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To begin, there is one thing you need to know about Chris Coste, the ballplayer. There may not be another player in minor league baseball that has as many people rooting for his success as Chris Coste. That list includes current and former coaches and teammates, people working and playing in the game, people who follow the game, and his entire hometown of Fargo, North Dakota.
I doubt there is anyone in minor league baseball who inspires more people to check out Triple-A box scores than Chris, with each of his 3- for-4 nights giving people more hope that his dream—their dream—of the major leagues is just a phone call away.
doesn’t define who he is. Sure, he’s a great hitter who can catch and play anywhere on the field, but more than that he is a wonderful husband, father and friend, a devoted Christian, and usually the fan favorite on whichever team for which he is currently playing. I think Chris truly understands and appreciates that he is lucky to be playing a child’s game for money, and the fact that he understands that is the key to Chris’ positive relationship with both fans and friends.
To know Chris’ story is to understand that it took patience, perseverance,and probably a little luck to get where he is now, and I think Chris appreciates both the journey and what has resulted from it. Never having been the pampered superstar, Chris was never judged as a player whose ability shines so brightly that being in his presence is enough to sustain life. His professional journey began in 1995 in a league that has long since disappeared and has taken him through the independent minor leagues, a few major league organizations, and partial winters in Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela. To Chris and those who know him, the major leagues are just the next step in an incredible journey.
Exactly how far has Chris come on his journey? At Division III Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, just across the Red River from Fargo, Chris was an All-American pitcher and third baseman. Yet, Chris started at catcher and also played first base in the 2002 Triple-A All-Star game. His Northern League career, the true springboard for his success, began at second base, a position Chris had never played in his life coming into his first RedHawks spring training. Much like his journey around the infield, his baseball journey has taken him all over, sometimes with his wife and daughter, sometimes with just his teammates, but always with his keen sense of observation and an eye for detail that allows him to shed a little light on what he sees on the “inside” of a baseball team.
When helping Chris put together his first book, “Hey, I’m Just the Catcher” in 1997, I had countless number of people ask why an independent league catcher was writing a book. At the time I really didn’t have a good answer, but I think I understand now.
Chris wants everyone who is interested to be able to share in the fun and enjoyment he feels being a professional baseball player. This isn’t a book glorifying Chris Coste and his accomplishments on the
field—there are already plenty of books out there by professional athletes looking to tell “their story.” Instead, it’s a book of the people Chris wishes you had the opportunity to come across in your everyday life. Chris Coste knows the fortune that he has been blessed with to experience the things that he has in professional baseball. And as always, the perfect teammate, Chris wants to share the wealth with you.
- Kyle Richardson