Bush League

[Elendil]

Game Five


Bob Nealon (4.69, 3-11)

vs.

Mays

September 3 - Davis Crawford had strained his back in his last start, so Bethel turned to Bob Nealon for the start. Some Mushers fans thought this might be a blessing in disguise: despite his terrible record, Nealon had excellent control, had gone 10-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 2007, and might have extra incentive to beat the Senators: he'd pitched for them for two years before joining Bethel over the last offseason.

The wind was whipping in from rightfield, and the thermometer read a chilly 39 degrees as the first pitch was thrown. The weather portended another difficult game for the hitters. If anyone might benefit, it could be the Mushers, as the Senators player might not be as inured to the hostile conditions (Juneau's climate was rainy but comparatively mild).

However, Nealon had a tough time of it right from the start. He loaded the bases in the first, uncharacteristically yielding two walks, before getting out of it without any damage.

In the top of the fourth, the Senators finally made him pay. After a double and a walk, Dunsmore tripled in two runs, then scored when pitcher Louis Mays helped himself with a deep flyout to right.

Meanwhile, Pitcher-of-the-Year-apparent Mays dominated the Mushers hitters, with some help from his defense. At one point he set down 15 straight Bethel hitters. In the end, he went the distance, giving up just three hits, a walk, and no errors. The Senators themselves left 14 men on base, but regardless, their effort was good enough to whitewash the Mushers, 4-0. The Mushers had gone scoreless in the last two games of the series, and the Juneau Senators were Alaskan champions.

Louis Mays was voted Alaskan Championship Series MVP for winning both his starts and putting up a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings.

[Elendil]

League Standings

Seward Division            
Team  				W  L    WPct   GB   R    RA
Bethel Mushers  		52  45  0.536  -    473  438
Peninsula Oilers  		51  46  0.526  1    456  456
Kodiak Grizzlies  		49  47  0.510  2.5  422  450
Anchorage (ANC) Bucs  		47  49  0.490  4.5  473  445
Eagle River-Chugiak Jets  	42  54  0.438  9.5  453  515
Anchorage (AGP) Glacier Pilots  36  60  0.375  15.5 385  487
Denali Division            
Team  				W  L    WPct   GB  R    RA
Juneau Senators  		59  37  0.615  -   526  380
Mat-Su Miners  			56  40  0.583  3   533  457
North Pole Nicks  		56  40  0.583  3   541  475
Ketchikan King Salmon  		45  51  0.469  14  439  469
Sitka Sentinels  		45  51  0.469  14  477  515
Fairbanks Goldpanners  		39  57  0.406  20  435  526

League Batting Stats

Team				R/G	R	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
North Pole Nicks		5.6	541	96	3283	893	137	14	141	372	498	70	0.272	0.348	0.451	0.799
Mat-Su Miners			5.6	533	96	3290	865	139	9	121	384	567	49	0.263	0.342	0.421	0.763
Juneau Senators			5.5	526	96	3330	884	191	18	90	379	538	28	0.265	0.343	0.415	0.758
Sitka Sentinels			5	477	96	3372	879	189	19	85	336	527	17	0.261	0.331	0.404	0.734
Bethel Mushers			4.9	473	97	3352	871	189	21	81	287	557	35	0.260	0.324	0.401	0.725
Anchorage (ANC) Bucs		4.9	473	96	3315	875	176	13	77	280	482	40	0.264	0.324	0.395	0.719
Peninsula Oilers		4.7	456	97	3404	892	203	8	101	367	523	27	0.262	0.339	0.415	0.755
Eagle River-Chugiak Jets 	4.7	453	96	3385	907	162	10	59	318	551	8	0.268	0.336	0.374	0.710
Ketchikan King Salmon		4.6	439	96	3292	838	174	11	64	363	533	43	0.255	0.330	0.372	0.703
Fairbanks Goldpanners		4.5	435	96	3390	927	158	16	49	273	512	32	0.273	0.331	0.373	0.704
Kodiak Grizzlies		4.4	422	96	3302	826	179	21	69	279	509	19	0.250	0.311	0.380	0.691
Anchorage (AGP) Glacier Pilots	4	385	96	3308	810	169	10	91	306	543	13	0.245	0.315	0.385	0.699
Totals				4.9	5613	1154	40023	10467	2066	170	1028	3944	6340	381	0.262	0.331	0.399	0.730
Average	 				468	96	3335	872	172	14	86	329	528	32

League Pitching Stats

Team				R/G	R	G	CG	SHO	SV	ERA	IP	HA	HRA	BB	K	WHIP	OAVG	BABIP
Juneau Senators			4	380	96	8	12	30	3.36	865.1	770	74	293	559	1.23	0.235	0.264
Bethel Mushers			4.5	438	97	6	4	25	3.93	869.2	879	77	297	486	1.35	0.260	0.285
Anchorage (ANC) Bucs		4.6	445	96	13	2	22	3.90	848	825	77	300	535	1.33	0.252	0.281
Kodiak Grizzlies		4.7	450	96	2	6	27	4.11	853.2	861	83	315	544	1.38	0.261	0.291
Peninsula Oilers		4.7	456	97	8	4	26	4.06	880	897	85	320	543	1.38	0.264	0.293
Mat-Su Miners			4.8	457	96	5	5	31	3.96	854.2	893	84	309	511	1.41	0.268	0.295
Ketchikan King Salmon		4.9	469	96	11	5	24	3.99	860.1	871	62	350	470	1.42	0.261	0.288
North Pole Nicks		4.9	475	96	13	7	25	4.03	855.2	869	98	300	647	1.37	0.259	0.296
Anchorage (AGP) Glacier Pilots	5.1	487	96	9	3	17	4.30	859.2	885	99	339	555	1.42	0.265	0.292
Sitka Sentinels			5.4	515	96	8	4	21	4.66	859.2	923	102	361	519	1.49	0.272	0.296
Eagle River-Chugiak Jets	5.4	515	96	3	3	15	4.71	857.2	899	93	375	495	1.49	0.270	0.294
Fairbanks Goldpanners		5.5	526	96	8	4	17	4.70	851.2	895	94	385	476	1.5	0.271	0.293
Totals				4.9	5613	1154	94	59	280	4.14	10316	10467	1028	3944	6340	1.4	0.262	0.289
Average	 			468	96	8	5	23	 	860	872	86	329	528

League Miscellaneous Stats

Team				ExpW	ExpL	Diff	AS	aAS	BAW	PAW	RAW	FAW	Attendance	Payroll	Balance
Juneau Senators			62	34	-3	7	22	0	1	1	2	58367	$507,784.00	$57,611.00
Bethel Mushers			52	45	0	5	12	0	0	1	3	50495	$474,484.00	-$43,420.00
Anchorage (ANC) Bucs		51	45	-4	4	12	0	1	0	4	70612	$567,522.00	$135,471.00
Kodiak Grizzlies		45	51	4	1	8	0	0	0	0	52560	$458,987.00	$76,048.00
Peninsula Oilers		49	48	2	4	16	0	1	0	3	63601	$621,758.00	-$36,810.00
Mat-Su Miners			55	41	1	2	13	0	0	0	2	67495	$786,672.00	-$107,917.00
Ketchikan King Salmon		45	51	0	3	8	0	0	0	3	45874	$497,023.00	-$76,757.00
North Pole Nicks		54	42	2	7	23	2	0	0	1	74985	$854,203.00	-$195,686.00
Anchorage (AGP) Glacier Pilots	38	58	-2	8	20	1	1	0	4	47797	$840,002.00	-$299,451.00
Sitka Sentinels			45	51	0	5	12	1	0	0	6	51080	$544,458.00	-$49,780.00
Eagle River-Chugiak Jets	42	54	0	4	16	0	0	1	2	49836	$349,280.00	-$82,798.00
Fairbanks Goldpanners		40	56	-1	3	14	0	0	0	4	45088	$464,180.00	-$31,718.00

League Award Winners

Hitter of the Year Award: John Abston NPN .327/.389/.579, 23 HR, 58 RBI, 54.4 VORP
Pitcher of the Year Award: Louis Mays JUN 13-3, 2.05 ERA, 144.2 IP, 121 K, 49.4 VORP
Rookie of the Year Award: Eugene Pond ERC 1-4, 3.69 ERA, 75.2 IP, 52 K, 15.2 VORP
Reliever of the Year Award: Loren Coleman BET 3-1, 1.49 ERA, 36.1 IP, 35 K, 18 SV
Comeback Player of the Year Award: Tom Robbins AGP .331/.420/.587, 21 HR, 61 RBI, 47.0 VORP

[Elendil]

Disaster!

September 14, 2009 - Barely had the glow of the awards ceremony subsided, when the league announced the dire financial numbers from the just-completed season. Nine of twelve teams had lost money, and the Glacier Pilots had gone catastrophically into the red. The Jets had lost less money than in 2008, but were still heading in the wrong direction.

The Board of Governors voted to rescind the franchises of the owners of the Chugiak and Anchorage clubs, and to establish league oversight over their finances. The league itself would thus assume the considerable debts of these teams, which put the league in a precarious financial position. The Board also voted, unanimously, to invoke Clause 4A(3) of the league bylaws, which authorizes the Commissioner to annul all player and personnel contracts for teams that have been placed into receivership.

Within a few days, the Commissioner had decided to void the contracts of all players on both clubs who were making more than league minimum. The following players thus became free agents immediately:

From Eagle River-Chugiak:

• First baseman Adam Joly
• Outfielder Ray Tomiak
• Starting pitcher Jeremie Dessureault
• Outfielder Colin Harmon

From Anchorage (AGP):

• Outfielder Tom Robbins
• Outfielder Dave Bonnar
• Shortstop Dave Chipman
• Starting pitcher Bryan Kendall
• Starting pitcher Gary Tufts
• Relief pitcher John Adams
• Starting pitcher Eric Liger
• First baseman Greg Perkins
• Relief pitcher Travis Jeoffrey

If the teams in receivership do not turn a profit after a year, or if no permanent owners are found, the Commissioner may contract the franchises. Of course, the Board of Governors has the power to overrule the Commissioner, but with the league's financial health at stake, it's doubtful that they would do so. All eyes now turn to Fairbanks, whose owners insist that they plan to turn that team's finances around and avoid further massive losses that could bring on receivership for them.

How did things get so bad?

The answer really lies in overspending. Last offseason, there was a feeding frenzy, as for the first time, most of the really decent players from Alaska who had not entered the MLB system were signed to AKL contracts. Most teams had expected a breakthrough in attendance and merchandise sales that simply had not materialized. Rumored league-wide TV contracts had also never worked out.

Putting two teams into receivership was clearly not the answer. Many excellent free agents were now dumped into a big pool of unsigned players, and few teams had the cash on hand to sign them. The players themselves obviously complained about the situation, and it wasn't good for the league either. How could you have Tom Robbins, Dave Bonnar, Louis Mays, John Abston, and other top-flight free agents simply not play next year because they had to work a "real job" to make ends meet?

The Owners' Conference

October 2009 - The owners met to resolve these issues the following month. They took several steps to improve the future financial health and stability of the league:

First, they increased the length of the season. Now, the season would go from the start of May to September 1: 108 games. The schedule would still be unbalanced: 12 games per intradivision opponent and 8 games per interdivision opponent. Travel expenses would rise, but if per-game attendance remained steady, net revenues would rise slightly.

