Dinosaurs are not usually part of baseball.
You may have recently seen the story of Jerry, a toy triceratops that accompanies UCLA Bruins pitcher Angel Cervantes on the mound.
The tiny dinosaur that fits in the pitcher’s pocket is circulating on social media as a ‘mound mascot.’
A few weeks ago, I was covering one of our local teams when during warmups, a child carried a toy dinosaur onto the field. I texted a colleague saying, “I do not remember this being a part of the game.” They responded with, “Not normally.”
With two dinosaur incidents this season, I began to wonder – are the dinosaurs more prevalent than we think?
If you know me, you know that I tend to think in figurative or metaphorical terms. If the dinosaur represents legendary players or teams, I think they may be closer than we realize.
Follow me down the fossil hole as I explain.
Today, we see pictures of dinosaurs created by paleontologists who have reconstructed these animals using known fossilized remains.
The ‘data’ collected by paleontologists can give us a stat line by which we measure the formidability of the creature, but what are the things data can’t show us?
Baseball teams are similar. You can see the team stats, the rosters, the RPIs and construct a pretty good idea of what the team looks like, but again I ask the question – what are the things the data can’t show us?
Whitley County’s journey to the state tournament on paper appears to be straightforward. With the number one RPI ranking in the state, only three losses on the season and players who have stat lines rivaling other top players in the state, people might assume they could paint a picture of what this team looks like.
As someone who has had the privilege of sitting in their dugout on multiple occasions, I know there are some things the ‘data’ just doesn’t show. It doesn’t show the effort the players have put into their practices this season. It doesn’t record the encouragement and teaching that happens between players during an inning change. It doesn’t show the mindset of the team as they face tough opponents.
There are a lot of things the ‘data’ doesn’t show. It leads me to ask the next question – how much do these other factors matter?
Many dinosaurs were considered predators, so what happened that led to their extinction?
While scientists debate what exactly happened, many can agree the factors outside of the dinosaurs’ control mattered more than the dinosaurs’ makeup.
In baseball, you can have the best players, but what happens when the factors outside of the team’s makeup matter more?
There are several factors that a team can’t control – the length of the outfield for example. A shorter distance can send baseballs flying over fences, but a longer distance can send baseballs into the gloves of the defense. It doesn’t necessarily matter how many hits a team records, if the fence is further away, it’s going to be a lot harder to hit a homerun.
For every factor a team can control, there are at least two others they cannot.
One example of outside factors influencing anticipated outcomes may be best exemplified in the West Jessamine Colts’ journey to state. According to their RPI, West Jessamine should not be in the tournament. The team is ranked 103 in the state. The next closest ranking playing in the state tournament is 49. As of Sunday night, the team appeared just twice in the KHSAA’s stat leaders for this season – one player was ranked 50th in triples and the team ranked 37th in strikeouts.
Similar to how the dinosaurs’ makeup should not have led them to extinction, West Jessamine’s data and makeup statistically do not lend themselves to an appearance at this year’s state tournament, but it will. Their season continues while more than 200 other teams statewide will spend this coming week somewhere other than Legends Field.
The outside factors that change the wind for teams may be more important than what many consider.
While there are other similarities between dinosaurs and baseball (my brain has gone down a very lengthy rabbit hole), what hits closest to home is the bones in question. Did you catch the pun? No? Let me flesh it out for you.
Researchers don’t typically know what is just under the surface until they start digging. They can’t stand in a field and definitively say, “There is a Tyrannosaurus rex in this field,” until they have dug through the dirt and found the fossils. Only after paleontologists locate the bones and test them, can scientists declare what they have found.
Let’s not forget one important fact – paleontologists are significantly more likely to find additional bones in places they have already had success because of the environment necessary to produce fossils.
The same can be said for baseball teams. No one can stand on a baseball field and definitively say, “There are 2026 state champions on this field,” until the team brings home the trophy. It is not until the team makes its appearance and is tested that a declaration can be made.
Whitley County has proven themselves time and time again against tough opponents throughout the season. The environment created by Whitley County’s coaching staff has already proven to produce champions, so the hunt for another championship trophy looks promising.
As I bring this fossil trail to an end, I can’t help but go back to my original thought and ask, ‘Are the dinosaurs of baseball more prevalent than we think or are we just blessed to be standing in the same field as soon to be discovered legends.’
Good luck, Colonels! We wish you all the best at the 2026 KHSAA Baseball State Tournament!
