Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BELFAST BOY MAKES IT TO BIG LEAGUES
Falls Road baseball star PJ a hit in Mets debut Paramilitary cops seize €3k on the M1
A BELFAST-BORN baseball player has rewritten the history books after playing for the New York Mets.
PJ Conlon was born on the Falls Road but moved to California with his family when he was just two years old.
Now, 22 years later, he is making a name for himself in Major League Baseball.
On Monday night PJ became the first Northern Ireland MLB player in 109 years, since Harry Mcilveen played in the league in 1909.
Joe Cleary, from Cork, was the last Irish-born baseball star to make an appearance in the MLB in 1945.
PJ, who has an Irish flag stitched on to his glove, was drafted in to the Mets team for Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds in Ohio.
His call-up came after regular pitcher Jacob degrom was ruled out due to injury.
And PJ, who is lefthanded, helped the Mets end their six-game losing streak with a 7-6 win.
He also delivered a firstpitch strike to Jesse Winker in the first inning. PJ’S father DETECTIVES investigating paramilitarism have seized £3,000 after stopping a vehicle on the M1 motorway.
It happened on the eastbound carriageway on Sunday and is believed to involve suspected republicanism.
A PSNI detective inspector said: “Our operations will continue into paramilitary groups and they can expect no let-up in Patrick Conlon told mlb.com: “I don’t even think about it until someone brings it up and then I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy’.
“It’s something special. He’s going down in the record books, in the Wikipedia book, which is amazing. A little kid from Belfast done good.”
PJ’S family were in the crowd to watch his debut for the Mets:
He said: “I’ve gotten unbelievable support, and all these people reaching out to me yesterday and today.
“It means a lot. You could see them in the stands, waving the Irish flags.
“They’re proud of it, and I’m proud of it.”
PJ’S DAD ON MLB.COM
our focus regarding their criminality.” The operation was carried out by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force and the cash held under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The PSNI, HMRC and the National Crime Agency established the task force as part of the former Stormont Executive’s action plan on tackling paramilitarism.