cleveland Indians or feathered Cleveland Indians?

17. Babe Adams Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:04 AM (#3015176)

Elderly Indianans confuse them with Purdue hats.

Indianans.

18. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:04 AM (#3015177)

"I wonder what percentage of Pirates caps sell due to mistakes like this?"

Chuck D used to move a lot of product, that's for sure.

19. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:05 AM (#3015178)

"FWIW, Huntington is saying the team is interested but hasn't signed either guy."

According to Jennifer Langosch, it's a done deal.

20. vortex of dissipation Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:11 AM (#3015179)

According to Jennifer Langosch, it's a done deal.

Singh and Patel are the first Indian-born players to sign a professional sports contract outside of their home country.

I'm assuming by that she means baseball, not any professional sport. After all, Narain Karthikeyan drove for Jordan, an Irish team, in Formula One.

21. WTM Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:15 AM (#3015184)

Both Singh and Patel learned English by watching Baseball Tonight

I suppose it's better than learning English grammar by reading Peter Gammons.

22. Dock Ellis on Acid

Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:19 AM (#3015185)

Both Singh and Patel learned English by watching Baseball Tonight

Not the Wide World of Sports?

23. JMM Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:24 AM (#3015190)

Red dot Cleveland Indians or feathered Cleveland Indians?

I believe the preferred terms are slurpee Cleveland Indians or casino Cleveland Indians.

24. TerpNats Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:25 AM (#3015191)

I once worked in a lab in Boston; a Russian post-doc showed up in a nifty Pirates alternate cap. I asked him if he liked the Pirates and he pointed to it and said, "Patriots."

I'm guessing the guy had some sort of color-blindness. I could see where someone with no American sports background might think a Phillies cap had something to do with the Patriots...

25. scotto Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:37 AM (#3015194)

Your jokes are second to nan.

I know, my joke was pretty poori.

Crap, now I want some pooris to go with the chicken curry in my freezer.

26. Quinton McCracken's BFF Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:43 AM (#3015197)

I thought Bryan Bullington

27. Tom Nawrocki Posted: November 25, 2008 at 12:59 AM (#3015208)

I misread this headline as the Pirates having signed former Cleveland Indians pitchers.

I figured the Carlisle Indian School was back in business. It was only about 200 miles from Pittsburgh.

28. pthomas Posted: November 25, 2008 at 01:03 AM (#3015211)

And the Indian Cricket Primer is ablaze with conjecture!!!!

Since India is reluctant to use two spinners at the same time I guess the 12th man would be Harbajan Singh. But after looking at his recent performances, it looks like he's gonna be their 2nd option after Powar. Anyways I think they'll switch Harbajan and Powar in and out.

What do you think India's future lineup in the pathetic non-world cup tournaments is gonna look like?

1. Uthappa
2. Gambhir
3. Manoj Tiwari (Bengal/ 2nd highest in ranji) (+ fielding)
4. Rohit sharma (Mumbai_ new tendulkar??) (+ fielding)
5. Yuvraj (Captain)
6. Joginder Sharma (Haryana_Best allrounder in the country)
7. Dinesh Karthik (U can depend) (Vice Captain)
8. Romesh Power (consistent)
9. Zaheer Khan
10. Munaf Patel
11. Ranadeb Bose (Highest wicket taker in Ranji &Deodhar;)
12. C. A. Pujara (Saurashtra)
13. S. Badrinath (TN)
14. Rajesh Powar (Baroda_Left arm Spinner)
15. R. P Singh (UP)

29. vortex of dissipation Posted: November 25, 2008 at 01:03 AM (#3015212)

Well, they could have signed Bobby Madritsch.

30. Tim Stauffer, Trot Nixon's Coming (Dan Lee) Posted: November 25, 2008 at 01:07 AM (#3015213)

Singh and Patel are the first Indian-born players to sign a professional sports contract outside of their home country.

Baichung Bhutia played professional soccer in England for a few years. I'm pretty sure that between him and Karthikeyan, that claim is demonstrably false.

