It was an historic night on Wednesday as 27-year-old Gift Ngoepe made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
With his promotion to the big leagues coming on Tuesday afternoon, Ngoepe found himself in the Pirates’ lineup later that night as he became the first African-born player to play in the Majors.
Ngoepe is so much more than just the first African-born player to play in the Majors. His story is one of the most inspiring in sports and his work ethic and dedication is beyond admirable. When he was younger, he was separated from his younger brother Victor, who is also playing in the Pirates' organization.
Aside from battling through the adversity he faced as a young child, the Pietersburg, South Africa native spent the last nine-and-a-half years working his way up the ranks from the Gulf Coast League, where he started when he was just 19-years-old.
(H/T Instagram/SportsCenter)
