This April marked the start of the Major League Baseball season and the beginning of lower-level baseball leagues throughout the country including one here in Grand Forks. Dubbed as “America’s pastime,” baseball fans have a lot to look forward to this upcoming spring as games begin to take shape.
Baseball dates to the 19th century with the first professional baseball game taking place on May 4, between the former Cleveland Forest Cities and the former Fort Wayne Kekiongas. However, they launched a century-long infatuation with the sport that continues to captivate the minds and inspire millions around the globe as fans now look forward to 139th season of MLB more than 100 years later.
The most decorated team within the MLB franchise is the current World Series runner-up, the New York Yankees, who hold a record of 27 World Series titles that can be accredited to decades of excellence featuring some of the biggest icons of the game including the likes of Babe Ruth and Derek Jeter.
Regarding high-school baseball, both Grand Forks Central High School and Grand Forks Red River High School’s baseball seasons are also kicking off this spring. In pursuit of securing a spot in the annual state tournament, that takes place every May almost exclusively in Grand Forks at Kraft Field, the two-month-long regular season features exciting action as both schools travel throughout the state as they take on local rivals.
Benjamin Howard, a former baseball player and current university student, is excited that professional and semi-professional baseball leagues across the country are back in action.
“Baseball brings immense joy to my life,” Howard said. “Heading over to catch a Red River High School game during my spare allows me, to an extent, to relive the glory days as a former high-school player myself and connect with the greater Grand Forks community as a whole.”
Whether or not someone is a baseball fanatic or familiar with the sport, anyone can head outside and enjoy a game for themselves with a group of friends on a clear, sunny day.
Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at daniel.silva@und.edu.