Second, they reverted the minimum years for free agency to three, to extend the period that new players continued to make league minimum. Already a flush of very young free agents had hit the market because of the previous 2-year rule. However, the league minimum salary did rise as planned, to $5,000 per year, which made the financial constraints even tighter.

Third, and most controversially, the owners agreed a plan to renegotiate contracts with every player making more than $50,000 a year. These players would be locked out and remain unpaid until they agreed to the renegotiation. Each of these players would have 10% of his salary deducted for the remaining years on his contract, with a per-year salary floor of $50,000. This provision would not apply to players who would be in the first year of a new contract in 2010, thus allowing free agents to sign with confidence during the ongoing offseason. The renegotiations would not take effect until all the players had renegotiated, or the beginning of the season, whichever came first. Once the season had started, players who had not renegotiated would be banned from the league.

If the players had had a union, these decisions might have been more difficult, but it was difficult to organize the players: many of them had little time outside baseball, because they were also trying to hold down part-time or temporary jobs. Those who were free agents and wanted contracts also resented some of the huge, long-term contracts in the six figures that some players were still making. Even an elite player like Bob Horton was only making a little over $50,000 a year, because he had hit free agency last year. Reducing the salaries of existing players would have a direct correlation with bigger salaries for outstanding free agents.

And so the league struggled on, teetering on the brink, even as its popularity steadily grew across the state. Would it survive, even in altered form?

[Elendil]

The Off-season

The stage was set for the most turbulent off-season in the league's short history. Few teams had cash to spare, and the league was pulling out all the stops to renegotiate all the big contracts in the league. Meanwhile, some of the biggest names in the game had suddenly found themselves in free agency, thrown off the Jets and Pilots. Additionally, the league champion Senators found that they would almost certainly lose several of their key players, including Pitcher of the Year Louis Mays.

The first free agent to sign a deal was former Pilot Gary Tufts, who signed a modest $20,000 per year contract with the Peninsula Oilers. Tufts had won the Pitcher of the Year Award in 2007, but had gone 4-11 with a 4.50 ERA last year, having been victimized by the longball and his own team's poor defense.

After that, the Jets, who expected to make back enough money to pay off most of their debts, signed closer Monzaemon Mihashi, who boasted a career 2.69 ERA in three seasons with the Bucs. He would make $27,000 a year.

In a sign-and-trade move, the Jets also nabbed former Bethel pitcher Davis Crawford for a pittance, then after a few weeks dealt him to Fairbanks for young shortstop Mike Gaston (.270/.308/.354 in 189 AB last year).

The biggest trade of the offseason came in November, when the Bethel Mushers dealt outfielder Lloyd Flannery (career .332/.388/.504 but limited playing time last year) to the Peninsula Oilers for 25 year old starting pitcher Leif Morris (14-16, 4.37, 226 K in 317 IP career). The Mushers simply had no room for Flannery in the outfield but could use a decent arm in the rotation to replace Crawford.

From November to Opening Day, there were no further significant free agent signings, as several recalcitrant players faced down the league over the contract negotiations. No Robbins, no Mays, no Abston. It was almost the doomsday scenario the owners had feared.

On Thursday May 6th, the day before Opening Day, the league announced that the season would go forward without the locked-out players if necessary. Their bluff had been called. The North Pole Nicks particularly faced some real difficulties if the lockout did not end. Mike Rancourt, Alan Sellick, and Vincent Leroux were all holding out, apparently under the belief that the Nicks would knuckle under, defy the league, and let them play. In Rancourt's case, this made little sense, as the team would be better off letting him go immediately to free agency. He was making almost $120,000 a year but had only a career 29-18 record with a 3.87 ERA: good, but hardly superstar material.

Would a breakthrough come at the last moment?

[Elendil]

Opening Day

The morning of May 7th, the Commissioner assembled all the players whose contracts needed to be renegotiated and all their general managers and put them around a conference table at the league office in Anchorage. In this city and in others across Alaska, teams were getting ready to play without them.

The Commissioner gave an introduction in which he frankly and matter-of-factly laid out the league's dire financial situation. If this deal did not get done, this year would be the league's last - and then no one would be collecting any salaries for playing a boys' game.

Before the hard-tacks negotiation could begin, the players asked the Commissioner and GM's to leave the room so that they could confer. After about five minutes, they came out. They would take the 10% pay cut.

The players then hustled to get on planes to take them wherever they needed to be, and the GM's took out their laptops and got on the phone with free agents. The frenzy to acquire Robbins, Mays, Abston, and others was on - but the negotiations were likely to prove difficult, because teams still did not have a great deal of money. Most of these players would have to accept salaries substantially below what they had made before.

The day game kicking off the 2010 season was played in Kodiak, at the Grizzlies' home field, Kodiak Island Park. The Oilers were the visiting team.


Aerial view of Kodiak and Near Island

Ron Quinton defeated Stephen "Spud" Hill for the visiting team, sparked by a 4-for-5 performance by leadoff hitter Tommy Lambert. Final score: Peninsula 8, Kodiak 4.

Around the league, the Glacier Pilots defeated the Bucs 4-0 in their traditional Mulcahy Stadium faceoff; the Nicks destroyed cross-town rivals Fairbanks, 13-2; the Jets downed the Mushers on a three-run walk-off home run by Lindsay Beals, 4-3; the Miners edged the King Salmon in 11 innings, 4-3; and the Sentinels crushed the Senators in Juneau, 10-1.

[Elendil]

2010 Preview

After losing Robbins, Bonnar, Tufts, and others, the Glacier Pilots were left with a team of no-names and an accountant for a General Manager. Every player on their roster now made the league minimum. Fan support could be expected to be minimal this year.

Considering the immense task facing them, the Pilots' front office did a pretty decent job putting together a roster of guys who had basic baseball skills, including strong defense, some speed, and smarts. The only player with any name recognition whatsoever was outfielder Boyd McNeely, formerly of Ketchikan and Peninsula, who had hit 15 homers each of the previous two years. He'd signed a league-minimum deal with the club in March.

The pitching staff looked ugly. Number one starter Mike McCutcheon had a career 4.68 ERA, including 99 K's in 173 IP.

Prediction: Last in the Seward, but perhaps not horrendous



In 2007 the Bucs had been the goats for the Robbins fiasco, and the Glacier Pilots looked set to become "Alaska's Team." But now the Bucs carried the hopes of Anchorage in the Seward Division, having finished rather strong last year.

This year the Bucs' standouts would include third baseman Nick Bedford (.298/.372/.511 last year), shortstop Ken Swerdlow (.330/.388/.474 last year, finally developing some power and eye), new outfielder Dave Bonnar, and center fielder Dave Reeve (has quietly put together a career .291/.364/.506 line in 3 years with the Bucs). They had also signed Ray Tomiak from the Jets, who'd had a legendary 2007, a downright bad 2008, and a very solid 2009 (but had faded toward the end). He was now 34.

The rotation looked iffy; it would be led by Jeff Simmons, recently claimed off waivers (!) from Peninsula (career ERA 3.76 in 220 IP). But they had some pretty decent guys beyond him, including Ken Dickson (9-12, 3.21 last year) and Pete Strelioff (7-6, 3.71 last year).

Prediction: 1st in the Seward



Last year's Seward Division champs, the Mushers fielded a squad of pretty good but not great players. They had played well as a team last year and surprised everyone by beating out Peninsula for the pennant. This year they would look much the same, with catcher Carl Preston (career .267/.371/.510), second baseman Duncan Sutherland (career .264/.347/.499), and outfielder Kelyn Birley (career .306/.382/.533) leading the offense and an apparently peaking Newt Langille (career 14-27, 4.32, last year 8-7, 4.02) the #1 starter again. Leif Morris and Vincent Robinson would fill the #2 and #3 slots but were question marks, in the one case due to youth and in the other due to an injury history.

Youngster Sean Heath was expected to make an impact at the plate this year and would start the season as the starter in right field.

Prediction: 3rd in the Seward



The Jets had been stripped bare just like the Glacier Pilots, but having gone less deeply into debt, had actually made a couple of free agent signings and could also rely on a deep minor league squad. This would be a very young team this year.

The rotation would be headed up by 21 year old Eugene Pond, who had come up last year as an injury replacement and put up decent numbers (3.69 ERA, 52 K in 76 IP). Free agent signing Eric Liger had put up a career 3.61 ERA with the Glacier Pilots. After him came rookies Dave Gibbon and Charles Pretty and a 38-year-old Trevor Wiggins, formerly of Sitka, who came in on a league minimum 1-year contract (6.31 ERA last year and more walks than strikeouts).

On offense the team was much depleted without either Ray Tomiak, who had signed with the Bucs, or Adam Joly, who had not yet signed with anyone. The team put its faith in a clutch of rookies, including catcher Dave Lepine, rushed up after just being drafted last year, second baseman John Hauk (.351/.393/.404 in 57 AB as an August callup), shortstop Mike Gaston, acquired in a trade, and outfielder John Harrow. This was definitely going to be a rebuilding year.

Prediction: 5th in the Seward, but could be horrendous



The Goldpanners had a few marquee players, such as perennial batting champion contender Gary Johnson (.364/.485/.526 last year, 2nd in Batter of the Year voting), Jimmy Williams (.315/.376/.556 career), and infield defensive wiz Bill Rogers (.275/.334/.434 career, so a little pop too), but they had lost a lot of players to free agency, including starter Chip Becker and batting champ Dirk Cluett. They had not done well last year, and they would likely do even worse this year, as their finances did not allow them any room to bring in good players. Other than Davis Crawford, every pitcher in their rotation was a rookie. This could be a bloodbath.

Prediction: Last in the Denali



The Senators, representing the fourth-largest market in the league, after Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Mat-Su, had built some fan loyalty by winning a championship with ease, but then squandered it by failing to re-sign Louis Mays, Jeremy Offredi, Wynn Dunsmore, Jeremy Hodges, Art Johannson, James Labbee, and Vincent Quick. This year's team would be virtually unrecognizable.

Their chief stars now looked to be second baseman Ralph Collette (.299/.384/.491 last year with 8 triples) on offense and the ever-popular Scott Northeast in the rotation. Doug Beard would also hit home runs for the team and Quinn Spence should be a capable #2 in the rotation. Catcher Bob Russo was still young (24), had a gun for an arm, and was still developing power. This would still be a good team, but in this competitive division it might not be enough.

Prediction: 3rd in the Denali



The King Salmon had disappointed last year, but some of their players had not. Center fielder George Henneberry had quieted the naysayers by putting up a .282/.364/.441 line (remember, he had had a .249 OBP in 2007). They also had some youngsters expected to contribute, including flashy shortstop Walt Duff and outfielder John Dugles. Catcher Carl White had quietly put up .295/.388/.477 in three seasons with the club, somehow never getting an All-Star nod.

John Mack should be a solid #1 starter for the club (career ERA 3.38). Beyond him, the rotation looked extremely sketchy, though.

Ketchikan would need to have some luck in player development to start contending in the next year or two, but at least they have put themselves on a firm financial footing.

Prediction: 4th in the Denali (but could conceivably move up)



The Grizzlies had disappointed many observers last year, due in part to the surprising collapse of third baseman Xander Eggert, who'd actually been demoted to the Training League and was now a free agent.

Over the offseason, the Grizzlies signed All-Star catcher Tim Rowsell away from the Mushers. Rowsell was not at all an offensive star, despite an eye-popping 33 doubles last year, but had a great arm. The team had also locked up first baseman Don Goodyear for 2010 (.296/.393/.515 last year). Beyond that, though, they really had no big names on offense, and in fact, they had lost several small but perhaps important pieces to their team's reasonable success to free agency.

