Last evening we prepare dinner and UPS truck arrive with box from Pirates.

in box we surprised to see many things for us to wear.  We received Pirates Uniforms and Pirates shirts, and Pirates shorts, and very warm Pirates Jacket.  In box also big book on all information Pirates, and a DVD with highlights of Pirates PNC Park and many big players playing baseball for Pirates. 

We learn about Roberto Clemente, first Spanish player on Piartes get 3000 hits.  Barry Bonds play Pirates.  Many good players.

We are very proud to be putting on our first Pirate uniform.  We learn much about the team and Pittsburgh and think that we work very hard and someday help Pirates win World Series.

When we put on jersey it was first time since we win contest that this journey not feel like dream,  it feel like I wake best dream, find it to be true.

Thanks to Pirates for the box of gifts - we will wear them with great pride. 

Thanks to our families and fans back in India.  We are thinking of you always in our hearts.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all our countrymen during these dreadful attacks.

We are just watching on the news here in USA and realize that it is a bad situation.

Thanks to God that our families are very far from where the killings are, but still as indian men we feel very bad.  If not for contest we would be in india, and maybe in Army right now fighting terrorist in Mumbai.

please join us in praying for this situation to end now and for peace to return to Mumbai streets.

 

Rinku & Dinesh

Since news of signing with Pittsburgh Pirates, Riknu and I saying many interviews. 

We like talk with reporter and see they write about us, but we always hoping that reporter would be talking slower so it is more easy for us to understand.  I am think that we are sounding bad, but JB, sir says we are doing good job of talking.  We practiced for 2 hours with JB, Sir tonight. 

Depend when Pittsburgh Pirates want us to spring training, we maybe have a chance to go home our villages.  We miss our families, but nothing must come before building our pitching skills.

We realize many young boy in India now watch us and cheer for us.  We want to work hard all the time to make sure we make our country proud.

 

Special blog from both Rinku and Dinesh…  On November 24, 2008, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Kumar Patel made Indian Sports History becoming the first athletes from that country to sign professional sports contracts here in the USA.

 

 

Monday our greatest dream is coming to us.  We both get contract to play pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  We are so happy and excited it is unreal.  

We are thanking the Pittsburgh Pirates and will work very hard to make them proud of our results.

 

We right away went to the internet to locate Pittsburgh on map.  It is in north east part of USA and looks like very good city.  First we go Florida which is the south east part of USA.  We train there with all other Pittsburgh Pirates teammates and live there too.

 

We hope this day gives all Indian boys and girls the thought for them to reach their dreams.  If you work hard your dream can be true and we feel there are many more in India like us who if they get chance can also do.

 

Thanks from Rinku and Dinesh to Pittsburgh Pirates and Mr. Neil Huntington, Sir and Mr. Bryan Minniti, Sir.  We hope to pitch for you soon and we not let you down. 

 

We also thanking Coach Tom and all coaches and players at USC, Our Catcher Roberto, JB, Sir (Baap), Jeff, Sir and all people in his office, Ash, Sir, Neil, sir, Bob, sir and all reporter that talk to us and write about us.

 

JB sir explained to us today about the mind tricking us.  He say that brain trick body to do bad sometimes.  What we have to do is learn to say no to our brains and tell our arms to just throw.  We need no excuses in our mind.  Just do our best and rewards will come. 

He ask us what we would do if we were throwing Javelin against man who throw farther than our best throw…  We then realize that we trick our body to think we can do better than our best to beat other man.   That was good way to show us and we understand much better now.

We want to pitch very good.  We are working so hard and we are told that we may sign contract next week.  When that is true it will be the best day of our lives!

 

Rinku and I pitched once again on Friday for two more teams.

This is a very strange process indeed.  It seems that a few teams have some interest in offering us contract, but until it is in writing we do not want to get our hopes up.  We know we can pitch better than we have showed so we hope we get a chance.

We hope to hear something this week so we can return to india with a triumphant manner.

There are very big fires going around the area where we live.  It is looking very different with all the smoke and ashes in the air.  JB Sir had his car wahsed and was surprised the next morning to find it covered with soot.  It is very bad and many people are losing their homes.  We wish everyone who is hurt by fires a speedy recovery.

Today Dinesh and I got to pitch for scouts a second time.  I think this time was even more nervous than Arizona.

Dinesh throw very good.  fastball 90 to 91 and good curveball.  I also throw better than Arizona, but still not my best.  We hope scouts give us chance to play. 

It is very hard job to get as baseball pitcher.  All we can do is work hard and keep picthing when they tell us.

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 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.

Wednesday we will throw at USC for more scouts.  We are ready and this time we will show our full power. 

 

From Rinku - We were very excited before the workout.  We warmed up inside in a netting and I feel very good.  I think I throw 90 MPH with good control.  Then we went outside…   The mound dirt was loose and my foot was falling each time I throw.  Coaches and scouts say I do good, but I can do much harder pitches.  There were many scouts there and we were grateful for them to journey to Arizona to watch our try outs.

From Dinesh - I too was very excited and feeling very strong and confident.  Inside I think I pitched at 91 - 92 MPH I think also with good control.  Outside was very bad.  I pitched first and my first throw had my foot slipping because the dirt of the mound was loose.  I tell Coach Tom but he say I have t o pitch, so I pitch.  The slip make me throw slower and not so accurate.  I feel like scouts not see my best, but I sure I can pitch much better than I show.

 

 

 

Dinesh and I took a plane trip with JB sir to Arizona.  Arizona ia very clean part of US.  It is very hot in day and in night very cold.

Today we met Mark sir from ESPN and he spent many time interviewing us today for TV program.  It was first time Dinesh and I have to do big talking in English.  Pitching is hard, but for us media is even harder.

After practice and interview JB sir took us to his friend’s company where they make many toys.  In India we do not have toys like this for children.  It was amazing to see how they make the toys to look exactly like a person.  Then Todd sir showed us his computer which seemed like magic to us.  He had a special pen to draw on his computer and then he changed the sizes and colors.  It was unreal.  He is a very nice man and wished us both success.  He also gave us some prizes of toys to take back with us.  Dinesh got a Kevin Youklis statue as that is his favorte player.  I got Matrix statue.  We alslo got special books from Todd sir that he draw himself. 

We had a fun day, but we are both very excited about try outs tomorrow.

We hope to make our families and country proud.