Full toss! (Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)

Among old-time Braves fans, the saying ran “Spahn and Sain, and pray for rain,” or its variant: “Spahn and Sain, and two days of rain.” The reference is to Warren Spahn—Battle of the Bulge fighting-man, perhaps the most overlooked super pitcher (even if he is long inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame) in the history of Major League Baseball—and Johnny Sain. The NL duo was so dominant back in the day (of the four-man rotation) that, by themselves (in cooperation with Mother Nature), they would lead the Braves up, up, and…up.

It recently came to my (Evander’s) attention that another old-guard NL team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, scouted and signed two bowlers that have been in the Pirates minor-league system, and I understand mostly looking good. These are Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, who, sad to report, had been released after a below-par season.

To my astonishment, the pair represent the first Subcontinent players in the history of high-level professional-U.S. baseball. Right Off the Bat hopes to see Rinku with the Big Club—which has been winning at a good clip somehow without him—soon.