Their #1 starter would be Stephen "Spud" Hill, who had put up breakout numbers last year (9-4, 2.33 ERA in 131 IP, 2nd in Pitcher of the Year voting). At 32, though, he didn't have much further upside. And after him, the rotation consisted of a bunch of castoffs making league minimum.

Prediction: 4th in the Seward (and could conceivably move down if the Jets' rookies work out)



Beyond All-Stars Greg Trudel and Bill Colwill, the Miners had not suffered from significant free agency attrition. They could still count on a lineup stocked with players like C Pierre-Alexandre Langlois (.327/.414/.518 last year), 1B John Brown (.300/.385/.447 last year in a down year), 2B Rene Fortier (.253/.347/.772 last year, also a down year), LF Rob Corley (.276/.373/.554 last year), and RF Dave Langille (.304/.402/.536 last year).

On the pitching side, the Miners could hope to count on the services of Will Blain for a full year, who had seemingly made a full recovery from his 2008 elbow fracture (3.66 ERA in 59 IP last year). They would also have Thierry Tremblay (11-4, 2.94 last year) and Fred Wadden (3-3, 2.80 last year).

Prediction: 1st in the Denali (a return to dominance?)



The Nicks had lost a couple of marquee free agents: 2B John Abston (.327/.389/.579) and LF Terry Kuhn (.278/.364/.473). Contract renegotiations had perhaps freed up enough cash to make a competitive offer to at least one of them.

Despite all that, this team was still formidable. Familiar names like Sellick, Leroux, Dwyer, Starr, Gaudet, and Horton still dominated the lineup. Additionally, highly touted youngster Dale Robison would start at second base (where he was a defensive black hole, granted), and another high-upside rookie, George Mullins, would man center field.

The rotation would again be headed up by lefty Chance Major (9-10, 3.72 last year, 158 strikeouts - a league record - in 131 innings), followed by Tom Pick (9-7, 3.69 last year), Mike Rancourt (11-4, 3.26 last year), Ryan Dye (4-2, 3.84 with Kodiak last year), and Greg Miner (5-7, 5.01 with AGP last year).

Prediction: 2nd in the Denali (but it will be a dogfight with the Miners)



The Oilers had lost a few regular players to free agency, but probably no one they couldn't replace from within. The team's main stars would probably be flashy second baseman Tommy Lambert (.291/.356/.360 last year), first baseman Tanner Bourque (.322/.419/.583 last year), and right fielder Lloyd Flannery (career .332/.388/.504 with Bethel).

The rotation was sketchy, but #1 starter Ron Quinton (9-6, 3.77 ERA last year) should be serviceable. The team also had some stellar defense at shortstop in weak-hitting Kevin West (seriously, the guy is a career .205/.248/.296 hitter but is an All-Star contender simply for his defense!).

Prediction: 2nd in the Seward



Sitka had done surprisingly well last year, beating last-place expectations. However, they had suffered an exodus of talent to free agency this offseason. The biggest blow was losing the best shortstop in the Alaskan game, Jonathan Bertrand (.286/.371/.538 last year).

However, they still had Connor Poapst in left to crush the long ball (career .285/.398/.543, 59 HR) and slick-fielding center fielder Jim Greene (.321/.360/.474 last year too).

The rotation wasn't a total black hole, although #1 starter John Dewitt had been rocked last year (5-12, 5.63 but 114 K in 136 IP, with 54 BB's). The rest of the rotation looked decent enough but not outstanding.

Prediction: 5th in the Denali

[Elendil]

A Crazy May

The Anchorage Daily News ran a story on Sunday May 9th on the top 15 free agents that would now be wooed by the teams with cash (Anchorage Bucs, Bethel, Kodiak, Mat-Su, and North Pole especially; Peninsula, Juneau, and Sitka to a lesser degree). Most players were expected to sign one- or two-year deals, if at all, because of the market glut, which the players hoped would be temporary. 2009 stats are in parentheses.

1. Tom "The Alabama Slamma" Robbins, OF (.331/.420/.587) - The 2009 Comeback Player of the Year is as valuable for the fan excitement he will generate in whatever city signs him as for his performance on the field. He could thus go to a mid-tier team hoping to raise its profile significantly. The Bucs, Mushers, and Grizzlies are all reportedly in the hunt for him.

2. Louis Mays, SP (2.05, 3.36 K/BB) - Last year's Pitcher of the Year for Juneau, Mays might ordinarily hold out for a big payday, but in a year like this, the small-market Senators might just be able to bring him back on a reasonable one-year deal.

3. John "Grave Digger" Abston, 2B (.327/.389/.579) - He has played his whole career with the Nicks and is one of the most popular players in North Pole. It is likely that Nicks management will make a strong play to bring him back.

4. Jonathan Bertrand, SS (.286/.371/.538, 37.9 VORP) - Bertrand isn't the slickest shortstop in the world, but being able to play it at all and hit the way he does makes him one of the most valuable players in the league. Sitka might just have the cash to bring him back, but it's a close thing - and Bertrand may want to move to a contender. Born in Kotzebue in the northwestern bush of mixed ancestry.

5. Jack "Locomotive" Hatt, SP (3.56, 3.11 K/BB) - Locomotive has been the #1 starter for the Bucs each of the last three seasons, and it's unlikely that they would let him go.

6. Adam Joly, 1B (.360/.447/.614) - Led the league in OPS last year for the cellar-dwelling Jets until he went down with an injury. Still just 29 and one of the premier offensive talents on the market. Will probably go to a contender.

7. Wynn Dunsmore, OF (.312/.381/.519) - Just 23 years old, Dunsmore will likely command a pretty decent price on a short-term contract this year. Fairly popular in Juneau, he is certainly their biggest priority after Mays, but do they have a chance at paying him what he'll want?

8. Dave Bonnar, OF (.306/.407.480) - He has indicated that he would like to stay in Anchorage, and reportedly he has already been negotiating with the Bucs in the event the lockout crisis was resolved.

9. Chip Becker, SP (3.70, 2.24 K/BB) - Careful, consistent groundball pitcher who logged 160 1/3 innings last year with Fairbanks. Fairbanks can't re-sign him, so he is up for grabs and will likely go to the highest bidder. At this point, that probably means the contenders - Bucs, Miners, and Nicks - will do battle for him.

10. Bryan Kendall, SP (3.82, 3.61 K/BB) - Was a nice fit for the big spaces at Mulcahy Stadium, with his love of the high fastball. Probably wouldn't fit in with a team with a bandbox for a home stadium, like Juneau, Bethel, or North Pole. The Bucs, Miners, and Oilers could all get him.

11. Greg Trudel, OF (.289/.375/.488) - He has played his whole career with the Miners, and they have the cash to bring him back. The Miners are under pressure to improve and compete again with the Nicks and Senators, so look for a player-favorable deal to get done.

12. Ron "Nutball" Yuke, CL (2.92, 19 SV, 2.88 K/BB) - One of the trickiest pitchers in the league, Yuke strikes out well over a batter an inning. Injured most of 2007, sat out 2008, played for Kodiak in 2009. Could go to Mat-Su, whose closer last year, Bill Colwill, was shaky and is now a free agent as well. The Nicks could also use a reliable closer.

13. Terry Kuhn, OF (.278/.364/.473) - Part of the Nicks' wrecking crew the last two years. Not an elite FA, but can provide a good jolt to an offense. Originally from Anchorage.

14. Bill Colwill, CL (3.09, 21 SV, 4.30 K/BB) - Was the most dominant closer in the league in 2008, but gave up a whopping 12 HR in 58 IP last year. Just 28 and could well return to form. Unclear whether Mat-Su will bring him back.

15. Tim Rowsell, C (.263/.296/.407) - Good catchers are at a premium in this league, and Rowsell is a great one. He played every game last year for Bethel and allowed just 21 SB, while gunning down 16 runners. Not a very disciplined hitter, unfortunately, but still just 23 and could develop further at the plate. Kodiak badly needs a catcher, having started four different guys, none of them effective, at the position last year.

[Elendil]

Here's how those top 15 free agents ultimately landed:

1. Tom Robbins - Signed to a 1-year, $32,000 contract by Kodiak. A big coup for this oft-ignored mid-tier club.

2. Louis Mays - Re-signed by the Senators to a 1-year, $38,810 contract on May 31st (had already missed a good bit of the season).

3. John Abston - Re-signed by the Nicks to a 2-year, $30,000 per year contract.

4. Jonathan Bertrand - Signed to a 2-year, $28,000 per year contract by the Anchorage Bucs.

5. Jack Hatt - Re-signed by the Bucs to a 1-year, $42,000 contract as they make a push for the division title.

6. Adam Joly - Signed by the Bucs to a modest 1-year, $21,000 contract on May 31st.

7. Wynn Dunsmore - Re-signed by the Senators to a shockingly low 2-year contract ($11,800 per).

8. Dave Bonnar - Signed by the Bucs to a 1-year, $42,000 contract.

9. Chip Becker - Signed by the Nicks to a 1-year, $34,000 contract.

10. Bryan Kendall - Signed by the Oilers to a modest, $13,000 per year contract for two years.

11. Greg Trudel - Re-signed by the Miners to a 2-year deal, $50,400 per year.

12. Ron Yuke - Signed by the Grizzlies to a 2-year deal, $23,500 per year (little high for a closer).

13. Terry Kuhn - Signed by the Mushers to a 1-year deal, $27,500.

14. Bill Colwill - Signed by the Senators to a 2-year deal, $17,650 per year.

15. Tim Rowsell - Signed by the Grizzlies to a 1-year, $8500 deal.

Synopsis

The Bucs, Nicks, and Grizzlies all seem to have improved their teams markedly, followed by the Senators and Miners. Overall, the Bucs and Nicks then seem to have consolidated their favored status in their respective divisions.

May Turns to June

At the end of May, the Glacier Pilots were shocking everybody and stood atop the Seward Division, followed by the Bucs. In the Denali Division, the Miners and Nicks were dueling for first place, while the defending champion Senators were mired in last!

The Glacier Pilots' luck didn't hold long. In fact, they quickly went into a record-breaking tailspin, losing 13 consecutive games before finally defeating Kodiak 5-3 on June 17th. During that span, they had fallen from first to last in the division, while the Peninsula Oilers jumped out in front.

June ended up being an active trading month. Alan St. George (4-1, 3.30 this year), who knew what it was like to get traded, went from Peninsula to the Glacier Pilots and immediately became their #1 starter. The Oilers got SS Terence Ostrom (.138/.194/.172 this year in limited time). It looked like a lopsided trade in the Pilots' favor - or maybe a salary dump for the Oilers, but that didn't make sense, as the Pilots were the cash-strapped club.

The Bethel Mushers also sent 25-year-old reliever John Oram to the Mat-Su Miners in exchange for hot center field prospect Scott Jayne. Oram had a 2.33 ERA and immediately signed a two-year contract extension with the Miners. Meanwhile, the Mushers dealt Jayne just nine days later to Eagle River-Chugiak in exchange for starting pitcher Dave Gibbon (4.35 ERA, 1-5) and a minor league infielder.

The Mushers weren't done putting together a rebuild, as they also dealt Vincent Robinson (2-7, 5.52) to the Miners for top first base prospect Arnie Heard. They clearly did not expect to defend their Seward Division title this year.

