J.D. Scholten is a member of Iowa's House of Representatives, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and a relief pitcher for the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He may be the only elected official who has a baseball jersey in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Scholten joined Sportsjam with Doug Doyle to talk about his career on and off the mound.
J.D. Scholten's personally delivered his game-worn Sioux City Explorers jersey to the National Baseball Hall of Fame last year after a remarkable return to professional baseball at the age of 44. The HOF actually requested his Explorers ball cap first but that hat was damaged during a team bus fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the August incident.
"The night before I had got my fourth win of the year. As we got on the bus my hat was absolutely soaked from pitching. I just vividly remember that I put it into the overhead compartment with my personal hat. It was my first actual road trip with the guys. All of a sudden, I got woken up at 3am and told there's smoke. When we got outside the bus, we saw the ten-foot flames and everything. That's when I knew I had to get my backpack. So I went into the bus and got that out. We all got out as much as we could. A hat tip to the Earlham Fire Department in Iowa. It's a volunteer fire department. They were there like that and saved most of our equipment. Everything in those upper compartments was pretty much burnt to a crisp but the stuff below we were able to manage. I carried my Explorers hat off the bus. I didn't know what to do with it. My teammate took my ball cap and chucked in the ditch. The very next day, I get the greatest email in my life. The National Hall of Fame wants my game-worn hat from the first game I threw. I just responded yes. But it was in a ditch in Earlham, Iowa."
The Explorers' GM came out to to make sure everyone was okay. On his way back, Scholten called him and asked if he would grab his singed hat from the ditch.
"He found it just like that. We sent it to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. They were excited but about a week later they said the hat was a little too damaged. It adds to the story and everything but it would taint the other memorabilia, so they asked if they could send it back and instead get a jersey."
Born in Ames, Iowa Scholten's family moved to Sioux City, Iowa when he was four years old. He attended East High School in Sioux City. He play for that school's baseball and basketball teams. For his first three years of college, Scholten played for his dad who was the manage at Morningside College. He then transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to pitch for the Cornhuskers as a senior. He led the Cornhuskers in earned run average in 2002.
The hard-throwing hurler knew at that time was a Division I player.
"I had the opportunity to play at the Division I level out of high school but I said no because when your dad is recruiting you it's hard to say no. I had a great experience there and kind of did all I could at the Division II level and that's why for my senior year I decided to transfer to Nebraska. I was definitely a late bloomer. The fulfilling thing for me is what's happening now. I'm a far more complete pitcher now than I was way back then. My offspeed pitches are better, my location is better. I'm not throwing 92 miles per hour with sink anymore but I'm still throwing 87 with sink, so I'm still getting outs."
After graduating from college, Scholten played professional baseball, making his professional debut for the Saskatoon Legends of the Canadian Baseball league. He would eventually sign with the Sioux City Explorers in 2004. He returned in 2006 and 2007 with the club. In a career that's still going, Scholten has pitched in seven countries In total, he played baseball in seven countries including the U.S., Canada, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Cuba.
Throughout his career, even when he was playing for a team, J.D. has kept in pitching form. He told the Explorers he was available in an emergency basis. That call came last year when he got several starts. Those outings went so well, he signed a new deal for this season. Now he comes out the bullpen.
How did get interested in politics?
"It was my grandmother. The interesting thing was that she wasn't political. She was absolutely amazing. The first offseason, my family asked if I could move in and help take care of her because she had a surgery. I got a job at a coffee shop that had to open up at 5am. She would have breakfast on the table every morning even though I was supposed to be taking care of her. That's the type of woman she was. On her deathbed, she told me I needed to move back to Iowa and I need to take care of the farm. That hit home. I gave the eulogy at her funeral. The hardest thing I've ever done in my life. A month later, I'm out in Seattle and I went to the Women's March and felt that raw power and energy. That's when I felt this was a calling. I moved home and I just wanted to get more active. I wanted to make a difference. That's snowballed into running for Congress. I took a district that nobody thought I had a chance and we nearly pulled off an upset."
Now, J.D. Scholten is hoping to represent Iowas in the U.S. Senate.
"Every day we talk about fight, fix and secure. Fight for universal healthcare, fix the economy so it works for everyone and not just the billionaires and huge multi-national corporations and then secure democracy from the special interests and the billionaires that are dictating now Anything we could do to get the government back to of the people, by the people and for the people, those are the avenues I'm trying to push.
Scholten admits he rarely talks baseball with his political colleagues. When asked if he would rather be a U.S. Senator or a MLB pitcher, he (laughed) and promptly said "I'm going to give a political answer and I'm going to say no comment."
The Sioux City right-hander says he's always revered former Minnesota Twins pitcher Brad Radke. Radke played his entire 12-season career with Minnesota and won 148 career games.
"The one jersey I do own is a Brad Radke Twins jersey."
You can SEE the entire SportsJam with Doug Doyle conversation with J.D. Scholten below.
