By Josh
People say that no matter where you go, baseball is baseball. That is true, but there are things that players in different regions of the world, and even here in the states, learn differently than in other places. A quick example of this that was told to me by a minor league coach was how catchers from the United States vs Central America catch balls in the dirt. U.S. born catchers tend to block pitches, where catchers from Central America try to scoop more often. It is a simple difference but one that I see now all the time when I watch games.
So here are some things that I’ve discovered that North Dakota players just do a little different than other players around the country.
Running Out Fly Balls
Now I know players all over the country run out fly balls, but players in North Dakota look at fly balls as potential doubles or triples. A couple years ago I went and covered a college game where a player hit a fly ball to the left side of the infield that normally would have been a routine catch for the third baseman or shortstop. Then the wind grabbed it and that fly ball to the third baseman landed over the second baseman’s head in shallow right field. The batter didn’t throw his bat in frustration upon contact, or get mad, he instead was at full speed right out of the box and got a stand up double.
Playing In Full Winter Gear
In case you don’t know, North Dakota has the 2nd coldest winters in the United States, and our winters start in October and run into April. We have more games canceled for cold and snow than we do rain. So on days that the sun is out and the fields are cleared you do what you have to in order to play a game. That includes wearing full parkas, gloves, wool socks, hats with ear covers, and using a dozen hand warmers so you can feel your fingers and toes.
Traveling For Home Games
Teams all over the country travel for games. That isn’t anything new, but traveling 5+ hours so you can play a home game is uncommon. As mentioned earlier, winter is a real thing here, and as a result I’ve seen two North Dakota colleges travel to South Dakota or Montana to play each other. In 2023 the Bismarck State College baseball and softball teams played one weekend in Bismarck. All of their other ‘home’ games had to be played in other states. This is why I mentioned in previous articles how hard it can be to get to games and photograph, because home games aren’t always home.
Baseball in North Dakota may face some unique challenges, but the talent in this area is still strong, just a bit more spread out than other places. If you ever are looking to do a road trip to watch baseball around the country I would encourage you to come through North Dakota, I’d just encourage you to do it in the summer when we are less likely to have snow.