India-born Pirates farmhand gets win in Lakeland

By The Associated Press
Published: July 14, 2009

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LAKELAND --

Pittsburgh Pirates farmhand and reality show contestant Rinku Singh earned his first win Monday in the second game of a Gulf Coast League doubleheader.

Singh, who plays for the Pirates' Bradenton-based affiliate, struck out the only batter he faced in a 10-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers' affiliate in Lakeland. He is believed to be the first India-born player to win a professional baseball game in the United States.

Singh and Dinesh Patel were signed by the Pirates last fall after appearing on an Indian reality TV show called "Million Dollar Arm" that drew about 30,000 contestants in a country where baseball is almost unknown. The show sought to find athletes who could throw strikes at 85 mph.

Singh and Patel made their professional debuts July 4.

The Gulf Coast League is a 16-team rookie league based in Florida.