Seeing cricketers mould their techniques to hit the balls was quite impressive, says Dhawan on MLB

New Delhi:  Major League Baseball (MLB) is back in India, this time with an aim to see who amongst amateur cricketers is the best baseball hitter in the country through a show named ‘HotShots’.

To see who emerges as the best hitter, the league has roped in former India opener Shikhar Dhawan and USA’s Adam Jones, a five-time All-Star slugger who spent most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles.

“We know that cricket is quite big and that same sort of swing is in baseball as well. But, at MLB, it was quite good and had a good time by seeing the players hitting the ball in long yards like 90-100 metres. It was quite fun and of course Adam taught me a few things as well about baseball. So it was overall a great experience,” Dhawan told IANS in an exclusive conversation.

Dhawan and Jones also took the mantle of coaching the 10 contestants about getting their hitting technique right. In the process, Dhawan was amazed to see how the players with a cricket background adapted to baseball style of hitting and noted some similarities between the two sports.

“We were looking that how they were middling the ball consistently. So that was the first thing for me. Of course the techniques I saw of so many cricketers hitting the shots, even the baseball players as well and to see how even cricketers moulding their techniques to hit the ball was quite impressive.”

“It’s that you have to hit the ball out of the park. Of course cricket got different techniques, but certain swings and shots carrying the ball are same over here, so that’s where a cricketer will get the biomechanics of baseball very quickly.”

“Another thing is suppose we have to take runs and here it’s home run or single run as well. These are quite similar things and plus, they have to field as well – just that they are fielding with one club, while we have to field it with naked hands,” he elaborated.

On the other hand, coming to India was MLB veteran Jones’ first brush with the country. He recounted of the time when he was sorted in his mind to take up playing baseball as a professional sport in his teens.

“I believe when I was about 15-16, I started to play more tournaments and get more national recognition. There were more scouts coming to my games and people telling me I could do more with my life and this sport can take me places. So I started to believe it and I understood what it took to become a professional athlete.”

“It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice and I was willing to do all those things to become successful in a sport that I really, really love and enjoy it. So it was great to see these guys do the same thing in the transition of going to something that obviously is foreign to you. But you love sports and the challenge it brings. To see these guys go through the challenge was something amazing to see.”

Asked on how a sport like baseball can be grown in India, the globe-trotting Jones remarked, “Well, to grow baseball in India, it takes a full-fledged effort from Major League Baseball and also from the participants in India. You have to start young when they are children, and little leagues are where to start in sport for them. I don’t think you can go to a group of 16-year-olds and say, ‘Hey, I think baseball should be introduced to you’.”

“We’re at that point where cricket is already ingrained into your soul. But if you start at the grassroots age of, seven, eight and 10-year-olds, just start implementing baseball slowly. Over time, I believe it can grow, and I say this as there are so many kids in India, the population here is the highest in the world.”

“If you can just get a small percentage of kids just playing baseball, it can grow fast. Again, it takes a lot of work, and resources. But you have guys like myself and other guys within Major League Baseball who want to be on the field in India to see the growth of these young men and of the game. So it’s going to just take time and resources. But I think that Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball India have a good understanding of wanting to grow this game.”

Similar views were also echoed by Dhawan. “To see a few cricketers reaching to the final leg is heartening and as Adam said that it should be in the grassroots. I even feel that this Major League Baseball, there’s decent prize money for the players.”

“With so many players here in participation, once the league keeps getting bigger over here in India, automatically you will start seeing a lot of interest from the grass roots level and then they can spread their wings over here as well.”

The search for the next big baseball hitter in India also brought Dhawan and Jones to know each other as human beings and have now become good friends, with a promise to meet whenever their paths cross in future.

“When I met Adam, we got to share a great rapport. He’s very friendly, down to earth vibing person and like the way he talks – it’s quite well. I really admire that quality of work and the hard work, journey he has gone through.”

“Getting that clarity at the age of 16-17 and knowing what you want in life and pursuing that goal, then at the same time facing so many challenges – so I really appreciate that mindset of his.”

“It was lovely meeting him he was telling me how he enjoyed the butter chicken and naan in Mumbai. Hopefully we’ll cross our path sometime and we’re gonna have a great laugh again together,” said Dhawan.

Jones signed off by expressing gratitude to Dhawan for making him feel great in India. “For me it was I heard the name, but I had to look up for him as cricket’s not the biggest sport in America.”

“I’ve just learned that you were amazing not just a good and fantastic player, but reading the stories about you there. People said that you were a very good, nice and simple guy who did well in your sport well. We got to meet in your hotel room first away from everybody because you can’t do that in Mumbai anywhere. I felt you couldn’t have been nicer.”

“We talked about what was going on and got to spend two-three hours together and it was a great time. We talked about everything – food, travel, and different ventures that we’re doing with ourselves.”

“It was really cool to understand your world and when you come to America, you’re in my world. It was great to be treated well in your world and you did a very good job. So I can’t wait to get back out there and get to see you again.”

(The four-part MLB HotShots show will be available on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar from October 25 at 11am).

–IANS