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Post ID	Date & Time	Game Date	Function
#48416	04/27/2017 7:45:20 am
admin Joined: 01/27/2010 Posts: 5024 Administrator	One in a billion: Gift Ngoepe, MLB's first African-born player, singles in debut By Stephen J. Nesbitt / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette When rookie infielder Gift Ngoepe ran toward second base at PNC Park in the fourth inning Wednesday to make his Pirates debut, becoming the first African-born player to play in the major leagues, catcher Francisco Cervelli smiled and put his hand over Ngoepe’s heart. “This is what we live for this moment,” Cervelli told him. Before the game, Ngoepe, the 27-year-old prospect from South Africa promoted earlier in the day, guessed he’d cry when manager Clint Hurdle signaled from him to enter. He didn’t wait long. And he didn’t cry. “I was holding it back,” he said. “I was like, you’re in the big leagues, you’ve got to be a big guy.” In his first at-bat, Ngoepe singled off the Chicago Cubs’ Jon Lester. He rounded first base, clapped his hands, and hugged first-base coach Kimera Bartee, who witnessed much of Ngoepe’s rise in the minors . The Pirates dugout went wild, screaming, “For the motherland!” “I thought about where I’ve come from, and what I’ve been through,” Ngoepe said. “All the struggles of the minor leagues, 8½ years, and then finally being here at this moment.” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo rolled the baseball toward the Pirates dugout for a first-hit keepsake. Gerrit Cole scooped the ball and pretended to toss it into the crowd. As teammates rushed to recover the ball, it bounced off the new netting behind the dugout and back to Cole, who laughed at his dastardly deed. Rizzo congratulated Ngoepe, who barely heard him. “Rizzo is talking to me,” Ngoepe said, “I’m like, ‘I’ve got to focus, Rizzo!’ “ Ngoepe, a popular player in the Pirates farm system since he signed in 2008, later helped shortstop Jordy Mercer turn the game-ending double play in the Pirates’ 6-5 win. During the game, Hurdle said, “Jordy just kept telling everybody [Ngoepe] is representing 1.62 billion people.” The number really is closer to 1.216 billion, according to United Nations estimates, but chalk it up to sabermetric error and listen in on a conversation Mercer recalled having with Ngoepe. “Do you realize you’re one of one?” Mercer asked. “How many people live in Africa?” Ngoepe said something higher than 1 billion. Mercer shook his head. “You realize you’re one of that?” Mercer said. “That’s special. That’s really, really special.” After the game, Mercer explained this debut felt a little different than most others. “Guys get called up all the time, and it’s special, but this is just different,” Mercer joked. “He’s from Africa. Come on. He lives with giraffes and lions. Let’s go!”
#48549	04/30/2017 4:01:33 pm		Ignore
JJNZ Joined: 12/09/2014 Posts: 1601 Yakima Monster III.3	Being from outside the States I found this to be a fascinating article. I watched 'Million Dollar Arm' last night, I'd not heard of it previously, again it intrigued me. Baseball isn't pushed at all here in NZ, cricket is our main summer game, but there are definitely guys I've played with over the years who I'm sure would go a long way if baseball was a bigger thing over here.
#48558	04/30/2017 6:24:36 pm		Ignore
Seca Joined: 05/05/2014 Posts: 5227 Waterloo Dinosaurs Legends	Ya. I had missed it too. Assumed it was b/c I follow an AL team. Appreciate the heads up. And ya, I immediately thought of Million Dollar Arm as well.

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