The Mushers then got another decent first base prospect, Mark O'Feeney, by dealing top young reliever Philippe Bisaillon (2-0, 2.41 last year) to the Bucs.

The biggest trade of the whole season happened on June 29, when the Miners dealt starting first baseman John Brown (.322/.394/.502), who had just signed a two-year extension with the team and had played all his career there, to Sitka for starting pitcher John Dewitt (4-4, 3.92) and journeyman reliever Randy Wright (2-1, 5.71). Dewitt has been a very solid pitcher and is still just 26, but the deal still caused some perplexity in Mat-Su.

[Elendil]

2010 All-Star Game

Miner All-Star Thierry Tremblay Warms Up Before 2010 ASG

July 25 - The Mat-Su Miners would host this year's All-Star Game at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer, a nice, central location for the most of the league's clubs.

This year the All-Star Game took place about two-thirds of the way through the season, so that those chosen would be more likely to reflect the true stars of the year. The Seward Division would be trying to extend its all-time record against the Denali Division to 3-1.

The game would feature some long-time fan favorites, such as Bucs Tom Robbins, whose OBP was flirting with .500, 3B Nick Bedford, and SS Jonathan Bertrand, whose batting average had taken a dive into the .230s but was still a home run leader, and Nick sluggers Sloan Starr, Vince Leroux, Dominique Gaudet, John Abston, and Bob Horton. The first-place Nicks dominated the Denalis' starting pitching selections, with Chance Major, George Mullins, Chip Becker, Tom Pick, and Mike Rancourt all getting the nod. The hometown Miners would be well represented with SP Thierry Tremblay, CL Bryant Brenton, MR Waylon Ellsworth, C Pierre-Alexandre Langlois, 2B Rene Fortier, CF Greg Trudel, and RF Dave Langille. On the other side of the coin, Ketchikan had only one representative (closer Ed Staitie) and Juneau had only two (Dunsmore and Russo). There were some controversial non-selections, such as Jets' starter Eugene Pond, a youngster leading his division in ERA, and Louis Mays of Juneau, who was leading the whole league in ERA but had gotten a late start to the season.

The game itself was a doozy. Rancourt started for the Denalis against Pilot hurler Mike McCutcheon. Both teams traded scores in the early innings, ultimately making it 4-2 Denali Division after three. The Denalis made it 6-2 after five, but a Robbins homer in the 6th brought the Sewards one closer.

In the bottom of the 6th, Glacier Pilot reliever Alex Stevenson came into the game. The Denalis touched him up big-time with a couple of walks and four consecutive singles. He was relieved by Oiler starter Melvin Phillips, who got the final two outs, but by the time it was all done the Denali Division had an 11-3 lead, and there was a bit of a carnival atmosphere in the stadium.

Sentinel Ray Rayner came in to pitch to the Sewards in the top of the 7th. He promptly gave up a walk, two singles, a sac fly, another single, another walk, and finally a double to Grizzly first baseman Don Goodyear. Suddenly it was 11-8, and in came a new pitcher. He didn't do much better, yielding three consecutive singles as the Seward Division tacked on four more. They had scored nine in the inning before it was all over, and taken a 12-11 lead.

It would stay that way, and Grizzly Ron Yuke made the Denali hitters look foolish in the bottom of the ninth with his tricky slider, getting a groundout and two K's to finish the game.

The Seward Division had now won three of four All-Star Games. Every position player on each team had batted in this game, and only four pitchers had been unused. The surprise All-Star MVP was catcher Tim Rowsell of Kodiak, who was having a good year at the plate to go with his stellar defense. He went 3-for-4 in this game (all singles).

Entering the stretch run...

By now, it was clearly a two-team race in the Denali Division, with Mat-Su and North Pole going at it hammer and tongs all year. Whichever team won the division this year would likely be the winningest team of all time.

In the Seward Division, the Bucs were disappointing, while the Oilers had a fairly comfortable lead over the Grizzlies, the Jets a surprise third.

[Elendil]

Fourteen-Run Inning Sets Record

July 31 - The Glacier Pilots may be in last place in their division, but last night they did something no other team in Alaskan League history has: score 14 runs in the same inning. They did it against the Miners in Mat-Su in the top of the ninth. The score was 7-4 going into the inning, 21-4 at the end of the game. The Pilots batted around twice in the inning. At one point, 11 consecutive hitters reached base.

"That was a beating we hope never to undergo again," was all the Miners' manager, Stanford Rawson, could say after the game.

Box score:

[Elendil]

August & September 1, 2010

In the Seward Division, the perpetually cellar-dwelling Jets came out of nowhere to put a scare into Peninsula just as they stumbled. Eagle River-Chugiak went 16-9 in July and 20-14 in August/September, while Peninsula went 13-13 in July and 14-16 in August/September. The youth movement was really doing it for Chugiak, especially in the pitching department. Closer Monzaemon Mihashi was also making a strong bid for Reliever of the Year.

On August 29, though, the Oilers wrapped up the division, although they lost to Kodiak, by seeing the Jets fall to the lowly Pilots, 4-2.

In the Denali Division, the Nicks faltered badly down the stretch and gave up the lead to Mat-Su. In the end, they went 14-16 in August/September, compared to 22-11 for Mat-Su, and finished 4 games out of first.

For the Miners, it was sweet revenge after their humiliation at North Pole's hands in the 2008 ACS. The Miners would now be going to their third ACS and were the first (and maybe only ever?) team to win a pennant in two separate divisions.

Standings:

Batting leaders:

Pitching leaders:

Team batting stats:

Team pitching stats:

[Elendil]

2010 Alaskan Championship Series Preview

If history is any guide, this series should be a clash of titans. To date, the Alaskan champion has always been the team with the lower regular season ERA going into the series ("defense wins championships" holds true, it seems). Peninsula has the best ERA of any team ever: 3.03. On the other hand, the team with the better regular-season winning percentage has won the crown each of the last two years, and Mat-Su has the best winning percentage of any team ever: .648.

Nevertheless, the popular assumption remains that the Denali Division is superior to the Seward, an assumption bolstered by Eagle River-Chugiak's near-unseating of Peninsula down the stretch. During the regular season, Peninsula's record against Mat-Su was 4-4, and against the rest of the Denali Division was 24-16. Mat-Su was 26-14 against the rest of the Seward Division. Thus, the divisional differential was perhaps no longer as strong as many assumed.

When it came to Pythagorean record, both teams had played four games above their heads. In fact, North Pole had played three games below theirs, with an expected record of 69-39 given their run differential. So Mat-Su was perhaps actually a bit weaker than their record indicated, although so was Peninsula.

Lineup Comparison

C - Pierre-Alexandre Langlois (MSM) (.334/.420/.528) vs Ryan Ward (PEN) (.236/.289/.345) - MINERS++

1B - Larry Plummer (MSM) (.400/.400/.600 in 5 AB! Starter in the second half after John Brown's trade, Jeffrey Downey, was benched after a horrible season) vs. Zander Sabin (PEN) (.213/.278/.344) EVEN

2B - Rene Fortier (MSM) (.321/.409/.543) vs. Tommy Lambert (PEN) (.341/.419/.465) - EVEN

3B - Sherman Ferris (MSM) (.273/.357/.382) vs. Kevin West (PEN) (.188/.227/.271) - MINERS++

SS - Henry Owens (MSM) (.210/.245/.271) vs. Terence Ostrom (PEN) (.278/.327/.385) - OILERS++

LF - Rob Corley (MSM) (.294/.406/.471) vs. Wade Merz (.283/.331/.360) - MINERS++

CF - Greg Trudel (MSM) (.351/.420/.630) vs. Nelson Cormack (PEN) (.238/.307/.312) - MINERS++

RF - Dave Langille (MSM) (.302/.377/.496) vs. Lloyd Flannery (PEN) (.284/.347/.462) - MINERS+

The Oilers really have only one offensive threat: Tommy Lambert. While the Miners have gaping holes at first and short, they otherwise pretty well stacked. Significant advantage to the Miners on hitting.

Rotation Comparisons

1. Will Blain (MSM) (9-4, 2.17) vs. Gary Tufts (PEN) (8-11, 3.28) - MINERS+
2. John Dewitt (MSM) (8-2, 3.62) vs. Bryan Kendall (PEN) (10-7, 3.78) - EVEN
3. Thierry Tremblay (MSM) (11-4, 3.58) vs. Ron Quinton (PEN) (10-5, 2.41) - OILERS+

The Oilers had foolishly started Ron Quinton in the last game of the season, and therefore he would be unavailable for Games 1 & 2. While Tufts and Kendall were actually fourth and fifth on the team in ERA, they had better DIPS stats than Geldart (4-7, 2.67) and Phillips (9-6, 2.55) and a lot more experience, so they would be starters in this series.

Remember Will Blain? He was a hero for Mat-Su in the 2007 Series, but had been badly injured in 2008. After two partial seasons, he had finally come back for a full season in 2010 and performed spectacularly. Unbelievably, he's still just 24 years old.

The Oilers probably have a slight edge in the starting pitching, but it's basically even. Unfortunately, their depth won't count for much in the postseason.

Bench Comparisons

The Oilers had a couple of bench players contribute nicely this season: outfielder Ken Wells (7 HR, 123 AB) and backup catcher Pat Upton (10 HR, 175 AB). First baseman Tanner Bourque is also a weapon: he hit .322/.419/.583 last year and was an All-Star, but he rode the pine this year and hit just .204/.339/.398.

The Miners have a pretty awful-hitting bench, with only shortstop Jim Morse, who played a lot at both SS and 1B, contributing positively. He hit .267/.316/.457.

Advantage: Oilers.

Bullpen Comparisons

The Miners' closer, Bryant Brenton, put up a below-average 4.06 ERA this year, but that's misleading, because his DIPS stats were great: 4 HR, 5 BB, 30 K in 38 IP. Lefthanded setup man Waylon Ellsworth (1.73 ERA, 4 HR, 15 BB, 30 K in 36 IP) and righthanded setup man John Oram (3.38 ERA, 5 HR, 26 BB, 33 K in 48 IP) were also pretty reliable.

Peninsula relied on John Adams (1.72 ERA, 5 HR, 8 BB, 34 K in 47 IP) to close out games, no edge to either team there. Their setup men were Chris Dickey (3.78 ERA, 2 HR, 12 BB, 20 K in 33 IP) and Doug Miles (2.78 ERA, 3 HR, 8 BB, 31 K in 32 IP), both righthanders. They could also rely on Geldart and Phillips out of the pen, but they were righthanders too. Overall, the Oilers' bullpen looks better, but the lack of a lefthanded option might hurt them.

Advantage: EVEN.

Managerial Comparisons

Simon Aube manages Peninsula; he's 62 years old and 35 year veteran of coaching. He's managed Peninsula ever since the beginning, and his contract is up for renewal. He favors hitting over pitching but stresses defense over offense. He's conservative with the squeeze play.

Mat-Su's manager is Stanford Rawson, 52 years old and a 22-year veteran. He's managed the Miners each of the last two years and is widely credited for the club's resurgence. He favors hitting over pitching and is aggressive with the squeeze play.

Advantage: EVEN

Conclusion

The short series takes away much of Peninsula's pitching advantage over Mat-Su. I don't think they have the offense to produce wins night in and night out. This should be a close series, possibly going seven, but I see the Miners taking it and firmly establishing the first true dynasty in the league's short history.

