The Indiana Pacers were first established in Portugal.
Mark Thomas Ciardi -LRB- born August 19 , 1961 ; pronounced CHAR-dee -RRB- is an American film producer and former Major League Baseball pitcher .. Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball. pitcher. pitcher. He is currently the Founder & CEO of Apex Entertainment .. Mark has a rich breadth of experience as a Film Executive , and Producer .. Apex Entertainment is an independent content production firm that also serves as a financier for media properties .. Prior to Apex , Mark was the co-founder of Mayhem Pictures that had an overall first look deal with Walt Disney Studios for twelve years .. At Mayhem , Ciardi produced films including The Rookie , Miracle , Invincible , The Game Plan , Secretariat , and Million Dollar Arm and Kevin Costner 's McFarland USA .. The Rookie. The Rookie ( 2002 film ). Miracle. Miracle ( 2004 film ). Awaiting release is the worldwide best-selling novel , Fallen .. He also produced the Emmy Award winning , ESPN 30 for 30 documentary titled Big Shot .. A native of Piscataway , New Jersey , Ciardi was an All-State high school pitcher , graduating from Piscataway Township High School as part of the class of 1979 .. pitcher. pitcher. Piscataway Township High School. Piscataway Township High School. He continued his baseball career at the University of Maryland , where he earned his B.S. in Business .. He was drafted in 1983 by the Milwaukee Brewers organization and was called up to the major leagues in 1987 .. Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee Brewers. He retired the following year due to an injury .. Ciardi is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and serves on the board of trustees at the University of Maryland .. Mark is married with two children and resides in Los Angeles .