Steeped in rich baseball tradition, the allure and prestige of the Smithfield Blue Sox was too much to turn down.
Dustin Lind, AJ McNeese and Brian Stephenson — all members of the Idaho State University club baseball team — were offered spots on the team in May. Having already experienced a live Blue Sox game, the trio was happy to accept.
“It was surprising. It was the middle of the week and we had double, triple the fans that we have at the ISU games,” said Stephenson, a 2010 graduate of Pocatello High School. “It’s cool to see how passionate they are about the game.”
The Blue Sox are a semi-professional team that plays in the Northern Utah Baseball League and the Beehive State Baseball League. They are in the middle of their 117th consecutive year as a team. Smithfield has 25 state championships to its name as well as one national title, which came in 1993. The winning tradition — and the unwavering support from fans — was a key factor in attracting the three Bengals.
“It’s a great atmosphere down there,” said Lind, a first baseman and outfielder. “We get hundreds of people every night. Most of it is because of the food. The food is fantastic.”
“It’s a great atmosphere. The kids on the team are just out there to enjoy themselves,” McNeese said. “Whereas Smithfield, you go down there and it’s all business. It is 100-something years of tradition where you respect the game. I’m not saying we don’t respect the game here in Pocatello, but it’s just a different level. The fanbase down there is awesome. They all back us.”
During ISU’s NOPAC South Conference championship series with Utah State in April, Aggie baseball player Jordan Hansen — who also helps run the Blue Sox organization — extended an offer to the trio. Accepting was a no-brainer.
For McNeese, a native of small-town Enumclaw, Wash., being able to play for Smithfield carries sentimental value.
“That community is awesome down there,” he said. “I’m from a small place like that, so it feels like I’m going home a little bit.”
He must be getting that feeling a lot right about now. Lind, Stephenson and McNeese travel to baseball games — all of which take place in northern Utah in the Logan area, a 90-mile trip one way — four times a week. The small amount they get paid by the Blue Sox is just enough to cover the travel expenses they will incur over the course of the 42-game season.
And somehow, despite all three holding down jobs and needing to spend time with significant others, they make it work.
McNeese is a volunteer firefighter and works at Dick’s Sporting Goods. He is grateful for an understanding and helpful supervisor.
“I gave the boss my schedule and he tries to work around it as much as possible,” he said. “There’s some nights it just doesn’t work out. But that’s OK, sometimes my knees need a break.”
Lind, along with being married to ISU track athlete Misha Lind, has three part time jobs.
“I work at the (Grove) Apartments, at Reed Gymnasium and I just started my own custom wood bat company,” he said.
Stephenson is an employee of Papa John’s. Because he’s a pitcher, his presence is not required at all Blue Sox games, just the days he takes the mound.
“It’s been a little difficult,” he said. But I have a couple days off each week so I can make it to games.”
For Lind and McNeese, the Blue Sox provide an opportunity to continue playing the game they love. For Stephenson, the team has helped rekindle his baseball passion.
“It really means a lot because when I (played for) Spokane (Falls Community College), it was really serious and it was kind of overwhelming at times,” Stephenson said. “When I came back I didn’t really want to play anymore. I was a little burnt out. Then I started playing with these guys and found my love for the game again.”
But it’s a two-lane road. The Bengal trio is contributing to another successful Blue Sox season. The team is 10-4 and feels a spot in the postseason is well within reach.
“We plan on making that,” Lind said.”
Whether their time with the Blue Sox extends into a postseason tournament or not, Stephenson, McNeese and Lind are happy with their decision — despite the long hours spent traveling on a two-lane highway, sometimes well past midnight.
“I love it down there and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” McNeese said. “It’s an honor to play for them.”
More information on the Smithfield Blue Sox, their players and their rich baseball tradition can be found on their Facebook page.