Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 4", Weight 195 lb.

• Born August 8, 1988 in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh India

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Rinku Singh had never touched a baseball before 2008, when he participated in the Indian reality show "Million Dollar Arm Hunt". He won $100,000 in the contest after maxing out at 84 mph. That convinced the Pittsburgh Pirates to sign him along with fellow contestant Dinesh Patel; they were the first Indians signed by a MLB franchise. Both of the former cricket players made their professional debuts with the GCL Pirates on July 4, 2009. Singh struck out one batter in one inning but allowed two hits and a run, not as good as Patel's debut.

Singh had a 1-2, 5.84 record in 11 games for the 2009 GCL Pirates with a 1.46 WHIP. He returned to the same team in 2010 and went 2-0, 2.38 in 14 games in the GCL and one with the Class A State College Spikes. In 2011, he pitched for four teams, the Pirates' affiliate in the Dominican Summer League, the GCL Pirates and State College again, and the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League. he continued to hold his own, with a combined record of 4-3, 2.45 in 20 games. He then spent the entire 2012 season in the Sally League and continued to do well, with a record of 3-1, 1 save and an ERA of 3.00 in 39 games. He pitched 72 innings with a solid K/W ratio of 65/18. He then suffered a setback, missing all of 2013 to Tommy John surgery.

In 2014, Singh and Patel's story was turned into the movie Million Dollar Arm. Singh was preparing to return to pitching in the Pirates' system that year, his age - 25 - starting to work against him, but still having his most precious tool, a left arm that could deliver a ball to home plate under control and faster than 99% of human beings on the planet. He was still able to dream about being the first Indian to make it to the majors, and had already accomplished more that he could have ever hoped for when fate touched him on the shoulder back in 2008. His family was now installed in a comfortable house, his father was able to retire from his job of driving a vegetable truck for a pittance, and he was hoping the movie would inspire more Indian youngsters to aspire to more than a life of poverty and oblivion. He did briefly return to pitching in 2016, when he made one appearance with the GCL Pirates, pitching a scoreless inning. He then retired from baseball, a victim of the repeated arm injuries.

In early 2018, it was reported that Singh was starting on another sports career, having been selected for training at World Wrestling Entertainment's Performance Center in Orlando, FL after entering a competition for athletes from India and the Middle East. The company was hoping to increase its profile in these markets and was looking to recruit performers from the area. He added a ton of muscle to his long frame, grew his hair and beard long and looked properly fearsome as a result, becoming quite a success in the new sport.

Further Reading

• Michael Clair: "From 'Million Dollar Arm' ... to pro wrestler! Is there anything he can't do?", mlb.com, March 27, 2020. [1]
• Bob Nightengale: "'Million Dollar Arm' dares India to dream", USA Today, May 5, 2014. [2]

Related Sites

• Article from USA Today about the two Indian pitchers