[Elendil]

2014 All-Star Break

Standings

Seward Division

AGP: 45-29
ERC: 44-28
KOD: 42-29
BET: 37-34
ANC: 32-37
PEN: 31-38

Denali Division

JUN: 52-18
SIT: 37-35
WHI: 31-41
MSM: 29-41
NPN: 26-45
FAI: 22-53

Juneau is on pace for the best season of all time, while Fairbanks is on pace for the worst. Their problem has been a devastating series of injuries, of which Kawano's was the worst, but the others that followed have also kept key players out of the lineup. Kodiak is still hanging tough.

The Seward Division is just dominating this year: they are 36 games above .500 (and conversely, the Denali is 36 games below). What a turnaround from just a couple of years ago. Given the unbalanced schedules, Juneau's fantastic record has to be seen in this context.

All-Star Teams

Seward Division

From Anchorage Glacier Pilots: 2B Colwell, LF MacNeill, CF Dunsmore, SS Bradley, CL Arrington, MR Landry, SP Dessureault (7)

From Kodiak: 2B Robison, 1B Bourque, CF M. Collette, C Russo, LF Keeping, SP Gould (6)

From Chugiak: LF Botfield, 3B Small, MR Brown, SP Gagnon, CL Staitie, SP Mihashi (6)

From Anchorage Bucs: C Cashmann, SP Pratt, SP Hatt (3)

From Bethel: SS Tomlinson, SP Barrett (2)

From Peninsula: C Peterson (1)

Denali Division

From Juneau: LF Okawa, 1B R. Collette, CF Theriault, C Parrish, SP Taggart, CL Colwill, SP A. Sonier, SP Northeast (8)

From Mat-Su: RF Suto, SS Robertson, CF Payne, SP Hill (4)

From Sitka: 1B Heard, SS Hussey, C Leroux (3)

From Whitehorse: 2B Logan, SP Townend, SP Mack (3)

From North Pole: 3B Swerdlow, SP Major (2)

From Fairbanks: RF Garrett, CL Teranishi (2)

Whitehorse pitcher Geoffrey Townend is a nice feel-good story. The 31-year-old Townend first broke into the Alaskan League in 2009, at age 26. He pitched with Kodiak his first five seasons and put up amazing numbers as a starting pitcher in 2010 (118 IP, 2.43 ERA, 7-5, 111 K). He was then relegated to the bullpen for the next three years and really started to struggle in 2012 and 2013. He was even demoted to Wrangell both of those years. This past offseason, he signed on with Whitehorse at league minimum and made their rotation out of training camp. So far he's posted a 2.73 ERA in 89 IP (14 GS) with 7 HRA, 29 BB, and 97 K. His stuff is very much intact!

A few familiar names are missing. John Abston, North Pole second baseman, is having his worst year ever: .287/.349/.414 with just 6 HR. Not a terrible year by any stretch, but not his usual standard. He's posted a VORP over 40 each of the past five years, but this year it stands at just 14.6 so far.

Bob Horton has battled injury again this year, but when he's been in the lineup for the Nicks, he has hit well - but without his former power. In 92 AB, he's posted a monstrous .370/.487/.620 line, but with just 3 HR. Not bad for a 41-year-old.

Mat-Su's 42-year-old catcher, Pierre-Alexandre Langlois, who has signed an extension for $115,000 per year to take him through his forty-fifth birthday, is finally showing signs of decline. He's hit just .263/.355/.358 this year and has also struggled with injury. He's posted a VORP over 20 every year of the league's existence (over 40 every year but two), but it stands at just 7.2 for him now. For the first time since 2007, he's struck out more than he's walked. Time may be catching up with Langlois, but he remains the most popular Miner in Greater Matanuska-Susitna.

2014 All-Star Game





Some views of Mulcahy Stadium

July 20, 2014 - This year's Alaskan League All-Star Game was held at spacious Mulcahy Stadium, home of the Glacier Pilots and Bucs, and the largest stadium in Alaska.

This one ended up being an entertaining evening for the fans. The heavily favored Seward Division opened up a 3-0 lead early, scoring in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings, while the Denali Division quickly burned through three pitchers. In the bottom of the 4th, the Denalis struck back when Arnie Heard laced an RBI double to right-center, then Charley Logan knocked in the runner on third with a sac fly, and finally Olivier Theriault topped off the rally with a two-run homer. 4-3 Denalis. In the top of the 5th, Dale Robison and Phil Botfield wowed the crowd with back-to-back home runs, the first down the right field line and the second down the left field line. 6-4 Seward Division (Robison's homer was a two-run shot).

So things remained until the bottom of the 7th, when Colin Garrett singled, Jack Hustle doubled, and then Tommy Okawa doubled them both in. Tie game.

In the top of the 10th, Ron Yuke came in to pitch for the Denalis. He was really their last available pitcher, as the others left in the bullpen were a little tired, having started three days ago. Yuke yielded a one-out single to Mike Collette and then an RBI double to rookie Mike Keeping, giving the Seward Division the lead.

In the bottom of the 10th, Yuke's spot came up first, but the Denali manager brought in good-hitting pitcher Anthony Sonier to pinch-hit. He grounded out against Seward pitcher Floyd Arrington (the Glacier Pilot closer). Okawa then drew a walk, and George Robertson struck out to put the Denalis down to their final out. Bryce Payne followed with a single between the first and second baseman, and Okawa scrambled over to third.

Charley Logan came up to the plate and stroked a line drive that got down in front of the center fielder. Okawa scored, and an errant throw allowed Logan and Payne to make it to second and third. Tie game.

Ralph Collette came to the plate and dribbled a grounder to the second baseman. He beat it out, and with the runners running on contact, Payne made it home, giving the Denali Division a well-earned 8-7 victory!

Dale Robison of the losing squad was awarded All-Star MVP for going 2-for-4 with a home run.