Hometown Heroes, or in this case state heroes are extremely important. Being from North Dakota, there are not many
professional baseball players from our state; Darin Erstad (Chicago White Sox), Chris Coste (Philadelphia Phillies), and Travis Hafner (Cleveland Indians) are all that come to mind ( A few years ago we might have been talking about Rick Helling too).
But this group of players leave nothing to desire. They are hard working, honest playing individuals. I was watching Darin Erstad this last week play against both the LA Angels and the MN Twins. In the Angels series, Erstad made his former team pay with his hustling plays. He went full speed into a slide that took the second baseman out, which not only saved the double play but also extended the inning. The commentators for the White Sox commended Erstad for his hard playing, and relentless effort. Proving his relentless effort, Erstad is the only Major Leaguer to win a Gold Glove in an Outfield Position and an Infield Position (Center Field and First Base respectively).
Coste’s story with the Phillies was one of the most popular last year. Coste was the 30 year old rookie who came up from the minors to hit in the .300s who could provide a spark for the offense. But this year he again found himself in the minors, but even being sent back down has not discouraged Coste from trying to make a big league roster. I remember watching Coste play for the Fargo Moorhead RedHawks, and can’t believe the path he’s taken to the major leagues.
And then there’s Hafner; a behemoth of a man who can really hit the ball. Not a great defensive player, but very hard to strike out.
In an era of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and other players followed by constant controversy, I am very glad that the few players from my home state are known for being hustle players. While they don’t speak up a lot, they make their statements on the field, and give fans someone they don’t have to be ashamed of cheering for.