"He was an absolute pleasure to have on board," Harris said. Six years ago, Singh threw a baseball 87 mph in a "Million Dollar Arm" contest to win $100,000 and a trip to the United States to pursue a professional career as a pitcher. He is considering writing a book about his journey and isn't quite ready to shut the door on his playing career. What do you dream of?”, The answer was sobering: “No dreams, sir.”, “There, you either go into the military or spend your life working on the farm,” Ciardi says. [7][8] Singh said that most of his family did not agree with his decision to go to the United States. “We heard they were javelin throwers and were trying to figure it out. “If it would have been about swimming, I wouldn’t have done it. A lot of changes happened.”. But the grind of physical rehabilitation and injury setbacks, coupled with not seeing his family for two years, took an emotional toll. More than 35,000 contestants tried out, hoping to win a cash prize and a trip to America to learn the sport of baseball. Eight years after Singh made international headlines by signing a baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 28-year-old native of India finds himself at a crossroads in his career and life. What’s also mind-blowing is that, following a long dinner that alternates between movie talk and baseball talk, the shuttle van is picking us up at 5:15 a.m. for our Hollywood debut. It’s right where you need that spark for someone to believe there’s another option than doing what your dad did or, if you’re really lucky, getting into the army and having a predetermined life. "He was always the one who would stand up to bullies," Bernstein said. No offense, but Million Dollar Fins wouldn’t have done it for me.”. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on All Movies and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Both Singh, who won the competition, and runner-up Dinesh Patel were javelin throwers and Olympic hopefuls from a sports academy in the city of Lucknow. Noticeably absent were the television cameras and media that often follow athletes as they make the rounds. “They still didn’t have the baseball sense. “Because there are examples in society of people who have done those things. And one of them said, ‘Aw, my arm is tired, sir.’”. Growing up in St. Louis, his best friend was Ted Simmons’ son. Confirm. During his American adventure, he ate Indian food with Barry Bonds, met soccer star Ronaldinho and visited the White House with Singh and presented a jersey to President Barack Obama with his name on the back. The home had electricity but relied on well water. He admits that he cried at the end. You think acting is easy? Dinesh Patel started with the Gulf Coast League Pirates as a 20-year-old in 2009. Singh grew up in a rural village near the Ganges River in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. [5][6], After winning the contest, Singh and runner-up Dinesh Patel travelled to Los Angeles where they trained with University of Southern California pitching coach Tom House, who trained pitchers such as Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson. Fresh squeezed lemonade!). In December 2008, the Mandts began a collaboration with producers Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray and Joe Roth. Pickoffs and all that stuff.’ So I was like, ‘All right.’ And we helped them out.”. In early 2008, Singh entered an Indian reality television show The Million Dollar Arm. They work diligently, say "sir" a lot and are relentlessly upbeat even though the odds of success are stacked hopelessly against them. He was a catcher and an outfielder on his high school team and, at 43, he remains an active catcher in a men’s Sunday morning hardball league. The conversation turns back to what we in this country take for granted, one of the inalienable rights of any child: the wide-open notion of what he or she wants to be when he or she grows up, anything from the president of the United States to, yes, an honest-to-goodness major league baseball player. This is a different type of sports story. He did pitch well in 2011 and '12 at Class A West Virginia, three levels below the major leagues, posting a 3.03 ERA with 78 strikeouts and 25 walks in 51 games out of the bullpen. He signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and dutifully worked his way through the minors while embracing numerous American traditions. Cynics viewed Bernstein's reality show idea as a gimmick -- the baseball equivalent of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" -- but its plot line resonated with millions of fans who followed the exploits of Singh and Patel back home in India. Another wardrobe specialist stops by at one point to straighten my collar. The two young pitchers are easy to root for as a couple of fastball-flinging needles in a haystack. Don't be afraid of doing something new. Rinku Singh Rajput (born 8 August 1988) is an Indian professional wrestler and former professional baseball player currently signed with WWE and performs on their NXT brand under the ring name Rinku. The two winners, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Kumar Patel, were both former javelin throwers. "If you're willing to give 110 percent on a daily basis, it doesn't matter how you feel. No way. “Everything they say, it’s ‘sir’ at the end of it. So without further ado, I present to you…the pride of India.”. Tilapia! “So, to get this opportunity, it’s like going to the moon.”. Now as Million Dollar Arm begins to gear up for its third season this fall, the team in charge is looking to make a few changes. While modest by American standards, Singh describes his upbringing as middle class, and he recalls joining his family in donating food to the homeless as a child. The Yankees and Rays hate each other, and for the first time the rivalry is spilling over into the postseason. “As long as I stay in America, I’m going to keep going no matter what. "At some point in life, people need to reset the button, and I think that's where I am at.". And Rinku is still chasing that dream, determined—just like Jose Fernandez, Matt Harvey and many others—to overcome Tommy John surgery in order to pitch again. Thank you! “He’s so interesting. Some of them are trained to snatch purses and scamper up a hill and then sit there, holding the purse hostage, while their handler negotiates a “fair exchange” of money (for the handler) and bananas (for, well, you know) with the perplexed, ripped-off, now-purseless people. 