[Elendil]

2010 Alaskan Championship Series


Mat-Su's Hermon Brothers Field Viewed from the Bullpen

Game One


Gary Tufts (8-11, 3.28) (pre-Oilers pic)

vs.


Will Blain (9-4, 2.17)

September 3, 2010 - A still but cool evening in Palmer, Alaska tightened the muscles and made the bat hurt when it struck a fastball. The hitters on both sides looked overmatched through the first three innings as the game remained scoreless.

Then in the fourth inning, the Oilers managed to put something together. Lambert and Upton walked, then with two outs Nelson Cormack (.258 lifetime hitter) singled them both in.

The Miners didn't even get their first hit on Tufts until two out in the sixth. They didn't manage to get two runners in the same inning until the seventh, and with two outs they couldn't do anything with them.

Mike Watanabe shut out the Oilers in the final two innings, but the Miners' hitters just couldn't get the job done, and Tufts had himself a three-hit shutout.

Final score: Peninsula 2, Mat-Su 0.

Game Two


Bryan Kendall (10-7, 3.78)

vs.


John Dewitt (12-6, 3.76)

September 4, 2010 - Another chilly night, 42 degrees at game time, and windier, gusting from right to left. The Miners hoped their midseason acquisition from Sitka, John Dewitt, would shut down the Oilers and lead them to victory.

But the Miners started out in trouble, with some fielding miscues. Leadoff hitter Terence Ostrom successfully bunted for a hit. Lambert then walked with one out, and Sabin reached on an error by shortstop Henry Owens, who couldn't get a handle on a toss for the force out at second. With the bases loaded and two out, Nelson Cormack walked to score a run. He had all 3 of the team's RBI in the series so far.

The Miners started things off well with a leadoff single from Ferris, but they simply couldn't put two or three hits together. Going to the fifth, it was still 1-0.

In the top of the fifth, Cormack struck again, this time hitting a two-out line drive to right that bounced to the wall. It was a two-run double. 3-0 Oilers, and Cormack had all 5 of their series RBI.

The Miners finally got off the schneid in the 8th with two runs, but it was too little, too late. Cloutier drove in an insurance run for the Oilers in the 9th, and Kendall nailed down the complete game victory in the bottom half.

Final score: Peninsula 4, Mat-Su 2. This was starting to look eerily like the humiliation of 2008. The Miners now desperately needed a win on the road.

Game Three



Tundra or outfield? Coral Seymour Memorial Park, home of the Oilers


First-Inning Action: Miners at Oilers


Thierry Tremblay (11-4, 3.58)

vs.


Ron Quinton (10-5, 2.41) (pre-Oilers pic)

September 6, 2010 - Things looked dire for the Miners, as the Oilers were finally bringing their best starting pitcher to the mound. Nevertheless, the Miner offense finally opened up a bit in the second, as Corley hit a leadoff double and eventually scored. However, Fortier couldn't take advantage with two out and runners on second and third, and Quinton escaped with just one run in.

In the bottom half of the same inning, Tremblay opened with two walks, which is always trouble. A single, walk, and groundout later, and it was 2-1 Oilers.

The Miners immediately struck back, though, Trudel hitting a solo homer to tie things up.

Things stayed at 2-2 until the bottom of the 6th, when Nelson Cormack was the hero again, hitting a line-drive homer to left-center to make it 3-2 Oilers.

In the bottom of the 9th, John Adams came in to close out the Miners. He got Ferris to ground out then K'ed Fortier and Langlois to preserve the win.

Final score: Peninsula 3, Mat-Su 2. The Oilers have seemingly built an insurmountable lead now.

Game Four

Blain vs. Tufts

September 7, 2010 - The Miners were now playing simply to avoid the sweep. It was yet another cold night (39 degrees), which presaged yet another night of dominant pitching. (A fitting end to the most defense-friendly season in league history, I suppose.)

And so things went - scoreless through three with only two baserunners for each side.

The Miners again opened the scoring, as they broke through with a pair of singles by Langlois and Langille, a triple by Morse, and a double by Plummer to make it 3-0 in the 4th.

Blain continued to shut down Peninsula, and it was still 3-0 when Mike Watanabe came in to pitch in the bottom of the 7th.

Still 3-0 in the 8th, and in came setup man Oram. Kevin West then got the Oilers on the board with a solo home run. This is a guy who had not hit a home run since 2007, even though he had been a full-time player every season since! The scrubs are doing it for Peninsula, and the stars on Mat-Su simply cannot get it going.

Mat-Su failed to add insurance in the 9th, but it was enough anyway, as Oram stayed in to nail down the save.

Final score: Mat-Su 3, Peninsula 1. However, it was Peninsula who still led the series 3-1.

Game Five

Dewitt vs. Kendall

September 8 - It was the last game to be played in Kenai, and if the Miners could just win this one, then they might have a decent chance with the series going back to Mat-Su for the final two.

It was a rainy, blustery day, with the wind blowing out to center. Langlois and Langille got the scoring started with back-to-back doubles in the first. In the second, Mat-Su manufactured two, as Corley, having been hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a Morse single, then scored when Morse stole second and took third on a Ward throwing error. Morse then scored on a sac fly. 3-0 Mat-Su.

The Oilers immediately responded when Sabin walked and then Flannery tripled to right field. Flannery scored on a groundout to make it 3-2.

Both pitchers then settled into a rhythm, and it was still 3-2 going to the bottom of the 6th. Then with two out, the Oilers put together a rally. Lambert and Sabin singled, then Flannery jacked a three-run homer. Dewitt stayed in the game, though, and ended up pitching seven.

Kendall himself lasted eight innings. In the bottom of the 8th, Lambert hit a solo homer to make it 6-3. Those two guys - Lambert and Flannery - were certainly getting it done for the Oilers now.

In the 9th, John Adams came in for the save. A leadoff single by Langille came to naught, and pinch-hitter Calvin Curry hit a weak grounder to first to end the series.

Final score: Peninsula 6, Mat-Su 3. The underdogs had won it, and Mat-Su lost their second straight series after winning it all in 2007.

Peninsula starting pitcher Bryan Kendall won the ACS MVP award. He'd won both his starts and posted a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings (0 HR, 4 BB, 16 K).

This had been the first series televised throughout Alaska, and the good ratings for the series more or less guaranteed a decent TV contract for 2011. It was sorely needed cash for the league, and it also came at the right time for a team like Peninsula that had long languished in obscurity. The entire Kenai Peninsula revelled in their championship, while nearby, Anchoragites could only look on with envy.

[Elendil]

Some pics of the Oilers' on-field celebration:

[Elendil]

2010-2011 Offseason

2010 Awards

Hitter of the Year


Bob Horton (NPN) - 114 hits, 26 doubles, 1 triple, 17 home runs, .364 BA, 63 runs

Pitcher of the Year


Chance Major (NPN) - 14-3 won-lost, 2.49 ERA, 23 starts, 145 innings, 164 strikeouts

Rookie of the Year


George Mullins (NPN) - .347 BA, .406 OBP, 395 AB, 63 R, 137 H, 13 HR, 64 RBI, 35 BB

Reliever of the Year


Monzaemon Mihashi (ERC) - 1.62 ERA, 19 SV, 6-1 record, 90.2 save percentage

Comeback Player of the Year


Will Blain (MSM) - 9-4 record, 2.17 ERA, 9 HR, 52 BB, 93 K in 133 IP after two injury-plagued seasons that followed a strong 2007

2010-11 Hot Stove

Key Alaskan Free Agents

Anchorage Bucs

The Bucs will lose several valuable players to free agency, mostly notably outfielder Dave Bonnar (.324/.431/.452), pitcher Jack Hatt (9-9, 3.54), outfielder John Horswill (.263/.372/.457), shortstop Bill Duval (.291/.344/.655 in 110 AB), and centerfielder Bryce Payne (.270/.329/.401).

Anchorage Glacier Pilots

Their only free agent that will arouse any significant interest is likely to be third baseman Johan House (.293/.364/.421).

Bethel Mushers

Third baseman Jim Noel (.249/.342/.439), now 34, pitcher Newt Langille (8-8, 3.82), and closer Loren Coleman (13 SV, 5.02 ERA) should get some decent offers. First baseman Matt Carlson (.304/.398/.491) is retiring, despite having his best season ever.

Eagle River-Chugiak Jets

Pitcher Eric Liger (8-8, 3.35), pitcher Martin Gagnon (8-6, 2.75), and catcher Ryan Harvey (.277/.352/.373), also this year's Glove Wizard winner, should draw substantial interest.

Fairbanks Goldpanners

Outfielder Jimmy Williams (.266/.327/.475) and shortstop Bill Rogers (.263/.315/.410) are the only losses that might hurt.

Juneau Senators

They look to be hit pretty hard again by free agency, with outfielder Doug Beard (.281/.379/.471) and pitcher Louis Mays (7-4, 1.97) both eligible.

Ketchikan King Salmon

Ketchikan will almost certainly be unable to re-sign outfielder Brad Porter (.322/.377/.485), second baseman Clay Graham (.307/.396/.423), outfielder George Henneberry (.273/.381/.385), and closer Ed Staitie (2.95 ERA, 21 SV) on the open market.

Kodiak Grizzlies

Second baseman Doug Griffin (.288/.367/.447), first baseman Don Goodyear (.274/.365/.489), and pitcher Eric Pease (5-6, 4.63 but .320 BABIP) will all file, putting a big crimp into their contending aspirations.

Mat-Su Miners

No truly significant losses, so the Denali champs will stay largely intact.

North Pole Nicks

The team may lose Chip Becker (13-5, 2.83), Ryan Dye (8-5, 4.21), and Bob Horton (.364/.462/.617), seriously damaging their prospects for '11.

Peninsula Oilers

The Oilers look set to lose Ron Quinton (10-5, 2.41) and a few other replacement-level players.

Sitka Sentinels

The Sentinels could lose catcher Dan Montgomery (.287/.321/.414) and franchise outfielder Connor Poapst (a highly disappointing .240/.358/.402 season last year).

In addition to the above, three players from the Lower 48 have flown up to Alaska recently for tryouts: third baseman Erik Boone (hit .305/.377/.458 for Sitka in '07 and has been bouncing around the Royals' organization since), reliever Jason Hilton (2.40 ERA in 15 major-league innings with the Phillies and Dodgers), and starter Al Monahan (two scoreless innings with the Mets). If signed, Hilton or Monahan would be the first MLB player to go to the Alaskan League. No former Alaskan League player has ever made it to the majors, although many have been signed by major league organizations.

League Finances

The ratings from the previous ACS had gone so well that the league was able to sign a statewide TV deal. Saturday day games would be televised throughout the season. These time slots were not big draws, as most Alaskans spent summer Saturdays out and about, enjoying the warm weather, but it was better than nothing.

The previous season, the Glacier Pilots and Jets had both made substantial amounts of money with their minimal payrolls, and the Jets looked ready to pay off all their debts after next season. The Pilots still had a way to go and would have to be frugal again this year.

Most teams had made money last year. The Goldpanners did lose money, but their rate of decline had slowed, and the league was reluctant to take them over as long as their current owners were committed to paying off the team's debts.

However, one team had unexpected and catastrophic losses: the King Salmon. After four years of mediocrity in a very small market, the Ketchikan club could no longer bring fans to the park or sell their merchandise. The owners obtained league permission to sell the franchise.

