Want an example of how other teams waste their money instead of helping their teams? Check this story out->?
Question by Scooter_The_Christmas_Squirrel: Want an example of how other teams waste their money instead of helping their teams? Check this story out->?
(I suppose this is the Yankees fault too?)
Pittsburgh Pirates sign Indian reality show winners
Baseball has met the reality show, and the result is this bizarre story.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed two 19-year-old would-be pitchers (never mind that they never have pitched in an organized game before) who were training in the United States after winning a reality show in their native India.
The show was entitled ‘Million Dollar Arm’, and left-hander Rinku Singh and right-hander Dinesh Patel (pictured) won some cash and a chance to work with longtime progressive pitching coach Tom House, all on the dime of a sports management firm.
The idea was to get them a tryout, and after six months of rudimentary training, that’s what happened recently in Tempe, Az. Funny thing is, scouts from all 30 teams showed up, taking time out from watching Arizona Fall League games. Everybody in baseball is trying to tap new talent markets, but this is ridiculous. And talk about being desperate for pitching…
There are more than one billion people in India, but they play cricket there, not baseball. These two were javelin throwers in India, and have pitched a couple of times in scrimmages against junior college hitters. That’s it.
At first, they reportedly didn’t even know how to use baseball gloves to catch balls. One hit 90 mph on the radar gun, the other only 84 mph. Granted, House has had success working with everybody from Nolan Ryan to Mark Prior, but this is a stretch, to say the least.
And who bit on it but the Pittsburgh Pirates? There’s a reason why they haven’t had a winning season since 1992, in part because of a terrible track record of scouting and player development.
It’s one thing for everybody from Hollywood hottie Kim Kardashian to former NFL star Warren Sapp to take a few turns on the dance floor in front of millions of viewers. That’s entertainment, at least for some.
But when you’re giving contracts to crude and totally inexperienced pitchers who win a reality show, it smacks purely of a publicity stunt. Not that there’s anything wrong with a publicity stunt; but don’t try to legitimize it as anything else.
Best answer:
Answer by Blue Eyed Angel
Haha, you just made my day “I suppose this is the Yankees fault too?” hahaha, wow, that was your Christmas present to me =] Thanks!
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