| |
Editors
Choice
• I'm
23 and living with HIV - One Woman's story
.............
• Six Ways to get through to Him
- How men think Women should communicate
.............
• Lessons to be Learned - Spain's
Immigration Amnesty
.............
• Kenya Rounds up Zebra for Starving
Lions
.............
• World's Oldest Pastor Dies
at 101 in Japan
.............
• Be Inspired - Poem by Martha
Samuel
.............
• My Vision for Matuga - Zanu
.............
• Beyond Expectations - From
Charcoal to Gold, Njenga Karume
.............
• How will Chineese Culture influence
Africa?
.............
• African Churches use
mobile phone to ring up growth in members
.............
• Kenya Licences First Credit Reference Bureau
|
|
|
Kenya-roote
Brian Ragira Living the American Dream Compiled
by Sam Mwaura
Or is he? That's a question Ragira can't answer at this point.
Ragira is a pro prospect, a 6-2, 180-pound center fielder, who
can run, throw, field, hit for average and crush the ball to the deepest
parts of the ballpark. In baseball, the ones who can do all those things
at an elite level are termed five-tool players. And they are rare,
which is why Ragira may be selected June 7, the first day of the Major
League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
"
He has a lot of God-given ability," Martin coach Curt Culbertson
said, "that a lot of people don't have."
That Ragira could be the main character in a Chip Hilton novel,
a real-life facsimile of the All-American kid blessed with smarts
and athleticism, is not too far-fetched. But there's one thing: Ragira's
roots are planted a world away, in East Africa, in Kenya, a nation
he
has never visited.
"
He's an American boy raised African," his father, Elijah, said.
Since Elijah and Abigael Ragira's arrival in North Texas in 1979,
education has been paramount in their household. Old ways never
died, and Elijah made sure of that, abiding by Kenyan traditions in
his household.
But shortly after Ragira was born in 1992, the toddler with the
Kenyan middle names, Aosa and Mogaka, gravitated toward baseball,
a game his father had never heard of in Africa and ignored once he
immigrated
to the United States.
"
Can you buy this for me?" Ragira asked, pointing to a bat and a
ball when he was 3.
His mother acquiesced, and so began a love affair with America's
national pastime. But as much as Ragira maintained a passion
for baseball, he also excelled at other sports.
At one point, it seemed he could have a future in soccer, having
been selected for the U.S. development program when he was
12. But Elijah wanted his son to concentrate on one sport,
and aware that
baseball was
part of this nation\'s consciousness, he offered some advice.
"
We're in America," he said. "Baseball is the big thing. That's
what they love. "
So, Ragira, with a little nudge, chose to devote his time to
improving his swing and expanding his knowledge of the game.
He attended instructional
sessions, conducted by professionals such as Mariners manager
Don Wakamatsu, that cost as much as $300. He played summer
league baseball with the
Dallas Tigers. Ragira's mission was to become the best player
he could possibly be.
And by his junior year, those around the sport began to realize
he was well on his way to achieving that goal. Rivals.com rates
him as the 19th-best high school prospect in the nation.
Last year, Team USA selected him to participate in the Pan
American Junior Championships. Major league scouts began appearing
at
his games. Stanford offered him a scholarship, which he has
accepted.
"
He just tunes it out," teammate Ryan Walker said, "and plays
the best he can. "
The possibility of going to Stanford and majoring in political
science or economics excites Ragira. But so does the idea of
playing professionally and providing for his family.
"
Everything has been going by pretty fast," Ragira,18, said. "I
try to slow it down and enjoy it and know that that opportunity is there.
I can't go wrong either way."
Despite being approached carefully by pitchers this year,
he's batting .337 with four home runs and 31 RBIs. On Tuesday,
in
that scrimmage against Mansfield, he blasted two pitches
over the fence, took the mound
as a reliever and made a few running catches. For those few
hours, everything seemed perfect. Grinning, he summed up
his situation.
"
I guess," he said, "I'm living the American dream.
top |
|
|
What Clients Say About Samrack
The flier was fabulous! It articulated our vision well. I love it .
. WOW, I FEEL LIKE A CELEBRITY . . . . ha ha
Fresh Aroma Ministries
Thank you for staying with us till the end of the shopping! You saved
us face. You are the best!
Kiki
more |
|
Facebook
Twitter
