Bush League

[Elendil]

"North to the Future." So says the motto of the northernmost American state. While Alaska has been known as the state where the "Midnight Sun Game" is played annually, it has never had professional baseball at any level - until now. How will the future of baseball change when a group of Alaskan entrepreneurs launches a new independent league?

This will be an OOTP 2007 baseball universe, with an independent Alaskan professional league (with its own minor league) alongside U.S. Major League Baseball and its affiliated minor leagues.

[Elendil]

The list of original franchises in the Alaskan League was announced on January 4, 2007. The League would be divided into two divisions of six teams each. The winners of each division would face off in a seven-game championship series.

Seward Division

Anchorage Glacier Pilots (a.k.a. "AGP")
Anchorage Bucs (a.k.a. "ANC")
Eagle River-Chugiak Jets
Kodiak Grizzlies
Mat-Su Miners
Peninsula Oilers

Denali Division

Fairbanks Goldpanners
Juneau Senators
Ketchikan King Salmon
North Pole Nicks
Sitka Sentinels
Valdez Vortex

Each team would play 96 games, 12 against each of the other teams in its own division and 6 against each of the teams in the other division.

A fully amateur Training League with a weekends-only, 44-game schedule was also planned. The initial affiliations would be as follows:

Division 1

Barrow Sentinels (Sitka)
Bethel Bucs (ANC)
Homer Glacier Pilots (AGP)
Palmer Goldpanners (Fairbanks)
Seward Grizzlies (Kodiak)
West Anchorage Jets (Eagle River-Chugiak)

Division 2

Aleutians Senators (Juneau)
Bristol Bay Nicks (North Pole)
Dillingham Vortex (Valdez)
Haines Oilers (Peninsula)
Skagway King Salmon (Ketchikan)
Yakutat Miners (Mat-Su)

[metsgeek]

Too bad Barrow isn't in the majors....30 DAYS OF NIGHT, man!!

[Elendil]

Originally Posted by metsgeek

Too bad Barrow isn't in the majors....30 DAYS OF NIGHT, man!!

That'll be 30 days of daylight in early summer.

[Elendil]

Playing in 5300-seat Mulcahy Stadium, the Glacier Pilots were one of the amateur franchises that made the leap to the new league. Sharing the largest Alaskan market with the Bucs and the suburban Jets, the Pilots were well placed for financial success.

GM: Yancey Norlander

Manager: Joe Daye

[Elendil]

The Anchorage Bucs shared Mulcahy Stadium with the Glacier Pilots and, like that team, had made the move from the amateur Alaska Baseball League. These two teams figured to be fierce rivals from day one.

GM: Bernie Dunphy


Manager: Wes MacArtney

[Elendil]

One of the brand-new Alaskan teams, the Jets were located in suburban north Anchorage (technically in the Chugiak neighborhood), where they hoped to attract a fan base from local residents and the nearby air force base.

GM: Kevin Allard


Manager: Bob Adamson

[Elendil]

Originally known as "The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks" in their amateur days, the 'Panners drew on the second largest market in the AKL and looked set to pursue an aggressive strategy to dominate the Denali Division from the start.

Manager & GM: Homer Davis

[Elendil]

Located in the isolated capital of Alaska, the Senators were limited in the numbers they could reach, but they knew they could draw on a relatively wealthy fan base. They played in a small ballpark nestled against the eastern glaciers.

GM: Ed Wooldridge


Manager: Ron Cardinal

[Elendil]

The Kings were notable for a couple of reasons. First, they faced an uncertain financial future due to their small market. Second, they played in one of the rainiest cities on the North American continent. It might be difficult to get games in some weeks!

GM & Manager: Ross Stewart

[Elendil]

Playing on an island meant that all road games would require trips in three separate propeller planes: the Kodiak airport didn't have hangars big enough to house commercial jets.

GM: Kensaku Iwasaki


Manager: Jason Lowry

[Elendil]

"Mat-Su," short for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, which encompassed the cities of Palmer (where the park was located) and Wasilla (where the team offices were located), was another of the teams that were converted from the amateur Alaska Baseball League.

