Gift Ngoepe became the first African player to make his Major League Baseball debut, featuring for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Chicago Cubs.
The 27-year-old Ngoepe was born in Pietersburg, South Africa, and attended high school in the suburbs of Johannesburg. If the Pirates ever get a lead again, though, he'll at worst be useful as a defensive replacement on a team on which the defense has been even more woeful than the offense. The Pirates team have committed 19 errors, tied for the worst mark in baseball, so adding a fielding whiz like Ngoepe was a logical move. The Lithuanian pitched two innings and became the first Lithuanian-born player to play in a major league game.
While Ngoepe is a shortstop by trade, he could also play second base and third base in a reserve role. It doesn't matter where you are, who you are, what country you're in.
"KB and I were together for so long in the minor leagues", Ngoepe said, referring to Bartee being the Pirates' long-time minor-league baserunning coordinator before joining the major-league staff this year.
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The emotion was not limited to just Ngoepe, as he received plenty of support from his teammates and coaches who recognized the historic moment.
Baseball is far from the most popular sport in South Africa where football, cricket and rugby get more attention.
"I'm sure a lot of people told him over the years that he would never make the Major Leagues: professional scouts, people in uniform, people out of uniform". "I've been getting messages all day from my friends and family, people that always supported me back home, people that play baseball".
"To accomplish this only for me but for my country and my continent is something so special", Ngoepe said. "And it lived up to every aspect of the dream that I had as a kid". But he's one of 1.62 billion. Given the way that the Pirates have played defensively, Adam Frazier's costly error Saturday, Josh Harrison's nearly costly error Sunday, and Alen Hanson's costly error last night, a player of Gift's skill sets is useable. You've got to be a big guy.' ...
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