Like so many others, J.D. Scholten found himself going down a YouTube rabbit hole one Saturday night during the pandemic. The keywords that trip?

Pitching mechanics.

“The next day, I bought a couple dozen balls and a net and just started throwing,” he said.

Having not pitched professionally since 2007, Scholten was starting to get the itch again. Over the next couple summers, the 44-year-old Nebraska product pitched in a town team league near his parents' home in Minnesota. On the semi-pro circuit, Scholten found consistent success. After he got elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in the fall of 2022, Scholten realized he'd be able to join another league when the legislative session ended.

While it was in progress, Scholten fit in early-morning and late-night bullpens to make sure his arm stayed strong. And once the legislative session came to a close, the right-hander was off to the Netherlands to pitch for the Twins Oosterhout in the Dutch Major League. There, he realized his changeup had to be more consistent and he needed a cutter.

While walking alongside the Sioux City Explorers’ float at the local holiday parade that December, Scholten let manager Steve Montgomery know he was ready, willing and able to play for the American Association team. When he ran into GM Tom Backemeyer at city events or games, Scholten continued to plant the seed. After all, the right-hander had pitched for the Explorers after college.

So on July 6 when the Explorers were without a starting pitcher three hours before game time, they knew who to call.

It didn't go exactly according to plan -- Scholten threw a bullpen and ran the day before, then had beers and a brat while watching the Explorers play, and that morning he lifted -- but he was back in the game.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment, but at the same time, it's like, ‘Oh, why couldn't I be fresh?’” Scholten said. “But you got to take that opportunity when the door knocks.”

Scholten, who was volunteering at a music festival at the time, got someone to cover his shift, then headed to the park for his debut. After the new guy started throwing, Montgomery asked his pitching coach how he looked.

“It's not as bad as you're going to think,” he recalled Bobby Post saying. “He goes, ‘He located the ball pretty good.’”

Scholten felt some nerves but realized there were low expectations for a 44-year-old politician pitching in the MLB Partner League.

“Don't get hurt and don't embarrass yourself” were the bars he set for himself.

After a first-pitch strike, Scholten allowed a run on three hits and a walk. The bases were loaded with one out in the first before he forced a key ground ball.

“I was like, ‘If I can get on top of my two-seamer, I think I can get a double play here,’” he said. “To me, that changes the whole season, changes the whole story if I don't get that double play."

Scholten yielded two earned runs on seven hits and a walk with two punchouts in 6 2/3 innings. Although he typically sits 87 mph, the 6-foot-6 hurler dialed it up to 89. When Scholten handed his manager the ball in the seventh, everyone rose to their feet, including those in the bullpen and the dugout. In 30+ years of baseball, Montgomery had never seen that happen. The politician had received standing ovations before, but this was a first for the pitcher.

“I still get shivers for how the crowd just had my back that day,” he said. “It was something for me personally because I pitched on that mound when I was in high school and in college. Now as a pro, and now 17 years later ... just like there's overwhelming emotions.”

After the game, Backemeyer told Scholten what time the bus was leaving in the morning for the next road trip and asked if he would be on it.

“Absolutely.”

What started out as a one-day fix turned into a surreal summer. Montgomery said Explorers players took notice of his work ethic and how much he studied the game and prepared for each start. Scholten’s maturity was evident in the way he went about his business.

Although there was a 20-year age gap between Scholten and most of the players, Montgomery thinks his signing brought the team closer together. He joked the only needling in the clubhouse was about his politics.

Scholten soaked up every aspect of being back in baseball. It wasn't only being on the mound, he had also longed for the clubhouse experience.

“I told a lot of the guys, there might be a few performances you'll remember that are pretty meaningful to you, but the biggest thing you'll miss is just the camaraderie,” he said. “Getting to play euchre in the clubhouse before the games with some of my teammates -- that's one of my favorite parts of it.”

After an unsuccessful playoff push, Scholten finished the season 6-2 with a 5.40 ERA, 29 strikeouts and 28 walks in 60 innings across 11 starts, including a complete game. The team survived a bus fire and thrived with an attendance boost.

Then Scholten got a call from Cooperstown. The Baseball Hall of Fame wanted the cap from his Explorers debut. It had been damaged by the fire, but he sent his jersey when the season was over.

“My great-great-grandkids can come and ask for it,” he thought. “I think that's just pretty meaningful to have the two things I absolutely love -- Sioux City and baseball. And I'm glad it's the black jersey because it says … Sioux City across the chest.”

With another election imminent, Scholten’s not sure he’ll be able to play again. But he's going to keep training this offseason, watching videos about using his legs more to take stress off his arm.

“It's such a beautiful game. It's such an American game,” said Scholten. “Being out there on the mound and having command and just playing that chess match with the hitter. ... I don't think there's a better high in the world than just doing that.”