Alaskan Summer league baseball

[itjclarke]

I'm in Alaska on a business trip and while on a run earlier today, a few miles from my hotel, I heard the crack of bats (wood bats). I followed the sound, only to find the Anchorage Bucs taking BP. As it turned out today is their opening day vs the Glacier Pilots. I bought my grandstand seat on the spot ($5) and now one game, 1x each- dog/burger/super nachos/beer later, I'm waiting through intermission between games of the doubleheader (had no idea I'd get a 2nd game!). Good clean baseball being played by a whole bunch of future pro and possibly MLB talent. Love it when things just fall into place like this.

I'll try to post a pic or two when I get back to my room... I know there are some AK boardmembers who can relate to the awesomeness of this league. Gonna have to see the midnight game one of these years.

[Jay Wolt]

very cool!
Sounds like a great day

[Cardboard Junkie]

Sure sounds like a blast! The midnight sun game is just a week or two away I think. An interesting anecdote: Last time I was in Fairbanks (1974) I wandered into a hole in the wall sears store and there was a huge stack of complete boxed 74Topps sets...must of been 2 or 3 hundred of em.....5 bucks a piece. I Bought one! Dave. Can't wait to see some pics. too bad largeass couldn't be there for the midnight game.

[itjclarke]

I really want to see that midnight game some time Dave... would like to grab some $5 '74 sets as well. It was a great day. I stayed for both ends of the double header (7 inning games) and downed 2nd beer for kicks. The artificial turf infield was more than offset by the beautiful weather, a wood bat home run, pitchers blowing 90+ MPH, and great gloves/clean picks all around. I'd recommend seeing one of these games to anyone who'll be in Alaska during the summer.

Here's some pics...

BTW- if you can't read, some of the team alumni of note- Pilots- Mark McGwire, Ben McDonald, Ryan Ludwick, Rick Aguilera, Randy Johnson, Aaron Boone, Chris Chambliss, JT Snow, and more... Bucs- Jeff Kent, Ike Davis, Keith Foulke, Jared Weaver, Kevin Maas, many many more.

[deadballfreaK]

Minor league baseball is really a fun day at the ballpark. Cheaper, more relaxed, laid back. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Evansville Triplets (AAA) games in the 70s. Couple of times a week. For ten bucks you could get in, have a couple of burgers or dogs, and a few beers.

I got to see Bert Blyleven, Mark Fidrych, Lance Parrish, Jim Leland and many others on the home team. Lots of great visiting players as well. Sandberg, Reitz, a bunch of future major leaguers. Good times!

[aabram23]

It brought back good memories while reading your post so I thought I'd add my first hand experience to this thread. I played for the anchorage pilots back in the summer of 97. Don't look up my stats, nothing impressive but I will say it was probably they best summer of my life. I was the 4th outfielder so I DHed every game basically. I didn't feel so bad when all 3 guys in front of me made it to the show. Colin Porter, Jeremy Owens and my life long friend Ryan Ludwick. I attached some Picts of us then and now (spring training this year) Danny Wright was one of our pitchers. Ill never forget him getting clocked at 98 in the 8th after setting the record for the most wild pitches in a game. It was probably the best team I ever played on. There are more stories from that summer than I can even explain. Thanks for being an advocate and posting. Enjoy these pictures have fun up there. Watch out for the Bush Company.
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[deadballfreaK]

Awesome. As a Cardinal fan I have a lotta love for Ryan. I hated it when he got traded. The deal worked out for the Cardinals I guess. He just keeps getting hurt, but when he is healthy he is a force. A real team guy. Doesn't mind laying out for a catch. A very good friend to have I expect, Aaron!

Great photos! Lived in Alaska for ten years (on the Aleutian Peninsula; King Cove, Port Moller, False Pass & Dutch Harbor). I highly recommend the Midnight Sun Tournament, a must for any baseball fan, just awesome.

Satchel Paige also played for the Anchorage Earthquakes in 1966.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by aabram23

It brought back good memories while reading your post so I thought I'd add my first hand experience to this thread. I played for the anchorage pilots back in the summer of 97. Don't look up my stats, nothing impressive but I will say it was probably they best summer of my life. I was the 4th outfielder so I DHed every game basically. I didn't feel so bad when all 3 guys in front of me made it to the show. Colin Porter, Jeremy Owens and my life long friend Ryan Ludwick. I attached some Picts of us then and now (spring training this year) Danny Wright was one of our pitchers. Ill never forget him getting clocked at 98 in the 8th after setting the record for the most wild pitches in a game. It was probably the best team I ever played on. There are more stories from that summer than I can even explain. Thanks for being an advocate and posting. Enjoy these pictures have fun up there. Watch out for the Bush Company.

That is so awesome! I was watching all those college kids, thinking how amazing an experience a summer or two playing ball in Alaska would be... And now find out a boardmember played there! So cool! It was such a cool fan experience.. I walked into an empty ballpark during BP and sat in the first row. I shagged a few fouls balls, saw/talked to a couple players and was amazed they said "thanks" when I said I was gonna get a ticket for the game. During the game, I talked to fans who knew the players and I think in some cases were housing them.

