The One Man Who Made Kyle Farnsworth Iowa's Most Searched Pitcher

A baseball-obsessed Iowa resident's frequent searches on Baseball-Reference led to the former MLB pitcher becoming the most searched in the state.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Former MLB pitcher Kyle Farnsworth was surprised to learn he was the most searched baseball player in Iowa in 2025, according to Baseball-Reference data. The reason behind this unlikely distinction was a single man, Bob Laures, from the small town of Waverly, Iowa. Laures frequently searched Farnsworth's Baseball-Reference page while playing the online game Immaculate Grid, causing a spike in traffic to Farnsworth's profile and making him the top searched player in the state, even surpassing stars like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

Why it matters

This story highlights the power of individual online behavior to influence data and rankings, even for obscure or retired athletes. It also showcases the popularity of baseball statistics and trivia games like Immaculate Grid, which can drive unexpected spikes in traffic to player profiles. The story provides a humorous and unique look at how niche interests and quirky fan behavior can shape broader data trends.

The details

Bob Laures, a resident of Waverly, Iowa, was playing the online baseball trivia game Immacratic Grid during a road trip to Cooperstown with his son. When his son asked who Kyle Farnsworth was, Laures became intrigued and started frequently searching Farnsworth's Baseball-Reference page, either intentionally or by accident. Laures estimates he visited Farnsworth's page 20-30 times per day as part of his "lunchtime ritual" of playing Immaculate Grid, leading to over 10,000 visits to Farnsworth's profile in a year. This spike in traffic from a single user in a small Iowa town was enough to make the former MLB pitcher the most searched in the state, surpassing even stars like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

  • In 2025, Kyle Farnsworth was named the most searched baseball player in Iowa.
  • A couple years ago, Bob Laures was on a road trip to Cooperstown with his son and started playing the Immaculate Grid game, leading to his frequent searches of Farnsworth's Baseball-Reference page.

The players

Kyle Farnsworth

A former MLB pitcher who played for several teams during his career, including the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays. Despite never making an All-Star team, he surprisingly became the most searched baseball player in Iowa in 2025.

Bob Laures

A resident of Waverly, Iowa, who frequently searched Kyle Farnsworth's Baseball-Reference page while playing the online baseball trivia game Immaculate Grid, leading to Farnsworth becoming the most searched player in the state.

Eric Laures

Bob Laures' son, who was surprised to learn that his father's frequent searches of Kyle Farnsworth's profile had made the former pitcher the most searched in Iowa, even surpassing stars like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

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What they’re saying

“I'm blown away. I guess I'm just that big of an idiot.”

— Bob Laures (mlb.com)

“I mean, if there's nine people on Immaculate Grid, and you look up two or three people per category, that's 20-30 times a day [to Farnsworth's page].”

— Eric Laures, Bob Laures' son (mlb.com)

“I think I found out around New Years. Someone said, 'Hey, did you know you're the most-searched baseball player in Iowa?' I said, 'What are you talking about?' I had no idea. ... It's an honor to still be remembered.”

— Kyle Farnsworth (mlb.com)

What’s next

If Kyle Farnsworth remains the most searched baseball player in Iowa next year, it will confirm that Bob Laures' frequent searches of his Baseball-Reference page were the sole reason for Farnsworth's unexpected popularity in the state.

The takeaway

This story highlights how the online behavior of a single dedicated fan can have an outsized impact on data and rankings, even for obscure or retired athletes. It showcases the power of niche interests and quirky fan activities to shape broader trends, providing a humorous and unique look at the influence of individual actions in the digital age.