31. xbhaskarx Posted: November 25, 2008 at 01:21 AM (#3015217)

What are you cracking on DAWG.

32. Richard Posted: November 25, 2008 at 01:52 AM (#3015226)

Baichung Bhutia played professional soccer in England for a few years. I'm pretty sure that between him and Karthikeyan, that claim is demonstrably false.

And dozens of Indians, if not hundreds, have played professional cricket in England for English county sides.

33. phredbird

Posted: November 25, 2008 at 02:00 AM (#3015231)

31, that link is awesome!

gazab indeed!!!!

34. Quinton McCracken's BFF Posted: November 25, 2008 at 02:19 AM (#3015236)

Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh Go to White Castle

35. Randy Jones

Posted: November 25, 2008 at 02:25 AM (#3015237)

Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh Go to White Castle

Deadspin beat you to that joke.

36. rlc Posted: November 25, 2008 at 02:47 AM (#3015249)

I know, my joke was pretty poori.

Hey, we all need a dosa humour now and then.

37. Orangepeel Posted: November 25, 2008 at 03:50 AM (#3015277)

Eh, I guess I'll just have to be number three.

38. fret Posted: November 25, 2008 at 04:19 AM (#3015290)

We went with JB sir to breakfast at a great American breakfast eatery called Dennys. Rinku ordered a breakfast aclled the Lumberjack. We now know that a Lumberjack is a person who works as a tree cutter in the forrest so they must eat a lot of food. this breakfast was quite huge. It had eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, potatos, breads, and pancakes. I [Dinesh] had French Toast and both meals were very fulfilling.

We then went to a movie that was very bad called Rock and Rolla. it was supposed to be big action, but it was no action at all. At least the seats were very comfortable and the theater was very clean.

http://www.themilliondollararm.com/blog/?p=281

39. Heinie Mantush (Krusty) Posted: November 25, 2008 at 04:23 AM (#3015292)

Both Singh and Patel learned English by watching Baseball Tonight

Not the Wide World of Sports?

I'd rather they learned by listening to this : http://www.thebaseballproject.com/

40. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: November 25, 2008 at 05:47 AM (#3015310)

Elderly Indianans confuse them with Purdue hats.

Indianans.

Indianans exist only in the minds of out-of-state newspaper headline writers. No resident would ever call himself an Indianan.

41. Jeff K. Posted: November 25, 2008 at 06:02 AM (#3015313)

But are they belly itchers?

Or, does this mean when they give out a free pass to first, they take it back?

42. Earvin 'Gold Stars' Johnson Posted: November 25, 2008 at 06:04 AM (#3015314)

Indianans exist only in the minds of out-of-state newspaper headline writers. No resident would ever call himself an Indianan.
Indianites? Indianers? Indianicians!

43. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: November 25, 2008 at 06:09 AM (#3015315)

Indianites? Indianers? Indianicians!

Hoosiers. That is the only acceptable name.

44. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: November 25, 2008 at 03:31 PM (#3015404)

If some player are considered “raw” who have already played baseball before, then what are these guys?

Amniotic.

45. zonk Posted: November 25, 2008 at 03:41 PM (#3015407)

Joking aside, this isn't a bad idea by the Pirates at all.

India has an enormous population, and while it's not a baseball hotbed by any stretch -- you'd be hard-pressed to find a skill set in another sport that more closely aligns to baseball than cricket. If this was a one-time publicity stunt, then it's probably a waste, but if the Pirates were to expand upon this 'splash', I would think it could pay off at some point.

46. Harris Posted: December 21, 2008 at 03:14 PM (#3035167)

I just watched the ESPN OTL on these two. Nice piece. Makes you wanna root for the two of them. I doubt they'll make it, unless done as a publicity deal, but playing MiLB appears to be better than what they had to go back to in India (at least that's the way it was displayed). While I imagine they still hope to make the majors, I imagine they might be the happiest career AA pitchers ever, if that's their fate.

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Monday, November 24, 2008

Pittsburgh Sign Indian Pitchers

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