The Pirates continue to travel the globe in hopes of finding players who will play at PNC Park.

Yesterday, they announced the signings of two pitchers from India.

"We're trying to be creative internationally," general manager Neal Huntington said.

These come on the heels of the Pirates signing shortstop Mpho "Gift" Ngoepe from South Africa a couple months ago.

What's next -- the North Pole?

Oh, wait a minute. The Pirates do have a player from the North Pole.

In June, they drafted (in the 15th round) and signed left-hander Christopher Aure from North Pole High School in Alaska.

Nobody knows for sure if any of these four players will reach the major leagues, but veteran scout Ray Poitevint is intrigued by right-hander Dinesh Kumar Patel, 19, and left-hander Rinku Singh, 20.

"With both these guys, it's imagination and projection," Poitevint said last night. "It's going to take time. Everything they learn is brand new. But once they learn something, they do not forget it.

"For the Pirates to be at the forefront with this is really a coup for them."

Kumar and Singh are the first Indian-born players to sign professional contracts with any team outside of India.

"I admire Pittsburgh for coming and taking charge," Poitevint said. "Usually it's Boston or the Yankees, but the Pirates took charge."

Patel and Singh emerged from more than 30,000 entrants in a "Million Dollar Arm" contest in India in March. The key part of the contest was to see who could throw the most pitches of at least 85 mph for strikes.

Patel and Singh, who had cricket backgrounds, came to the United States in May. Former major league pitcher Tom House, the pitching coach at the University of Southern California, worked with them through the summer.

Then Patel and Singh threw three scouting sessions -- the first in Arizona a couple weeks ago, then another at Southern California and a third for the Major League Scouting Bureau. A total of 60 scouts attended the first two sessions.

Joe Ferrone, a special assistant to Huntington, and Sean Campbell, the Pirates' area scout in southern California, attended the second session.

It's believed the Pirates signed the pitchers for bonuses of perhaps $15,000 to $20,000 each.

Is it worth what appears to be low risk?

"Oh, definitely," Poitevint said.

Poitevint likened Patel to a very young Joaquin Andujar, who pitched for 13 seasons in the major leagues, and Singh to Juan Nieves, who pitched a no-hitter for Milwaukee in Baltimore April 15, 1987, and had a promising career cut short by an arm injury.

Poitevint said if Patel and Singh had been high school prospects in the United States, they probably could have been picked in anywhere from the 12th to the 35th rounds in the June draft.

"Toss a coin," he said.

Huntington said Patel and Singh, who are represented by agent Jeff Booris, will report to the Pirates' spring training facility in Bradenton, Fla., in late January.

"They have potential, but they're very raw," Huntington said. "There are a lot of things to cover. They've only had six months of baseball experience. They probably wonder why they have to cover first base on a ground ball hit to the right side, but they love the game."

It's probable Patel and Singh will begin next season in the Extended Spring Training program following spring training, then pitch for the Pirates' Gulf Coast Rookie League team in Bradenton.

"We're opening the door to a new market," Huntington said. "It could lead to bigger and better things. We're the first ones in [India]. Who knows? In 25 years, these two could be blips on the radar or pioneers."

NOTES -- The Pirates have added former Cincinnati first baseman Hal Morris to their scouting staff, naming him an area supervisor in the upper Midwest. Morris, 43, played 13 seasons in the major leagues -- 10 with the Reds. He hit a lifetime .304 in 1,246 games.