GM: Kent Linkletter


Manager: Gilbert Lidstone

[Elendil]

Playing in Kenai, the Oilers have also come over from the ABL. After the Anchorage and Fairbanks teams, they can probably count on a decent-sized fan base.

GM: Tom Hunter


Manager: Simon Aube

[Elendil]

Along with the King Salmon and the Senators, the Sentinels round out the teams from Alaska's panhandle. Making their home near one of the biggest concentrations of Native Americans in Alaska, Sitka also has the first Native American on staff in the AKL: pitching coach Laurent Saint-Amour.

GM: John McGreer


Manager: Kevin Day

[Elendil]

Perhaps the smallest market in the entire league, Valdez is home to a mere 4,015 people - and there are no suburbs. Like some other teams, they hope to scrape by with a skeleton staff and to market merchandise - one of the most important sources of revenue for the Alaskan teams - beyond the immediate area.

Manager & GM: Harlan Chamberlain

[Elendil]

For reference, I'm posting a map of Alaska, with all the towns with AKL teams underlined in red. Not all the minor league towns are on this map, but most are. Haines is quite close to Skagway, and Yakutat is about halfway between Skagway and Valdez. The "Aleutians" team plays in Unalaska, while "Bristol Bay" plays in King Salmon.



I've nearly completed the immense task of creating the league schedules and am excited about getting started on the real league stuff shortly.

[Elendil]

Here's a rundown of some league rules and options for the Alaskan League:

Active roster size: 23
Expanded roster size: 32
Secondary roster size: 32
Minimum days of service for 1 service year: 106
Waiver period: 3 days
DFA period: 7 days
Minor league option years: enabled
Rule 5 draft: enabled
Trading deadline: July 1
Trades with other major leagues & trading of draft picks: disabled
Amateur draft: June 15, 5 rounds
Average attendance: 1000
Average ticket price: $7.50
Away gate share: 20%
Minimum years for free agency: 3 (Commissioner Paul Fulfer pushed hard for this rule as a way of attracting young talent that might otherwise be tempted to go into the MLB draft)
Free agents from other leagues: disabled
Free agents may leave league: enabled
Draft pick compensation: disabled
Arbitration: none
Minimum service years for minor league FA: 3
Average media contract: $12,558
Revenue sharing: yes, cash max $50,000
Average coach salary: $8000
Minimum player salary: $2000
Average player salary: $16000

Season start date: Friday after May 15
Games per team: 96 (12 against 5 division rivals, 6 against 6 out of division teams)
Spring Training: enabled
All-Star Game: July 8
Alaskan Championship Series: division winners, best of 7

Use of relievers/closers: very often
Endurance: low
Rotation size: 4-man
All other strategic settings: normal (remember that fielding ratings will be worse, so stealing often makes more sense in this league)

The Alaskan Training League has a 44-game schedule, 4 against each other team, with doubleheaders played every Saturday and Sunday. It will have its own All-Star Game near the end of the season, and it also has a one-game championship, known as the Amateur Cup. Same strategic settings, but the season starts on the first Saturday in June. Roster limits are 35 in this league.

[Elendil]

Some of the teams joining the new league had started organizing themselves on a professional basis even before the league itself came into being. In so doing, they had gained an advantage over some of the other teams by snapping up some of the best players, but they also ran the risk of committing to contracts they would not be able to afford later. In the first season, though, teams were required to put a bond worth 20% of their total payroll (due on April 18, the start of the exhibition season), so that if the team went under, the league could pay some of their salaries.

One example of an early signer-on was Ron Bishop, who had played shortstop in the MLB system for years. Now 39 years old, he was one of the investors in the Anchorage Bucs, having also played for the team when it was an amateur summer club. His contract of $153,993 in fact prompted whispers about "self-dealing." Nevertheless, he could still hit better than 99% of the other Alaskan men and teenagers showing up at tryouts and was an early favorite for Batter of the Year. However, his team had some serious weaknesses in the rest of the lineup by the time exhibition season started.

Team Breakdowns

(Notes: As of 4/18/2007. Star ratings based on potential and are league- and position-relative.)