'Million Dollar Arm' pitcher recovering from $20,000 surgery. [3] He was a junior national javelin medalist. From the beginning there was an element of, 'There's no turning back now. They felt comfortable opening up to him, and he did it for the right reasons.". "If you're afraid to be challenged, then you can't have success," Singh said. How do you like that, you #$%@@&!!”. I’ll come in to work and they’re like, ‘What are you doing?’ It’s why I wear long-sleeve shirts.”, He refers to the “infectious nature” of the Million Dollar Arm story and says he keeps “coming back to the fact that this actually happened. "This organization has totally changed me," Singh said. But they honed their skills under the guidance of former big-leaguer-turned-pitching-guru Tom House in California and showed enough promise in a tryout to land modest bonuses with the Pirates. For him, it's a core belief, and he's determined to use his story to motivate people everywhere. He was always the one willing to make whatever sacrifice necessary to help somebody else.". We did at least 32 takes of that scene alone. And while I'm at it, it seems pretty accurate to the actual events. "He's been actively seeking these opportunities and actively contributing his time and energy," said Vasudevan, who became a close friend and advisor to Singh. He has over two decades of experience covering MLB, including 14 years as a national baseball columnist at CBSSports.com. This story isn't done yet. NBA Rumors: Portland Trail Blazers’ Mo Williams to opt out, 5 surprises from the Batman v Superman cast on Conan, Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 Episode 9: Live stream, start time, and more, Kanye West's 'The Life of Pablo' will stream beyond Tidal, Best TV Actors and Actresses from Each State, Back to the Future Trilogy: Top 30 Vehicles, 50 Most Heartbreaking Moments from the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Ranking the 67 Best Characters, Ranking All 50 Episodes of Game of Thrones, 50 Biggest WTF Moments in Star Wars History. He integrated very, very well down here.". By the age of 22, Singh had advanced to Class A ball with the Pirates affiliate, the West Virginia Power. Looking for his next project, Hamm wanted a good story to tell, and Tom McCarthy’s script for Million Dollar Arm hooked him. Singh turned to the costumed sport a few years back, and earlier this week made his television debut with NXT -- basically the Minor Leagues of the WWE. "It solved my financial problems. In the end, Rinku and Dinesh are not the only two to learn a few things. The show sought to tap into India's millions of young cricket bowlers to find the most promising pitching prospects. When you think about it, Rinku Singh -- the winner of the Indian game show and inspiration for the film "Million Dollar Arm" -- had a pretty amazing baseball career. As it turned out, the top two finishers weren't cricketers at all. "That was like new energy for me, knowing [the Pirates] have got my back," Singh said. This purchase is not refundable after you click on the “Confirm” button below. Singh's motivation to play baseball was initially just to provide a better life for his family. The story chronicles the career of agent J.B. Bernstein and his quest to regain status as a respected Los Angeles sports representative. "It was not about him.". He was the first Indian to play professional baseball and spent several seasons in the minor leagues, reaching the Single-A level. “It’s not about the big game and whether you win,” Ciardi says. On 4 July 2009, Singh became the first Indian citizen to appear in a professional baseball game in the US. Protein bars! “I wish I’d have had a little more time to hang with Tom House,” Paxton says. Perfect throughout. Of course, when you speak the same language... “I love baseball,” he says back in Atlanta last summer. Like Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez and so many other All-Stars/household names, Singh is dealing with the emotional and physical fallout of an ulnar collateral ligament tear. That's his ultimate goal, even as he attends movie screenings, fields interview requests and hangs out with Jon Hamm, the Hollywood star and devout St. Louis Cardinals fan. Singh is still with the Pirates, having not pitched in 2013, and is working towards progressing through the system to his goal of reaching the major leagues. As a right-hander with mid-80s velocity, he simply lacked the upside to justify the organization keeping him around. I can see why. Singh was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization after he won a pitching contest on a 2008 reality television show The Million Dollar Arm. Now, he's poised, confident and worldly, and multinational companies hire him as a motivational speaker to share his experiences with executives and employees. In 2012, he pitched in a career-high 39 games for the Power, throwing 72 innings, earning a 3–1 win-loss record and striking out 65 batters. Watch Million Dollar Arm on Now Player. He pitched the seventh inning, while Dinesh Patel pitched the eighth inning. ", 'Million Dollar Arm' pitcher makes impact beyond baseball, Epstein talks about transition in role with Cubs, Umpire suing MLB assigned to Dodgers-Padres, Rays get OF Meadows (oblique) back for ALDS, Sources: Padres' Clevinger could return in NLDS, SCOTUS: Case to up minor league pay can go on, Ex-pitcher Haeger, sought in murder, found dead, MLB Playoffs Power Rankings: Reseeding the eight remaining teams as division series begin, MLB Playoffs Daily: Astros, A's, Yankees, Rays ready to get cranking again, Breaking down all the bad blood in the four division series, Why Yankees-Rays ALDS could be the series of the MLB playoffs, Betts, Tatis, Kershaw, Machado -- oh my! This is the only reason I was staying away from friends and family, one reason. From 'Million Dollar Arm' ... to pro wrestler.