Contributed by Buster Spork, Pocatello Observer There's nothing I love more than the state of Idaho. The people, the cities, the baseball, the potatoes. What more could a man ask for. When I think of WPBL baseball, I think of the Pocatello Old-Timers. They’re the most successful franchise to this point and they're not slowing down. Pocatello is the definition of Idaho Baseball...at least until this year. WPBL expansion is a good thing, surely we can't deny that. One new owner, though, has done the unimaginable. As we began the 2026 season we now have two teams in Idaho.
I had the opportunity to sit down with that new owner, Bryn Rourke, who made a bold decision to bring the Striking Miners to Coeur D'Alene and compete for fandom in a state that's been dominated by Old-Timers baseball. Rourke had this to say on the matter, "The way I see it is simple: Why should the big city folk in New York, California, and the like be the only ones to experience the soaring highs and, of course, inevitable heartbreak that comes along with in-state rivalries? We’ve been hearing from fans in northern Idaho for years that they don’t feel connected to the far away team in Pocatello. And who can blame them? Baseball is a local game, felt most strongly by local communities, so it was always in the fans best interest to have two teams in Idaho. We chose Coeur d’Alene because it represents a promising new direction for baseball fans in northern Idaho, one that can compete with even the most storied of franchises down south." So far it's working, the fans are buying in.
The easiest direction that one could point to in terms of figuring out why the fans are loving the Miners is exactly in the direction of catcher Andy King. Although he’s 36 years of age, he continues to perform at a high level. There was much hype surrounding King to start the year and he is living up to it. With a .288 batting average and a 1.4 WAR, he has been a force on the field. His value goes beyond that though as he has been a great role model to the younger Miners players. Accoring to Rourke, "Andy is a true professional. He’s not the most outspoken guy in the clubhouse, but he puts his head down and puts in the work. I know for a fact that our young guys, Pat (Weirich) in particular, look up to him. For instance, just last week I was watching BP and saw Pat and Raul (Medina) mimicking Andy’s swing." While Andy may be a bit too far along in age to be a part of a championship run in Coeur d'Alene, he's clearly planting the seeds for a bright future.
This all leads to the question, what does ownership expect of them in the present and what do they see as a realistic vision of the future? After a hot start to this season, many fans felt playoffs in their debut year could be a suprising but serious possibility. As the first half of the year progressed, it became clear that the Miners aren’t there just yet. They’ve fallen to the basement of the Mainland division and things aren’t looking great for their 2026 playoff chances. Rourke seemed to have a realistic view on how to create a competitor: “I think our goal is to stay competitive in the standings this year, get a good feel for our guys, and rotate a fair number of arms and bats up from our AAA club in Leavenworth. We certainly started hot, but realistically we are a few years away from competing for championships. Our front office is working in stride with ownership to build a contender, but everyone knows that we can’t put the cart before the horse. Success is going to come from a strong farm system, multiple successful drafts, and a good dose of luck.”
All I can say is wow. The Striking Miners have the gall to show up in Idaho and then their owner goes and flaunts his competency? Ridiculous. To be honest, this is not a recipe for success. Idaho baseball is all about panic decision-making, constant second-guessing, frequent anxiety from ownership, and rage directed towards every other team in the league. That’s the formula that has led to two championships for the Old-Timers over the course of five(soon to be six) winning seasons. This idea that Bryn Rourke comes in with that smart, calm, and level-headed decision-making from a rational mind will lead to a championship-caliber team is bold and revolutionary. I for one am looking forward to seeing them inevitably go down in flames. Welcome to Idaho.
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