With the league's overall prospects looking up, the club did have some value and could prosper with better management. Ultimately, a Yukon businessman agreed to buy the club for $157,000, taking on the team's considerable debts, so long as he could move the team to Whitehorse. The other owners (the Board of Governors) unanimously agreed, and the second franchise move in the league's history was set to take place.

[Elendil]

Whitehorse Yukoners


Aerial view of Whitehorse

Whitehorse, the territorial capital of Yukon, boasts a metropolitan population of 23,000 and an international airport with regular service to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Fairbanks, and, in summer, Frankfurt, Germany. It also the site of the newest Alaskan League franchise and the first outside the state of Alaska: the Whitehorse Yukoners.


Whitehorse Yukoners logo

The new ownership of the Yukoners brought in a local man to run the team as GM: Johnny Gibbon. Gibbon then hired away a coach from the Lower 48's Appalachian League, Alberto Rivera, to serve as manager.

[Elendil]

2010-11 Offseason Signings

The Alaskan League's small but dedicated fanbase picked over this year's free agent class and eagerly awaited each scrap of news. With Peninsula's championship, the smell of baseball success in the most heavily populated area of Alaska was stronger than ever. Would the Oilers try to build a dynasty, and could the Nicks stem their decline and try to challenge Mat-Su for Denali supremacy?

Free agent signings and other transactions will be listed by team, with last year's stats in parentheses, unless I already gave their stats in the "hot stove" post above.

Anchorage Bucs

October 21, 2010 - Re-signed CF Bryce Payne (2-year contract).

October 22, 2010 - Blockbuster trade: 1B Adam Joly (.290/.386/.424 in a down year) to the Mushers for OF Terry Kuhn (.262/.332/.392, also a down year), RP Paul Parsons (6.96, 1-1), and two minor leaguers. Sort of a salary dump for the Bucs. Kuhn was later signed to a 5-year extension.

December 12, 2010 - Signed Glove Wizard 2B Clay Graham away from Ketchikan on a 1-year deal, just $6700.

December 27, 2010 - Signed SP Eric Pease (5-6, 4.63) away from Kodiak (1-year deal).

Anchorage Glacier Pilots

October 19, 2010 - Claimed SP Fred Wadden (9-7, 4.67) off waivers from Kodiak. Could end up being a good deal for them, as he's only making a little more than league minimum.

October 25, 2010 - Inked RP Chris Bent (4-0, 2.28), a former Buc, to a 1-year deal. He is slated to become their closer, although his career stats are hardly reassuring.

October 26, 2010 - Claimed 3B Dennis Saslove (.270/.390/.378) off waivers from Sitka. Sitka fans angered that he was left exposed. Only makes about $10K next year.

October 27, 2010 - Signed OF Brad Porter (.322/.377/.485) away from Ketchikan (now Whitehorse). 1-year deal.

October 29, 2010 - Signed RP Edward Long (3-5, 3.76) away from the Jets. Probably a better choice for closer than Bent, but an insurance policy regardless. 2-year deal. RP Alec Walker (1-0, 8.79 - terrible slump year) was also claimed off waivers from Juneau, and then in February he would be dealt to North Pole for C-1B Vincent Leroux (.302/.404/.497) and a minor league shortstop. Pretty ugly salary dump by North Pole, & one that infuriated their fans.

November 2, 2010 - Signed SP Newt Langille (8-8, 3.82) away from the Mushers. 2-year deal.

November 4, 2010 - Signed SP Alastair Baker (4-13, 5.22) away from the Grizzlies. 3-year deal. Making almost as much as Langille, which means he was probably overpaid. After this signing, SP Phil Dwyer (5-13, 6.04) was DFA'ed and Sitka claimed him. Probably another boneheaded move by Sitka since he has 2 years on his contract and basically sucks.

November 13, 2010 - Signed SP Eric Liger (8-8, 3.35) back from Chugiak. Had spent his first three years with the Pilots, now returning as the #1 starter on a 4-year contract, only $24K per year. Great signing.

November 28, 2010 - Traded SP Mike McCutcheon (10-7, 3.23 - a career year) to the Peninsula Oilers for 1B Tanner Bourque (.204/.339/.398 - an awful year by his standards). Looks like a worse deal than it is, because McCutcheon is projected to decline, while Bourque should return to form. Not a bad deal for the Oilers either, because they have no room in the starting lineup for Bourque.

Bethel Mushers

October 7, 2010 - Signed OF George Henneberry (.273/.381/.385) away from Ketchikan/Whitehorse. 3-year deal, about $28K per. Good signing for the blossoming speedster.

October 15, 2010 - Signed SP Jack "Locomotive" Hatt (9-9, 3.54) away from the Bucs in a shocking move. Hatt had been more or less the face of the Bucs the past four years. He'll make over $60,000 a year for three years.

October 22, 2010 - The Kuhn-Joly trade with the Bucs. The Mushers give up a lot but it's probably the right move to contend.

Eagle River-Chugiak Jets

October 18, 2010 - The Jets win the Louis Mays sweepstakes, signing the 2009 Pitcher of the Year and 2010 ERA title winner to a four-year deal worth almost $80,000 per year. Big loss for the Senators.

October 22, 2010 - Got 3B Jim Noel on a 1-year deal for just above league minimum. Loss for Bethel.

November 2, 2010 - Signed CF Jimmy Williams (.266/.327/.475) away from Fairbanks. 3-year deal.

November 8, 2010 - Signed OF John Horswill (.263/.372/.457) away from the Bucs (2-year deal). On the same day signed OF Doug Beard (.281/.379/.471) away from the Senators (3-year deal). The Jets now have a glut in the outfield: Williams, Horswill, Beard, Botfield, and Johannson.

May 21, 2011 (after the season had begun) - Signed former major league RP Jason Hilton to a 2-year deal. Hilton becomes the first former major leaguer to play in the Alaskan League. He becomes the Jets' closer, replacing 2010 Reliever of the Year Monzaemon Mihashi.

Fairbanks Goldpanners

No significant transactions. The team is even shopping around franchise icon Gary Johnson, but his extravagant contract has deterred all takers.

Juneau Senators

October 26, 2010 - Signed RP Loren Coleman (13 SV, 5.02) to a 2-year deal with a 3rd-year team option, away from the Mushers. He's a 2-time All-Star and the 2009 Reliever of the Year - but is also now 35 years old.

October 29, 2010 - Lost RP Alec Walker to the Pilots over waivers.

Kodiak Grizzlies

October 10, 2010 - Signed SP Ron Quinton away from the Bucs on a 3-year deal. Still just 26 years old, so this looks like a solid signing for the club.

October 14, 2010 - Re-signed 3B Doug Griffin to a 3-year deal.

October 16, 2010 - Signed SP Martin Gagnon away from the Jets (4-year deal). Since he's 33 now, it's a risky contract, but Gagnon was a premier pitcher last year & still has perhaps the hardest fastball in the league.

October 19, 2010 - Lost SP Wadden to the Pilots over waivers.

October 22, 2010 - Signed SS Bill Rogers away from Fairbanks on a 3-year deal.

November 15, 2010 - Signed SP Jeremie Dessureault to a 4-year contract. Now this looks extravagant. Dessureault is 33 and didn't even pitch last year. He was 6-12 with a 5.78 ERA in '09 with the Jets.

Mat-Su Miners

October 30, 2010 - Signed 1B Don Goodyear away from the Grizzlies (4-year deal, about $70K per year).

North Pole Nicks

October 13, 2010 - Signed RP Ed Staitie away from Ketchikan/Whitehorse (2-year deal).

October 26, 2010 - Re-signed SP Chip Becker to a 3-year deal worth over $68,000 per year.

November 1, 2010 - Signed OF Connor Poapst away from Sitka in a crushing blow to that franchise. 2-year deal with team option on 3rd year.

November 24, 2010 - Signed RP Mike Watanabe (3-3, 4.69) away from the Miners. 2-year deal.

February 10, 2011 - Traded C-1B Leroux to the Pilots for RP Walker. A clear signal of throwing in the towel on this season.

Peninsula Oilers

October 15, 2010 - Re-signed 1B-2B Zander Sabin to a 2-year deal.

October 16, 2010 - Signed OF Dave Bonnar away from the Bucs (3-year deal worth more than $73K per).

October 22, 2010 - Signed IF Johan House away from the Glacier Pilots (2-year deal, more than $45K per). A bit rich for a guy who's basically league average.

November 10, 2010 - The Oilers win the Bob Horton sweepstakes. The deal is two years for $153,202 total. A bit cheap for a guy of his talent really, although he is 37 years old. The Oilers definitely want to bring home the title again next year.

November 16, 2010 - Signed CF Jeremy Zwicker (.305/.356/.393) away from Eagle River-Chugiak. 1-year deal (he's 37).

November 18, 2010 - Bourque-McCutcheon trade with AGP. The Oilers might have been able to do better for Bourque.

Sitka Sentinels

October 12, 2010 - Re-signed C Emile St. Georges.

October 13, 2010 - Re-signed RP Trevor Quinton.

October 21, 2010 - Signed C Ryan Harvey away from the Jets on a 3-year deal. Apparently St. Georges will be the backup now.

October 26, 2010 - Lost 3B Saslove to the Pilots over waivers.

November 12, 2010 - Re-signed RP Lanny Doane.

December 5, 2010 - Signed SP Davis Crawford (6-15, 4.39) away from Fairbanks. It's a 2-year deal, and the guy is now 38 and below league average. Puzzling signing for a cash-strapped club.

December 6, 2010 - Signed OF Boyd McNeely away from the Pilots on a 1-year, $10,000 contract.

December 11, 2010 - Signed SP Ryan Dye away from North Pole on a 2-year contract, $35,000 per year. Only 26, so he may have some upside but certainly hasn't dominated so far.

December 17, 2010 - Signed SP Bob Nealon (3-11, 4.69) away from Bethel. He's 39, so it's just a 1-year deal. May fill out the back end of the rotation decently.

Whitehorse Yukoners

No major transactions. The team may lose money again this year, but they hope that local excitement over the new club brings the fans out.

Overview

Last year's divisional champions - Peninsula and Mat-Su - both improved their clubs. Everyone else in the Denali seems to have stayed about the same or gotten worse. North Pole appears to be fading. In the Seward Division, the Bucs have seemingly retrenched, while the Grizzlies, Mushers, and Glacier Pilots have all made aggressive moves to improve themselves. The Jets will look much different this year: they appear content to wait on their young players to develop and as a consequence have gotten worse in pitching and defense, but much better on offense. The Seward Division could be an interesting place this year.

Predictions

Last year's finish in parentheses.

Seward Division

1. Peninsula (1)
2. Kodiak (3)
3. Bethel (4)
4. Eagle River-Chugiak (2)
5. Bucs (5)
6. Glacier Pilots (6)

Denali Division

1. Mat-Su (1)
2. North Pole (2)
3. Whitehorse (3)
4. Juneau (4)
5. Sitka (5)
6. Fairbanks (6)

[Elendil]

2011 All-Star Break

Since last year, the All-Star Game has occurred about two-thirds of the way through the season, near the end of July. By this time the game features the true stars of the season, because the "large sample size" of games has weeded out the one-month wonders.

