Pitcher Perfect

Singh and Dinesh Patel, both 19, pitched in front of some 30 Major League Baseball scouts on Thursday at a Tempe sports clinic. The tryout was among their rewards for winning an Indian reality TV show called 8220;The Million Dollar Arm,8221; organised by a California sports management firm and drawing more than 30,000 contestants. The rules were simple: Pick up a baseball and throw it as hard as you can.

They have spent the last six months training with University of Southern California pitching coach Tom House in Los Angeles. 8220;They8217;ve pitched against a handful of junior college competition,8221; House said, and spent the rest of the time preparing for their once-in-a-lifetime chance to throw in front of big league scouts.

8220;I don8217;t know if your bosses made you be here, but I8217;m glad you8217;re here,8221; House, a former big leaguer, told the scouts. 8220;Think of them as two Dominican kids. They8217;re very raw. But I think this has a huge upside.8221;

When a scout asked how the teens had adjusted to life in the US, House replied, 8220;They hold their own. They speak just enough English to be dangerous. They8217;re kind of shy, but they get it.8221;

Neither Singh nor Patel had ever left their respective villages before coming to the States, according to their interpreter, Ash Vasudevan. But while both were understandably nervous on Thursday, neither seemed overwhelmed by the tryout. Both Singh and Patel said they have competed in the javelin.

Landing an agent

The short, stocky Patel hit 90 mph on the radar gun during a 30-pitch stint. Singh was clocked at 84 mph. Singh and Patel threw mostly fastballs, mixing in a handful of breaking pitches. Most of their deliveries were right around the plate, although Patel uncorked one pitch that whizzed past the screen as the scouts flinched and ducked.

8220;I8217;m confident,8221; Patel said through his interpreter. 8220;I think I have a real shot.8221;

Singh and Patel may not be stars yet. But they have a prominent agent 8212; Jeff Borris, who said he decided to represent them after watching a workout at USC. 8220;I was somewhat of a disbeliever at first, but I had an open mind,8221; Borris said. 8220;When you think of it, with a billion people in India, the odds are that someone can throw a baseball hard enough to make the big leagues.8221;

Indian-born pitchers may be the ultimate niche market, and Borris said he expects to field 8220;multiple offers.8221; Ten minutes after the workout, Borris was already making his pitch through the media, noting that Singh and Patel have 8220;hardly any wear on their arms. No one8217;s saying they8217;re going to pitch in the big leagues in 2009, but with the proper development, maybe three, four years,8221; Borris said. 8220;I just wanted them to show promise, throw hard, show their athleticism. I8217;ve signed guys who are a lot worse. Pitching8217;s pretty thin.8221;

For now, the only Indians in Major League Baseball play in Cleveland. It is not believed that India has ever produced a major leaguer. Will Singh or Patel be the first?

8220;I didn8217;t know what to expect,8221; said Ron Schueler, a senior scout with the San Francisco Giants. 8220;You8217;ve got two athletes who had never picked up a baseball before. Obviously, they8217;re very crude. The fact that the one kid touched 90, that8217;s stuff to work with. Their country should be proud of them,8221; Schueler added.