>GreenC bot at 15:37, 16 April 2021

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{{short description|Indian right-handed baseball pitcher (born 1989)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name=Dinesh Patel
| image=
| image_size =
| position=[[Pitcher]]
| team=
| number=
| bats=Right
| throws=Right
| birth_date={{Birth date and age|df=yes|1989|5|8}}
| birth_place=[[Lucknow, India]]
| debutleague = MLB
| debutdate=
| debutyear=
| debutteam=
| statyear=
| statleague = MLB
| stat1label=
| stat1value=
|teams=
}}

'''Dinesh Kumar Patel''' (born 8 May 1989, in [[Lucknow, India|Lucknow]], [[India]]) is an [[India]]n right-handed baseball pitcher who played in the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] organization. Along with [[Rinku Singh]], he was the first Indian player ever to sign a contract with a major [[United States|American]] baseball team. Neither Patel nor Singh had ever thrown a baseball before beating over 37,000 competitors in [[J. B. Bernstein#Reality contest|''The Million Dollar Arm'']], an Indian [[reality television]] show designed to find new baseball talent.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vercammen|first=Paul|title=Indian pitchers are first for America's national pastime|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/11/india.baseball.pioneers/|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=11 December 2008|accessdate=9 April 2012}}</ref>

==Early life==
Due to [[extreme poverty]] and inability to meet the expenses of raising a child, Patel's parents had left him to be raised by his maternal grandmother in Khanpur, a village of [[Varanasi district]].<ref name="Dinesh">{{cite news|title=A journey from Penury to Pittsburgh|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-05/varanasi/31293182_1_sports-hostel-talent-hunt-outdoor-games|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228005444/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-05/varanasi/31293182_1_sports-hostel-talent-hunt-outdoor-games|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 December 2013|date=5 April 2012|last=Chandra|work=[[The Times of India]]|first=Swati}}</ref> At the age of 14, he started visiting [[Sampurnanand Stadium]] in [[Sigra (Varanasi)|Sigra]] where he met athletes and trained himself to play [[field hockey]]. In 2004, he was selected for a regional sports hostel in [[Lucknow]].<ref name="Dinesh"/> Patel won a gold medal in field hockey at the National School Games at [[Pune]] in 2006.<ref name="Varanasi">{{cite web|title=Baseball dream ends but 23-yr-old Varanasi youth returns a winner|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/baseball-dream-ends-but-23yrold-varanasi-youth-returns-a-winner/928720/0|date=26 March 2012|last=Shah|first=Wajiha}}</ref>

He is an alumnus of the [[Guru Gobind Singh Sports College, Lucknow]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}

==Professional baseball career==
Patel, along with Singh, tried out in front of scouts from 20 [[Major League Baseball]] teams in November 2008, reaching 90 miles per hour throwing a baseball.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-bbn-pirates-million-dollar-arm-112408-2008nov24-story.html | title=Pirates sign Indian _ not Cleveland _ pitchers | date=24 November 2008 | newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune | accessdate=25 February 2019 }}</ref><ref name="mlb">{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081124&content_id=3691650&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp|title=Indian hurlers' inking opens new market|last=Langosch|first=Jenifer |date=25 November 2008|publisher=MLB.com|accessdate=15 February 2009}}</ref> Reports from [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] scouts Joe Ferrone and Sean Campbell led to general manager [[Neal Huntington]] signing both to contracts with the organization. With the deal, the pair became the first Indians to sign American major league baseball contracts.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/11/india.baseball.pioneers/index.html|title= Indian pitchers are first for America's national pastime|last=Vercammen|first=Paul |date=11 December 2008|work=CNN|accessdate=15 February 2009}}</ref><ref name="fan">{{cite web|url=http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/11/05/international-pastime-pitcher-is-latest-american-job-to-be-outs/#cont|title=International Pastime: Pitcher Is Latest American Job to Be Outsourced to India|last=Fornelli|first=Tom|date=5 November 2008|publisher=Fanhouse|accessdate=15 February 2009}}</ref> The total [[signing bonus]] for the two was $8,000.<ref name="Bradenton">{{cite news|title=The Bradenton Pirates: They are the world|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/pirates/the-bradenton-pirates-they-are-the-world-348904/?print=1|last=Kovacevic|first=Dejan|date=10 July 2009|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}</ref> After training, the two returned to visit their families in India before entering Pirates training camp in [[Bradenton, Florida]].<ref name="mlb"/>

Patel, along with Singh, played for the Pirates' [[Gulf Coast League Pirates|Gulf Coast League team]].<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/pirates/2009-03-03-pirates-india_N.htm|title=Pirates pitching imports from India are a work in progress|last=White|first=Paul|date=4 March 2009|publisher=[[USA Today]]|accessdate=23 June 2009}}</ref> He had a successful, yet brief, 2009 season for the Pirates, picking up a victory on 13 August (exactly one month after his countryman Singh got his first, and only, win of the year) and finishing with a 1–0 record and 1.42 earned run average, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks in 6{{fraction|1|3}} innings, holding opposing batters to a .192 batting average in six relief appearances.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dinesh Patel Stats|url=http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=573652|publisher=Minor League Baseball|accessdate=9 April 2012}}</ref> Patel's 2010 season was less successful, with an 8.59 earned run average in 7{{fraction|1|3}} innings, over nine games; he was released in December 2010. He played errorless defense over the two seasons.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=573652#/career/R/fielding/2010/ALL | title=Dinesh Patel | publisher=MILB.com | accessdate=25 February 2019 }}</ref>

==Later years==
Patel returned home to finish school.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pirates release pitcher Dinesh Patel|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5875350|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=2 December 2010|accessdate=9 April 2012}}</ref> He also taught baseball in [[Delhi]], and in 2011 he helped his village boys prepare for the second season of the ''Million Dollar Arm'' talent hunt for about two months, without charge. After his return, Patel also practiced the javelin throw. Patel participated at the national athletics championship in [[Kolkata]] in 2011 and the Federation Cup athletics championship in April 2012.<ref name="Varanasi"/> In 2012, Patel said, <blockquote>"My family's economical and emotional conditions have improved. I could renovate the home in the village and my sister's wedding was arranged with the money that I sent home. My family gathered self esteem and respect in society. It is always good to see your near and dear ones happy."<ref name="Dinesh"/></blockquote>

==Film==
{{main|Million Dollar Arm}}
Patel and Singh's story is the basis for the [[Walt Disney Pictures]] sports film, ''Million Dollar Arm'', where Patel is portrayed by [[Madhur Mittal]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Disney’s "Million Dollar Arm" begins production film shooting in India, Georgia and Los Angeles|url=http://www.waltdisneystudios.com/corp/news/1320|publisher=[[The Walt Disney Studios (production company)|The Walt Disney Studios]]|accessdate=16 June 2013|format=Press release|date=30 May 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130616105506/http://www.waltdisneystudios.com/corp/news/1320|archive-date=16 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball|India}}
* [[List of people from Uttar Pradesh]]
* [[List of people from Lucknow]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{baseballstats|brm=patel-001din}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081207070126/http://www.themilliondollararm.com/blog/ Million-Dollar Arm blog]
* [http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2008/11/26/baseball-india SAJA call-in web radio show with Dinesh Patel, Rinku Singh and JB Bernstein, November 2008]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patel, Dinesh}}
[[Category:1989 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Gulf Coast Pirates players]]
[[Category:Indian baseball players]]
[[Category:Indian expatriate baseball players in the United States]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Lucknow]]
[[Category:Guru Gobind Singh Sports College, Lucknow alumni]]

Dinesh Patel - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 15:37, 16 April 2021