I also noticed in my Pilots program yesterday that Ryan Ludwick holds the Pilots' single season HR record.. I think it was 19 in 1997 (guessing in like 50 or so games?). Pretty amazing. I flew to Kodiak today, but am back in Anchorage tonight and may try to catch another Bucs/Pilots game before heading down to Southeast.

Btw the Bucs took both ends of the doubleheader, but the games didn't count toward league standings. I'm guessing all teams are waiting for a few guys to get out of the Super Regionals/CWS. Bucs had some good pitchers, including a 6'7" starter from Fresno State that went 6 shutout, and only allowed a hit.. And skinny rubber armed little guy out of the bullpen that was throwing 92-93. A Pilot hit the only HR of the day.

[aabram23]

Glad you're enjoying it. Ludwick went off that summer. It seemed like every time he got up he hit a bomb. The thing I still give him a hard time about is he didn't win the MVP for our team, Jeremy Owens did. I stayed with the guy who sits in the front row with a mega phone. He yells at the opposing team with it. Everyone calls him "asshole bill". Go say hello to him for me and and you'll hear more than you'll ever want to know about the pilots. Ill warn you. Don't show any love for the Bucs around him. He used to make us call them the Bucs but with an F. The team I was on won the Alaskan league but didn't end up going to the NBC tourney in Wichita because they were broke. Kenai won second in the league and got 1st in the NBC. Matsu got 3rd in Alaska and got 3rd in NBC.

[Cardboard Junkie]

Now THIS is a "great" thread! Guys talkin baseball, Anybody got any "cards" that relate to the topic. So refreshing not to have members bickering. Carry on I'm really enjoying it. Dave.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

Now THIS is a "great" thread! Guys talkin baseball, Anybody got any "cards" that relate to the topic. So refreshing not to have members bickering. Carry on I'm really enjoying it. Dave.

Ha! I'll post some AK league alumni cards when I get a chance.. May be a while though since I'll be flying daily (Kodiak, Ketchikan, Peterburg, Wrangell, Juneau then finally home!!) all week.

Now I really have to go tonight's game, and I have to find the guy with that megaphone. I always want the down and dirty. I was sitting on the Bucs side, just because it was closer to the main entrance and in the shade. It was funny though, there was lots of heckling going on. Some guy yelled "if you could hit, you'd have done it by now.. 32 can't hit!!" as the pitch was coming in and the guy just crushed over the wall/power alley in left. Heckler was probably 30 feet behind the batter. Also kept hearing fans discuss the Pilot and Buc "on field talent".. Meaning the microphone girls who'd announce promotions/winners in between innings. Won't go into details about what they were saying.. Only that the conversations reminded me of Millie from Bull Durham.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

While I have never been lucky enough to travel to Alaska I did really enjoy the DVD that came out a year or so ago on the league. Just google Touching the Game baseball. The film company did a wonderful job first with their Cape Cod film and then the follow up on Alaska.

[wayne97]

Wow, great post. I played in the league for 2 different teams. 1981 in Palmer for Mat-su-miners and my second year 1983 for the Bucs. Back then, it was the best place to play college baseball. The Pilots had baseball cards made of the team 1981. 81 included McGwire. I also played in the midnight sun game in 1983. The crowd always was on each player for any little thing. It was a awesome experience for a young man from the Beach.

[MacDice]

I coached in the Midnight Summer game last year and it was an experience that I won't forget. A photographer took an amazing photo of me in the Mignight game that he posted in his blog but the bad thing is he won't sell me the digital file nor will be printing me a copy of the photo in the size I want. Still irrates me (may email him later today now that i am thinking about it). Back in he day the talent level was almost at par as the Cape but even though its not what it used to be it is not bad. The Goldpanners stadium could use a major upgrade. The Bucs ballpark was my favorite that we played in. Would have been noce to not have had the same umpire crew for all the games on the trip. Worth a trip to go watch if you can go.

[deadballfreaK]

Wasn't it in that Alaskan League where a small plane crash landed in the outfield a few years back?

Thanks to this thread, started looking for Alaska memorabilia from towns I used to work in and was stunned to find this 1924 Port Moller (AK) High School Herring Chokers photo.

Port Moller has been a seasonal fishing facility for more than 100 years. The High School operated from 1915 until 1931 when the town was abandoned. It is essentially a dock on the Bering Sea that processes world-class salted sockeye sides. Still operates under the Peter Pan Seafoods banner to this day. Notice the High School has no women, I would imagine, thus the moniker, Herring Chokers.

[itjclarke]

Some more pics from the AK League... pulled these off the Goldpanners website.

1964 (Seaver, Monday, G Nettles) & 1966 (Lee, Bob Boone, J Nettles) Goldpanners
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Bill Lee then (1966-1967)
lee-bill_01.jpglee-bill_67-01.jpg

Bill Lee in 2008
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Tom Seaver also played for the Goldpanners in the 60's
1967 Topps Tom Seaver 0.55.jpgseaver-tom_01.jpg