Boston Invites Kiwi Softballer to Spring Training

I'm going to be honest...when I first saw The Boston Globe headline "Red Sox sign New Zealand softball player" I was instantly reminded of the story from a couple of years ago.

You know, the one where the Pittsburgh Pirates signed two Indian reality show contestants.

But in this scenario, Te Wera Bishop, the afore mentioned Kiwi softball player, might actually be better suited for the Majors than Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel  were when the Pirates took a chance on them.  And no, it has nothing to do with him being a softball player and the other two having never picked up a baseball.

Okay...it might have EVERYTHING to do with that.

"We have been impressed by his abilities behind the plate, he has excellent hands and a strong throwing arm," Red Sox scout Jon Deeble told website stuff.co.nz, "and with instruction from our Boston Red Sox coaches, we are confident he can make the appropriate changes from softball to baseball."

The plan for for the 17-year-old catcher, is to have him attend spring training,extended spring training and then...the Australian MLB Academy in June.

And if Bishop makes it to the big leagues...he'll be the first New Zealander to do so.

Current Toronto Blue Jays farmhand Scott Campbell is entering his fifth season in the Minors.  Travis Wilson spent eight seasons in both the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds organizations (1997-2004), but never made it past Class AAA ball.