Standings

Seward Division 													
Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff
Eagle River-Chugiak Jets	42	33	0.560	-	42-33	0
Kodiak Grizzlies		39	30	0.565	-	37-32	2							
Anchorage (ANC) Bucs		38	34	0.528	2.5	36-36	2							
Bethel Mushers			37	35	0.514	3.5	36-36	1							
Anchorage (AGP) Glacier Pilots	31	39	0.443	8.5	32-38	-1
Peninsula Oilers		31	42	0.425	10	35-38	-4							
Denali Division 													
Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff							
Mat-Su Miners			39	34	0.534	-	39-34	0							
Juneau Senators			38	35	0.521	1	35-38	3							
Sitka Sentinels			37	36	0.507	2	35-38	2							
Whitehorse Yukoners		36	35	0.507	2	34-37	2							
North Pole Nicks		35	37	0.486	3.5	43-29	-8							
Fairbanks Goldpanners		31	44	0.413	9	31-44	0

What's particularly shocking about these standings are three things:

1) Eagle River-Chugiak's position. In fact, in early July, they had a comfortable lead atop the Seward, but a six-game losing streak allowed the Grizzlies and Bucs to get into it. The Jets had made the sole blockbuster trade of the season, dealing 4.5* SP prospect Harvey Romanov, OF Doug Beard (.198/.327/.321: remember, they had a glut of outfielders), SP John Earle (5-2, .304), SP Jack Skinner (4-2, 3.80), and backup IF Kevin West (.182/.182/.273) to the rebuilding Sentinels for 26-year-old SP Ryan Dye (6-3, 3.23). It was a case of giving up a lot to get a lot, for both sides. Dye was emerging as one of the premier young pitchers of the league, and Beard, Earle, Skinner, and West filled a number of little holes for Sitka - although none of them were likely to be a star. Romanov was the real pickup for Sitka, but it was doubtful whether he would ever match Dye's potential. After the trade, though, the Jets were hit with a number of serious injuries, losing SS Mike Gaston for the rest of the season and watching 1B Marc Keddy, 3B Jim Noel, and Dye himself deal with nagging ailments. Jet manager Leith Navarro was fast acquiring legendary status for what he had done with the team the past two years.

2) The closeness of the Denali Division. The Miners were under-performing, and the Senators, Yukoners, and Sentinels were all over-performing. These were all rebuilding teams - particularly Sitka. They had no business being in a pennant race. Mat-Su was doing it all offensively, with a pitching staff that just couldn't get the job done. Will Blain was having control problems and did not make the All-Star team with his 4.50 ERA. Don Thomas had only come back recently from an injury suffered last year. John Dewitt's strikeouts were way down, and it was clear that he was no longer the player that he had been. The bigger picture here is that 9 teams are still very much in the pennant chase in both divisions, with only the Glacier Pilots, Oilers, and Goldpanners truly in the cellar.

3. The strange case of the North Pole Nicks. After looking like a dynasty in the making two years ago, the team had been pipped last year by Mat-Su and had now taken a nosedive. Nevertheless, they actually had the best Pythagorean record in the entire league! The problem was that they were playing eight games under their expected record. They were just 5-13 in one-run games. One of the problems was the bullpen, symbolized by closer Ed Staitie, who led the team in losses with 7 (5.57 ERA). He hadn't pitched that badly really, but a .400 BABIP didn't help. Basically, the team had gotten bad bounces right when it really hurt - the end of close games.

Forecasting the Stretch Run

Seward Division

Eagle River-Chugiak Jets: The team had turned things around offensively, leading the league in homeruns at the break (91 in 75 G). However, their OBP was a bit below league average, and they had only a narrow lead in runs over the Bucs in their division. Their pitching was above-average but the defense was not. A .288 BABIP was three points higher than league average. However, the defense was successful in preventing errors, with a fielding percentage of .975, essentially tied with North Pole for the league lead. However, they had a tough schedule down the stretch with four games each against Mat-Su and North Pole, six games against Kodiak, six games against the Bucs, and four games against Bethel. Everything depends on getting their key players healthy.

Kodiak Grizzlies - This is a team that thrives on pitching. Their team OPS is 11 points below league average, but they have the best team ERA in the league (3.68). Part of this is really defense, as they lead the league in BABIP (.272). Second baseman Doug Griffin, an All-Star, and catcher Tim Rowsell, also an All-Star, are their chief defensive stars. Tom Robbins has failed to make the All-Star team for the first time in his career but may explode at any time. The team has a relatively weak schedule down the stretch, as they have already played all their games against Mat-Su and North Pole but will have to face the surging Bucs nine more times. The biggest obstacle for them will be exhaustion, as they will play more games down the stretch (39) than any other team.

Anchorage Bucs - The team is above average offensively and below average defensively. Their only key injury right now is to slumping second baseman Jonathan Bertrand. He could return for the last week of the season. Right now they are getting good production from OF Terry Kuhn (.301/.387/.502), 3B Nick Bedford (.269/.341/.502), CF Bryce Payne (.312/.370/.459), and SS Ken Swerdlow (.274/.383/.378). In limited playing time, OF George Poor has put up some eye-popping numbers: .324/.412/.657, including 8 HR in 102 AB. The rotation is mostly composed of no-names, led by Ken Dickson (7-5, 3.44). Moderate schedule down the stretch, with 9 against Kodiak, 6 against Chugiak, 7 against Bethel, and none left against either the Miners or Nicks.

Bethel Mushers - At 3.5 back, they are very much in this still, but have fallen to 4th after sitting in 2nd or 3rd much of the season. The team can have trouble generating offense, but enjoys reasonably good pitching (3.88 team ERA). Their staff leads the league in fewest HR's given up (43 in 72 G) but is second-worst in walks allowed (301 in 638 IP). The rotation is much better than the bullpen. Closer James Marshall is 0-6, 4.15. Number one starter Jack Hatt is an All-Star - for the fourth time - but is also showing his age, K'ing only 53 hitters in 108 innings pitched (133 in 168 for ANC last year). Their schedule the rest of the way is pretty much average - done with Mat-Su, two more against North Pole.

Prediction: Kodiak to win.

Denali Division

Mat-Su Miners: Still the defending champions and expected to be a tough opponent the rest of the way. Chief offensive producers: CF Gary Trudel (.339/.432/.650, league leader in VORP), OF Rob Corley (.321/.422/.556), OF Dave Langille (.314/.393/.574), 3B Sherman Ferris (.303/.374/.420), 2B Rene Fortier (.257/.356/.443), and 39-year-old catcher Pierre-Alexandre Langlois (.305/.405/.484). Even with FA pickup Don Goodyear having a down year (.247/.359/.428), this is a team that could pound their opponents into oblivion at any time. Pitching and defense are their Achilles' heel (league-worst 4.47 ERA). They have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way, including 9 more against doormats Fairbanks and 4 apiece left against the Pilots & Oilers.

Juneau Senators: Clawing their way back into the thick of things, the Senators are doing it even with CF Olivier Theriault, 3B Henry Willerton, and 2B Ralph Collette all going on the DL recently. All will be back within the next week. The Senators have always stressed pitching and defense, and this year's team is no exception. With Mays gone, they have no superstars, but All-Stars Don Taggart (10-4, 3.11) and Scott Northeast (4-4, 3.48) are certainly getting the job done. 21-year-old rookie Anthony Sonier, signed to a minor league contract back in January after being released by North Pole, has posted a 2.06 ERA in his first five starts. Offensively, they have been dependent on Wynn Dunsmore (.329/.430/.573), who was injured for the first month of the season. They have a tough schedule in store, with 5 left against Mat-Su and North Pole, 9 against Sitka, and 6 against Whitehorse.

Sitka Sentinels: God only knows how the Sentinels wound up just 2 games back at this point in the season. Management was clearly in rebuilding mode with the Dye deal. They've somehow managed a fair bit of offense (351 R in 73 G) with a team OPS 8 points below league average (.714). Their team ERA is second worst in the league (4.41). However, their actual runs allowed aren't quite so bad (372), even though they're only average in fielding percentage (.970). They have some youngsters who may be breaking out this season, including 19-year-old shortstop phenom Jack Hussey (.355/.427/.408) and sophomore second baseman Ralph Hearn (.321/.365/.530). Rookie starting pitcher Al Simmons is 8-4 with a 3.18 ERA. Their schedule the rest of the way is about average, with 4 left against the Pilots and Bucs but also 9 left with the Senators and 6 with the Nicks.

Whitehorse Yukoners: The Yukoners have actually been the surprise team in the Denali most of the season, having spent the whole year over .500 and within sight of Mat-Su. Recently, however, they have been doing poorly, squandering an opportunity to overtake the Miners. Like the Sentinels, they're a young team with the element of surprise on their side. Their offense is decidedly subpar - tied with Juneau for last in their division in runs scored (325). They actually have a better team ERA than Juneau (3.72 compared to 3.75), although it's dependent on their good defense (.277 BABIP). Some of their young stars include RF Kisei Suto (.323/.407/.460), CF John Dugles (.316/.381/.436), and SS Walt Duff (.303/.339/.398). The pitching staff is decidedly older, anchored by 31-year-old John Lynn (10-2, 2.44), who has spent his entire career with this franchise. There's no doubt that the remote community of Whitehorse, Yukon is totally behind their new team as they try to make history. Their schedule will be pretty tough (4 against Bethel, 4 against Chugiak, 6 against Juneau, 4 against Kodiak, 6 against North Pole, 6 against Sitka).

North Pole Nicks: According to Pythagorean expectations, they should be winning the division handily. Fan interest remains high in their hometown, and they remain an exciting team to watch, coming second (after Mat-Su) in team OBP (.345) and third (after Mat-Su and Chugiak) in slugging percentage (.426). Their pitching is also good, though (3.76 ERA). They lead their division - by a wide margin - in fewest runs allowed. The core of the rotation remains intact from last year, with Chip Becker (7-6, 3.77), Chance Major (4-5, 3.76), Tom Pick (7-3, 3.90), and Mike Rancourt (6-6, 2.78) all performing reliably well. The last three were on the championship team too. Closer Ed Staitie, as mentioned, has been unlucky. On offense, Connor Poapst has exploded since coming over from Sitka, hitting .338/.434/.600. Of course, he's now 37, so it's anyone's guess whether his knees and reflexes will hold up for the duration. The team has lost centerfielder George Mullins (.347/.406/.542) for the entire season, and it's unlikely that he will ever be the same player again. He's just 24. Their schedule is about average, as they will have an opportunity to get their licks in against all the contenders in their own division (6 apiece, 5 against Juneau), but will also get 1 more against Peninsula, 4 against the Pilots, and 2 more against Fairbanks.

Prediction: Mat-Su's schedule gives them the edge to hold on, I think.

All-Star Game

The All-Star game was held at Coral Seymour Memorial Ballpark in Peninsula this year and drew a sellout crowd. The hometown Seward Division jumped out to an early lead in the first, plating four on Tom Pick. One particularly fraught moment was when Glacier Pilot catcher Vincent Leroux hit a two-run home run off his former teammate Pick. It was 9-2 Sewards after six and looked like a rout, but then the Denali Division plated a whopping 9 runs in the top of the 7th, taking an 11-9 lead. The Seward Division answered right back with four runs in the bottom half. The crowd was loving it, even cheering the visitors from the other division when they took the lead right back, 14-13. It remained 14-13 in the bottom of the ninth, when Adam Joly tied it up on a bases-loaded single. Nathan Bedford then strode to the plate against Mike Rancourt with the score 14 all and the bases loaded.

Yes, believe it or not, he sent the fans home with a walkoff grand slam.

The Seward Division beat the Denali Division 18-14 in a slugfest with five errors - and Bedford's shot made Sportscenter that night.

