8.9.24

Episode 19

Baseball United's #1 Overall Draft Pick Karan Patel Discusses His Historic Journey

Baseball United's #1 overall draft pick, Karan Patel, joins the show to share an exclusive look into his historic journey. Karan discusses his childhood, where he developed a love for both cricket and baseball. He reflects on his experience as one of fourteen players chosen to represent the USA Cricket U-19 team for the World Cup qualifiers. Selected by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Karan shares valuable lessons from his time in the organization and the significance of being the first Indian-American drafted by an MLB franchise. With roots in India, Karan expresses his excitement and gratitude for representing the country’s first professional baseball franchise, the Mumbai Cobras. He also praises Baseball United's leadership for their vision and execution, reminisces about his participation in last year’s All-Star showcase, and reveals his anticipation for the BU Cup, Season 1, and the potential rivalries that may emerge.

What We Discuss

• 0:30 Introduction
• 1:47 Growing up playing cricket and baseball
• 2:47 When Karan went full time with baseball
• 5:12 Playing for the USA U-19 cricket team
• 7:00 The growth of cricket in the United States
• 10:00 How playing cricket helped Karan develop as a baseball player
• 10:48 Being the first Indian-American drafted by an MLB Franchise
• 13:35 reflections on his time in the Minor Leagues
• 16:22 Being drafted by the Mumbai Cobras
• 17:04 Karan’s excitement for the BU Arab Classic, BU Cup & Season 1
• 19:40 Being a mentor to the Baseball United prospects
• 20:43 Reflections on the All-Star Showcase
• 23:45 Baseball United providing opportunities to players throughout the world
• 26:02 The importance of being a high character player
• 26:47 What sold Karan on the league
• 29:38 Baseball United Chairman & CEO Kash Shaik’s ability to inspire people
• 31:05 Potential rivalries within the league
• 31:55 Karan’s message to young players in India
• 32:48 Giving back to the community
• 34:07 Being a mentor and inspiration to kids around the world
• 36:47 Karan’s Mt. Rushmore of pitchers