Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Gift Ngoepe, pronounced 'N-Gweh-Peh' for the uninitiated, has been a big talking point this Major League Baseball season, becoming the first African to play in the majors.
His story is a famous one in South Africa, where he was born and raised, and now the rest of the world is learning about the dreadlocked batter as well. KweséESPN managed to grab him for a chat amidst the clamour for his attention.
KweséESPN: Has there been much of an on-field adjustment for you going from the minors to the majors?
Ngoepe: There are always adjustments to be made in this game. The pitching here is very good, you're playing against the best of the best here. They have two or three pitches they can throw for strikes, so you gotta shrink your zone and know what you're looking for and know what your plan is [when coming] up to bat.
KweséESPN: Who do you find yourself speaking to the most about different pitches and pitchers?
Ngoepe: David Freese. He's been in the game for a long time and won World Series rings, MVP of the World Series. I pick his brain a lot and he doesn't mind me asking questions and he'll answer whatever I have to ask him. Me and Stewy (catcher Chris Stewart) talk about different pitches and why he [a pitcher] would throw this in a situation. It helps me mentally, saying, 'Ok this is what he sees, this is what he might go to,' so I'm able to pick a pitch or see where I'm trying to go with the location of the pitch. It's just something you do in order to get better. You can get better by learning by yourself, but also taking one or two things from your teammates that may help you along the way.
KweséESPN: Explain what led to you rooting for the Boston Red Sox as a kid in South Africa?
Ngoepe: I supported them because of the big rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox. My friend picked the Yankees and I said, 'I'll take Boston Red Sox,' and that's how we grew up watching MLB on TV back home. It was the World Series or rivalry matchups [on TV] so we only watched a handful of games. Whenever the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees would play, my friend would record it. It would be Sunday Night Baseball and in South Africa that's Monday and we had school, so I'd come over after school to watch it.
KweséESPN: Is there a specific player that you really liked whenever you tuned into an MLB game in South Africa?
Ngoepe: Nomar Garciaparra. He was pretty good. [And] It was very nice to meet Barry Larkin.
KweséESPN: Looking at your game and your fielding ability, would you say it's a little similar to how Barry Larkin played?
Ngoepe: Barry was a huge part of my game because he had taught me things in 2007 and 2008 and I still implement it today. Just the way that I catch ground balls and the way I play is because he had instilled all those things in me.
KweséESPN: Are there any players or teams that you can't wait to go up against?
Ngoepe: I wanted to face (Clayton) Kershaw when we were in LA but I didn't get to face him. Hopefully in San Francisco I'll get to face (Madison) Bumgarner. But the best of the best guys? I'm eager to face them and see what I can do, what I can't do, and what I need to improve on. Facing (Zack) Greinke was a good learning curve for me, seeing that I need to be ready to hit that one pitch he throws that I can't miss. Next time I face him I'll be in a better position.
KweséESPN: Baseball players are known for having many superstitions, pre-game and at-bat routines. Do you have any superstitions or routines?
Ngoepe: No, I don't have any... The only thing I do is put my left shoe on, right shoe on, and tie my left, tie my right while I talk to myself. So it's not as bad... It's always gotta be left shoe first even if I put my normal shoes on.
KweséESPN: What is your walk-up song?
Ngoepe: I've got two. "Conscience" from Kodak Black and Future, and then I have "Doo Doo" from Troy Ave. Troy Ave is the one that I've had mostly this year.
KweséESPN: What types of music do you prefer listening to?
Ngoepe: I'm more of an R&B person but because I'm in the game I can't be playing Keith Sweat out there. I've heard someone having just instruments playing and I'm like, 'Ehhh, I can't do that, it's a little slow'. I need something popping because I'm a very slow, calm person so when I step in the box I need that little bit of a bounce. That's why I play rap.
KweséESPN: Do you listen to any South African musicians?
Ngoepe: I listen to a couple. Tuks (rapper Tuks Senganga) would be my one guy and then AKA, he's pretty good, and Cassper Nyovest. There's a bunch of different rappers back home that have good music out there.
KweséESPN: What do you do off the field, in your down time?
Ngoepe: Most of the time I'm watching shows or I'm watching movies. Just relaxing and going through the day and what happened, what I could've done differently and all that. Once I leave the clubhouse I try my best to leave the game behind me. When I get to my room I talk to some of my friends and family and then just relax and watch a show just to get my mind away from the baseball field.
KweséESPN: Are you a fan of other sports?
Ngoepe: I'm a big soccer fan. I'm on top of my fantasy league. I follow both [Premier League and the South African league]. Not as much back home, because it's kind of hard and I have to listen to it on the radio. My team back home is Kaizer Chiefs and in the Premier League it's Manchester United.
KweséESPN: Speaking of United, were you a fan of Jose Mourinho since he took over there?
Ngoepe: He's a good coach but he plays too many defensive tactics. For what it was, it turned out to be not too bad. The main thing is winning and still staying in the top 10, but it's not the standard of Man United. Hopefully things change.
KweséESPN: What are your personal and team goals for the rest of the season?
Ngoepe: For me personally, it's just to stay in the big leagues for as long as I can and keep improving in every single way. Just micro goals every single day, having quality ABs [time at bat]. Competing as much as I can, that will be my goal for this year. For the team, our goal is to win the World Series [last achieved b the Pirates in 1979]. So if we get to the post-season it will be a tremendous thing for the team and the city, and winning the World Series is like the biggest goal to have.