Anchorage Glacier Pilots (AGP)

Payroll: $881,911 (1st)
Key Pitchers:

Bryan Kendall, SP ****1/2

Salary: $106,406
Age: 28

Gary Tufts, SP ****1/2

Salary: $105,560
Age: 32

Eric Liger, SP ***1/2

Salary: $29,386
Age: 27

John Adams, CL ***

Salary: $54,499
Age: 27

Key Hitters:

Tom Robbins, RF *****

Salary: $186,470
Age: 33

Dave Chipman, SS ****1/2

Salary: $100,760
Age: 33

Dave Bonnar, LF ****1/2

Salary: $136,150
Age: 29

Jim Greene, CF ***1/2

Salary: $2000 (league minimum)
Age: 24

Anchorage Bucs (ANC)

Payroll: $688,944 (3rd)
Key Pitchers:

Jack Hatt, SP *****

Salary: $134,793
Age: 30

John Dewitt, SP ****

Salary: $40,352
Age: 23

Bill Colwill, CL ****1/2

Salary: $13,200
Age: 24

Key Hitters:

Ron Bishop, SS ****1/2

Salary: $153,993
Age: 39

Bob Horton, RF ****1/2

Salary: $153,480
Age: 33

Eagle River-Chugiak Jets (ERC)

Payroll: $620,955 (5th)
Key Pitchers:

Newt Langille, SP ****1/2

Salary: $43,819
Age: 25

Jeremie Dessureault, SP ***1/2

Salary: $37,895
Age: 29

Loren Coleman, CL ****

Salary: $40,933
Age: 31

Key Hitters:

Adam Joly, 1B *****

Salary: $81,580
Age: 26

Frank Watt, 2B ****1/2

Salary: $48,511
Age: 27

Bill Duval, SS ****

Salary: $24,154
Age: 26

Fairbanks Goldpanners (FAI)

Payroll: $764,700 (2nd)
Key Pitchers:

Chip Becker, SP *****

Salary: $120,666
Age: 26

John Robertson, SP ****

Salary: $69,510
Age: 37

John Lynn, SP ****

Salary: $44,462
Age: 27

Quinn Spence, SP ****

Salary: $32,823
Age: 25

Key Hitters:

Gary Johnson, 1B *****

Salary: $105,294
Age: 29

Sloan Starr, SS *****

Salary: $144,175
Age: 28

Bill Rogers, 2B ****

Salary: $47,640
Age: 25

Bob Juhan, 3B ****

Salary: $70,510
Age: 33

Juneau Senators (JUN)

Payroll: $389,514 (11th)
Key Pitchers:

Scott Northeast, SP ***** (a member of the Tlingit tribe)

Salary: $11,340
Age: 20

Duncan Lacey, CL ***1/2

Salary: $53,865
Age: 27

Key Hitters:

Ralph Collette, 2B ****1/2

Salary: $86,914
Age: 26

Lorne Stannard, C ***1/2

Salary: $39,273
Age: 32

Ketchikan King Salmon (KET)

Payroll: $421,765 (10th)
Key Pitchers:

John Mack, SP ****1/2

Salary: $67,300
Age: 25

Ed Staitie, CL ***

Salary: $19,730
Age: 28

Key Hitters:

Xander Eggert, 3B ****

Salary: $49,660
Age: 28

Jimmy Williams, CF ***1/2

Salary: $45,875
Age: 27

[Elendil]

Kodiak Grizzlies (KOD)

Payroll: $568,172 (8th)
Key Pitchers:

Jean-Gabriel Boucher, SP ****1/2

Salary: $86,573
Age: 36

Stephen Hill, SP ****1/2

Salary: $102,921
Age: 29

Alastair Baker, SP ***1/2

Salary: $22,560
Age: 28

Walt Nippard, CL ****1/2

Salary: $77,012
Age: 32

Key Hitters:

Alan Sellick, C ****1/2

Salary: $76,388
Age: 24

Scott Bradley, 3B ****1/2

Salary: $2000 (league minimum)
Age: 23

Stanton Ryan, 2B ****

Salary: $2000 (league minimum)
Age: 23

Mat-Su Miners (MSM)

Payroll: $566,810 (7th)
Key Pitchers:

Will Blain, SP ****

Salary: $2000
Age: 21

Key Hitters:

Pierre-Alexandre Langlois, C *****

Salary: $135,997
Age: 35

Greg Trudel, CF *****

Salary: $141,688
Age: 26

Bobby Rae, 1B ****1/2

Salary: $33,772
Age: 27

John Brown, 3B ****1/2

Salary: $2000
Age: 23

Rene Fortier, 2B ***1/2

Salary: $44,982
Age: 26

North Pole Nicks (NPN)

Payroll: $566,466 (6th)
Key Pitchers:

Mike Rancourt, SP ****1/2

Salary: $108,487
Age: 30

Key Hitters:

Fred Dempsey, LF *****

Salary: $142,730
Age: 26

John Abston, 2B *****

Salary: $12,510
Age: 20

Vincent Leroux, C ****1/2

Salary: $77,377
Age: 27

Nick Bedford, 3B ****1/2

Salary: $72,890
Age: 25

Peninsula Oilers (PEN)

Payroll: $676,721 (4th)
Key Pitchers:

Tim Rigg, SP ****1/2

Salary: $68,120
Age: 27

Mark Knight, SP ***1/2

Salary: $32,810
Age: 37

Ron Yuke, CL *****

Salary: $76,450
Age: 26

Key Hitters:

Scott Hillier, 2B *****

Salary: $132,810
Age: 28

Henry Mansel, CF ****1/2

Salary: $118,910
Age: 29

Tommy Lambert, 2B ****1/2

Salary: $2000
Age: 22

Pat Upton, C ****

Salary: $78,330
Age: 30

Sitka Sentinels (SIT)

Payroll: $552,320 (9th)
Key Pitchers:

none

Key Hitters:

Erik Boone, 3B *****

Salary: $108,460
Age: 25

Bryan Morris, 1B ****

Salary: $35,516
Age: 35

Jonathan Bertrand, SS ****

Salary: $28,397
Age: 29

Valdez Vortex (VAL)

Payroll: $343,323 (12th)
Key Pitchers:

Davis Crawford, SP ****

Salary: $70,084
Age: 30

Key Hitters:

Calvin Curry, LF ****

Salary: $123,808
Age: 33

Steve Davis, 3B ****

Salary: $37,152
Age: 28

Terence Ostrom, SS ***1/2

Salary: $2000
Age: 23

[Elendil]

By Opening Day, May 18, 2007, most of the decent baseball players in Alaska - and some of the non-decent ones - had been signed to contracts. There were still some notable holdouts, such as 24-year-old outfielder John Horswill, 32-year-old outfielder Marcus Leveque, and 20-year-old outfielder Tommy Okawa. All three had perhaps an outside chance at a cup of coffee in AAA, and it appeared they preferred to take their chances in the contiguous U.S. rather than make a quick buck in their home state.

I'm going to play out a few games for each team at the beginning of the season in order to get to know each of them a little better. In case it isn't yet clear, though, I'll be controlling none of them: all the teams in the league are under full AI control.

Eagle River-Chugiak at Mat-Su

Governor Sarah Palin threw out the first pitch of the inaugural game of the Alaskan League before a record crowd of 1,744 at Palmer's Hermon Brothers Field.


Hermon Brothers Field

Both of these were young teams. Each had just one hitter over 30 in the starting lineup: leftfielder Waldo Melanson for the Jets and catcher Pierre-Alexandre Langlois for the Miners. The starting pitchers were 25 (Newt Langille, ERC) and 21 (Will Blain, MSM).

Opening the top of the first, Frank Watt worked a walk on seven pitches, and we were underway. One human interest aspect of this game was that brothers would face other. Newt Langille in fact struck out his older brother Dave to close out the bottom of the first. He also got him to ground into a double play to end the third, but only after the Miners thrilled the home crowd with a sequence of hits to take a 2-0 lead.

Mat-Su finally broke things open in the 7th with a grand slam from leftfielder Rob Corley, delighting the home crowd. The Miners went on to win 8-2. It was a fairly well played game, with only an error to each side and one wild pitch. Yes, anyone who'd seen major league baseball before would not mistake this for that quality of play, but the excitement was palpable all the same. The snow was gone, the tourists were coming, and it was time to play ball!