For the first time in over 70 years, an Irish-born player is set to play for a Major League Baseball team.
PJ Conlon, born in Belfast, is set to start tomorrow for the New York Mets when they take on the Cincinnati Reds.
Left-hander P.J. Conlon will start in Jacob deGrom's place tomorrow in Cincinnati, the Mets announced. He'll become the first Irish-born player in MLB since World War II.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 6, 2018
A left-handed pitcher, Conlon will become the first Irishman to appear in the 'big leagues' since Joe Cleary made a fleeting appearance for the Washington Senators in 1945.
Born in 1994, Conlon did emigrate from Belfast with his family at the age of two.
Having enrolled in the University of San Diego, Conlon became a Mets player during the 2015 MLB draft; picked 13th overall.
According to a profile of Conlon from March of last year, he will now become the 48th Irish-born player to play Major League Baseball. Yet, with 47 of these coming before the Second World War, Conlon's achievement is quite something.
You can get a feel for his pitching below.
