(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa lawmaker who made history by returning to the baseball diamond is retiring from the game. State Representative J.D Scholten of Sioux City was an emergency call up by the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association on July 6th of 2024, and made his first start in 17 years with less than three hours notice. He won that game and then pitched again last season. “It’s one of those things where I would love to try to play one more year, but I think that will always be the case,” Scholten says, “and I just think it was the last two years have just been so special and I can’t thank the Explorers enough and I can’t thank the fans and just Sioux City enough for everything. It’s been pretty special for me.”

Scholten was 44 and went on to tie for the number of wins on the team with a 6-2 record in 11 starts. Each win added to his own record for oldest person in league history to earn a win and he drew large crowds to both home and away games when he was on the mound. “I just got caught up in emotions every time I was just at awe at how much the crowd got behind me and everything, and it was just really, really special. I mean, a place where I grew up, the stadium that I played in high school and college and previously with the X’s,” he says. Scholten went 1-1 in four starts this year after returning to the team when the Iowa Legislature adjourned for the year. His last win came late in the season at Winnipeg.

“When I got to start up there, a lot of the position players were like, hey, we got you. They put up some runs and when that’s the case, I just go up there and just throw strikes and allow them to get themselves out,” he says. “I don’t have the most overpowering stuff. I don’t have the best stuff, but I am as big as competitor as there is in the league and so just grinding it out and doing the best I can and accept the outcome and going seven and three, the last two years is pretty special.” Scholten is a Democrat and is preparing to return to Des Moines for the Legislative session in January.

“I loved having Sioux City across my chest on our uniforms with the Explorers, and I love being able to represent Sioux City down at the Capitol. It’s it’s something pretty special to be able to do both and have be have been able to do both the past couple of years. It’s going to be an interesting session is too with the governor being a lame duck not running for reelection. It’s going to change the dynamic of the legislature a little bit and we’ll see what happens,” Scholten says.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York requested a game worn jersey from Scholten as the oldest person in league history to win and the only elected official to play professional baseball while serving. Scholten hand delivered the jersey. He pitched for the Explorers in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007 before returning in 2024. He ends with a career pitching record of 19-11.