Box score:

Game ID: 14276 - Sunday, July 24th, 2011 - Game Log


Sunday, July 24th, 2011
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Denali Division All-Stars 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 3 0 14 13 2
Seward Division All-Stars 4 0 0 1 3 1 4 0 5 18 23 3


Denali Division AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI
J. Hussey SS 4 1 1 0 2 1 2 .355 1 15
G. Johnson 1B 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 .307 5 32
c-L. Trudel PH, RF 3 1 1 1 0 0 2 .351 5 41
P. Langlois C 5 1 1 2 0 2 0 .305 10 44
G. Trudel CF 5 2 2 0 0 2 0 .339 22 62
W. Dunsmore RF 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 .329 9 32
d-C. Poapst PH 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 .338 13 49
e-A. Sellick 1B 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .382 2 13
S. Ferris 3B 4 2 4 3 1 0 0 .303 3 28
R. Corley LF 5 1 0 1 0 1 7 .321 14 50
S. Starr 2B 4 2 2 4 1 0 0 .274 12 46
T. Pick P 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .205 0 2
J. Lynn P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .146 0 5
a-R. Hearn PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .321 13 43
J. Dewitt P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .057 0 2
A. Simmons P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .146 0 3
b-E. Dwyer PH 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 .267 11 41
T. Tremblay P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .118 0 0
A. Walker P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
M. Rancourt P 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .172 0 0
Totals 40 14 13 12 7 7 15

a - R. Hearn pinch hit for J. Lynn in the 5th
b - E. Dwyer pinch hit for A. Simmons in the 7th
c - L. Trudel pinch hit for G. Johnson in the 7th
d - C. Poapst pinch hit for W. Dunsmore in the 7th
e - A. Sellick substituted for C. Poapst in the 7th

BATTING
Doubles: S. Starr (10, 2nd Inning off S. Hill, 2 on, 2 outs) S. Ferris (19, 4th Inning off J. Hatt, 0 on, 2 outs)
Home Runs: S. Ferris (3, 8th Inning off C. Pretty, 2 on, 1 out)
Total Bases: G. Trudel 2, P. Langlois, S. Starr 3, J. Hussey, S. Ferris 8, L. Trudel, C. Poapst, A. Sellick
2-out RBI: S. Starr
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: , R. Corley 2, J. Hussey, T. Pick, L. Trudel
GIDP: G. Johnson, L. Trudel
Sac Bunt: J. Hussey
Team LOB: 8

BASERUNNING
SB: S. Starr (16), W. Dunsmore (4)
CS: P. Langlois (1)

FIELDING
Errors: J. Hussey , S. Ferris
Double Plays: 1 (Hussey-Starr-Johnson)


Seward Division AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI
B. Payne CF 5 2 3 0 0 0 0 .312 8 28
C. Pretty P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .152 0 2
T. Rowsell C 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .279 1 32
T. Lambert 2B 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .286 2 30
J. Hatt P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .097 0 3
J. Hilton P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
c-J. Hauk PH, 2B 3 1 1 2 1 0 1 .286 6 34
A. Joly 1B 5 2 2 2 0 0 4 .342 12 45
T. Kuhn RF 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .301 7 41
M. Gagnon P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .129 0 1
b-N. Bedford PH, 1B, 3B 5 2 4 4 0 0 1 .269 19 61
L. Drover LF 5 3 4 2 0 0 1 .362 5 30
V. Leroux C 4 1 2 3 1 0 3 .243 8 25
R. Dye P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .188 1 4
S. Wilkinson SS 5 2 1 1 0 1 3 .278 7 40
D. Griffin 3B, 2B 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .296 3 25
L. Mays P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .133 0 3
D. Gould P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .214 0 1
L. Morris P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .256 0 1
J. Adams P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .222 0 3
d-J. Williams PH, CF 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 .276 22 51
S. Hill P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .091 0 0
a-P. Botfield PH, RF 5 3 3 2 0 0 1 .341 13 39
Totals 45 18 23 17 2 1 18

a - P. Botfield pinch hit for S. Hill in the 2nd
b - N. Bedford pinch hit for M. Gagnon in the 3rd
c - J. Hauk pinch hit for J. Hilton in the 5th
d - J. Williams pinch hit for J. Adams in the 7th

BATTING
Doubles: L. Drover 3 (20, 1st Inning off T. Pick, 0 on, 2 outs; 3rd Inning off T. Pick, 1 on, 2 outs; 5th Inning off J. Dewitt, 2 on, 1 out) B. Payne (13, 6th Inning off A. Simmons, 0 on, 0 outs) P. Botfield (22, 9th Inning off M. Rancourt, 0 on, 0 outs) J. Hauk (20, 7th Inning off T. Tremblay, 2 on, 2 outs)
Home Runs: S. Wilkinson (7, 4th Inning off J. Lynn, 0 on, 0 outs) V. Leroux (8, 1st Inning off T. Pick, 1 on, 2 outs) P. Botfield (13, 6th Inning off A. Simmons, 0 on, 0 outs) N. Bedford (19, 9th Inning off M. Rancourt, 3 on, 0 outs)
Total Bases: A. Joly 2, S. Wilkinson 4, L. Drover 7, B. Payne 4, D. Griffin, T. Lambert, T. Rowsell, V. Leroux 5, P. Botfield 7, N. Bedford 7, J. Hauk 2
2-out RBI: V. Leroux, P. Botfield, J. Hauk
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: A. Joly, D. Griffin, V. Leroux, N. Bedford, J. Williams
GIDP: P. Botfield
Sac Bunt: T. Lambert
Sac Fly: A. Joly, T. Kuhn
Team LOB: 7

BASERUNNING
SB: L. Drover (6)

FIELDING
Errors: S. Wilkinson , V. Leroux , P. Botfield
Double Plays: 2 (Wilkinson-Griffin-Joly, Wilkinson-Hauk-Joly)

Denali Division IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA
T. Pick 3.0 7 4 1 0 0 1 39 28 3.90
J. Lynn 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 1 10 9 2.44
J. Dewitt 1.0 4 3 3 0 0 0 23 16 3.50
A. Simmons 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 1 12 7 3.18
T. Tremblay BS (0) 0.2 4 4 0 0 0 0 24 16 3.18
A. Walker 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 27 16 2.06
M. Rancourt L (6-6)BS (0) 0.1 4 5 5 1 0 1 24 12 2.78

PITCHING
Game Score: T. Pick 33
Batters Faced: T. Pick 16, J. Lynn 4, J. Dewitt 7, A. Simmons 5, T. Tremblay 7, A. Walker 5, M. Rancourt 6
Ground Outs - Fly Outs: T. Pick 4-4, J. Lynn 2-1, J. Dewitt 3-0, A. Simmons 1-2, T. Tremblay 2-0, A. Walker 1-1, M. Rancourt 1-0
Pitches - Strikes: T. Pick 39-28, J. Lynn 10-9, J. Dewitt 23-16, A. Simmons 12-7, T. Tremblay 24-16, A. Walker 27-16, M. Rancourt 24-12
Inherited Runners - Scored: A. Walker 1-0, M. Rancourt 2-0


Seward Division IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA
S. Hill 2.0 2 2 2 1 0 0 31 16 2.36
M. Gagnon 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 0 15 11 2.61
J. Hatt 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 14 9 2.66
J. Hilton H (0) 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 11 5 2.45
L. Mays 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 17 10 2.99
D. Gould 0.0 1 4 4 3 0 0 14 2 3.26
L. Morris 0.1 4 5 3 1 0 0 24 15 3.48
J. Adams 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 4 1.69
C. Pretty BS (0) 1.0 3 3 3 0 2 1 23 16 3.88
R. Dye W (6-4) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 3.24

PITCHING
Game Score: S. Hill 39
Batters Faced: S. Hill 9, M. Gagnon 3, J. Hatt 4, J. Hilton 4, L. Mays 5, D. Gould 4, L. Morris 6, J. Adams 4, C. Pretty 6, R. Dye 3
Ground Outs - Fly Outs: S. Hill 5-1, M. Gagnon 0-0, J. Hatt 1-1, J. Hilton 2-0, L. Mays 1-1, D. Gould 0-0, L. Morris 1-0, J. Adams 1-2, C. Pretty 0-1, R. Dye 1-1
Pitches - Strikes: S. Hill 31-16, M. Gagnon 15-11, J. Hatt 14-9, J. Hilton 11-5, L. Mays 17-10, D. Gould 14-2, L. Morris 24-15, J. Adams 8-4, C. Pretty 23-16, R. Dye 5-4
Inherited Runners - Scored: L. Morris 3-3, J. Adams 1-1
WP: J. Hilton, D. Gould, J. Adams

GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: N. Bedford
Ballpark: Coral Seymour Memorial Ballpark
Weather: Clear skies (47 degrees), wind blowing in from center at 8 mph
Start Time: 7:05 pm
Time: 3:59
Attendance: 2133

[Elendil]

2011 Pennant Races

August Owners' Meeting

The Board of Governors met in early August to discuss some items on the league agenda. Fortunately, the league wasn't (yet) facing another fiscal crisis, but there were a few issues to clear up.

First, the Board decided to put the Jets up for sale. They were now on a firm financial footing, and looked set to be a winning team in the near future. The Glacier Pilots were another story. Their decline had been deeper, and while their situation was improving, they were not yet ready for sale. They would undergo another year in league hands.

Second, the league decided to extend the period of amateur rights to three years again, and the same with automatic renewal of rookie contracts. The changes would take effect after the next season.

Finally, the owners decided to create a new award: Manager of the Year. The excitement over the new teams winning games and contending in both divisions was an impetus for this decision.

August 30, 2011

After the All-Star break, the Miners collapsed and allowed the Senators to overtake them. The Nicks came on strong, while the Sentinels and Yukoners fell back, as most observers had expected. However, the Nicks' charge was too little, too late, as the Senators were on a mission. By August 30, they had clinched the Denali Division. They had done it with pitching (what did you expect?), lowering their team ERA to 3.59, easily the best in the league. Defense doesn't just win championships; apparently, it wins pennants.

In the Seward Division, the final two days of the season would be exciting. Four teams could come out with the pennant. Here were the standings:



Anchorage Bucs.............58-49
Kodiak Grizzlies...........57-48
Bethel Mushers.............57-49
Eagle River-Chugiak Jets...56-49




The Bucs had one game left, Bethel two, and the Grizzlies and Jets three each. Kodiak controlled their own destiny: three straight wins and they were in. The Jets would almost certainly have to win all three of their games to have a shot at the title.

Here's the schedule for August 30:

Kodiak at Jets, 1:05 PM
Kodiak at Jets, 7:05 PM
Bethel at Glacier Pilots, 7:05 PM

August 31:

Bethel at Glacier Pilots, 7:05 PM
Kodiak at Jets, 7:05 PM
Peninsula at Bucs, 7:05 PM

Obviously, all eyes were on the Kodiak-Chugiak series. This series would probably determine who won the division. If the Jets took all three, they could win or, more likely, tie. If the Jets took two, then Kodiak would probably be eliminated, but could still force a three- or even four-way tie. If the Jets took just one, there would still be hope for both the Bucs and Mushers to tie the Grizzlies.

Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they will have to do it without Tom Robbins, who went down with a seven-month injury on August 25. Robbins had been on fire since the All-Star Break, raising his average to .316 and home runs to 21, in 358 AB.

[Hageneezz]

Can you manually add a manager of the year award?? Or can you only give awards to players??

Great dynasty btw,i really enjoy reading about the AKL