1960-2011: 52 Seasons of Championship Baseball
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1960-2011: 52 Seasons of Championship Baseball The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks baseball club has entered its 52nd season. The Goldpan- ners operate in a similar manner as a minor league team: playing nightly in stadiums before fans, using wood bats and minor league specification equipment, and also enduring epic road trips by bus. Looking back, it is clear that the program has made a stunning impact on the baseball world. The Goldpanners were pioneers in the promotion of collegiate sports, and rode the strength of the amateur athlete to many victories on and off the fied. The Fairbanks club remains dedicated to providing minor league level competition in order to assist in the continuation of the athletes’ careers into the ranks of professional ball. Pic by Tom Dennis 2011 SEASON DEDICATED TO BILL STROECKER (1920-2010) William George (Bill) Stroecker, Fair- banks’ best known civic leader since the days before Statehood, passed away No- vember 8, 2010, at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Born in Fairbanks on July 31, 1920, Stro- ecker had the rare distinction of never calling anywhere else home, leaving Fair- Though started as a humble town team in the banks only in 1938 to attend New Mexico “North of the Range League”, the Alaska Gold- Military Institute and then again near the panners gained wide fame almost immediately end of World War II when stationed at after finishing second overall in the nation at Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada as part of the Lend-Lease Program. the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kansas. Following the war Bill, the son and grand- son of pioneer Alaskan families, returned The curiosity of the Goldpanners being from the to Fairbanks and took the post of book- Last Frontier, mixed with the entertaining play keeper at First National Bank. He suc- ceeded his brother, Ed, as bank president of a ball team composed entirely of college ath- in 1967, remaining in that position until letes, endeared many fans in the Lower 48. The the bank was sold in 1978. continued successes of the club led to an almost cult-like following during the 60s and 70s. The Charming to the core, the rugged Stroeck- er enjoyed a wide-range of activities. His team’s allure has only continued to grow with musical talents are legend as he played each passing season -- and each surpassed re- his trumpet at many localfunctions. He cord and milestone. played regularly with a jazz band known as the Frigid-Aires. His interest in music, Over the years, the club has achieved numerous particularly jazz, ran deep and he spent many relaxing hours listening to the great national and international distinctions, leading to artists from the first half of the last cen- world-wide fame rivalling that of professional CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: Charlie Cole tury. teams. The influence of the club in the base- CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Don Dennis ball world is still on the ascent even now. Be- PRESIDENT: E. Chilton Hines Bill had served with the Goldpanners in some capacity for roughly fifty years. sides the growing popularity of the Midnight Sun VICE PRESIDENTS: Phil Prax, Brian Rasley Game, the team’s alumni often continue with the ASSOCIATE GENERAL MANAGER: Todd Dennis game after their playing careers are over, and ASSISTANT TO THE GM: John Denning, B.J. Hall are now positioned administratively throughout SPECIAL ASSISTANT: Smith Barber all levels of play. STADIUM OPERATIONS: Shirley Stewart HOUSING OPERATIONS: Rhonda Lohrke In addition to the nearly 200 players to have TRAINING STAFF: Jim Kimbal ascended to the major leagues (and one - Dan FIELD MANAGER: Jim Dietz Pastorini - who joined the NFL as Quarterback), FIELD PREPARATIONS: Carroll Barber an increasing number have risen to the pinnacle VEHICLES: John Lohrke, Seekins Ford of baseball in the coaching or front office admin- VIP, Park Surveyor/Engineer: Jason Barnebey istrative fields. INTERNS: Joshua Gilberts (Management) Josh Collins (Broadcasting) In 2008, three-year Goldpanner Bill “Spaceman” Tom Dennis (PannerVision Production) Lee returned to Fairbanks and declared to the local press that the Goldpanners were “the num- www.goldpanners.com William G. Stroecker P.O. Box 71154 Fairbanks Son of the Midnight Sun ber one amateur baseball organization in his- tory.” 907-451-0095 / 907-456-6429 Yearbook/Card Design: Todd Dennis 2010 - Our 50th Anniversary Season Talented Club Wins Every Season Series ; 2nd Place By .5 Key pitching lapses keep the Alaska Baseball League crown out of Fairbanks. 105th Midnight Sun Game a 15-inning thriller. Club sweeps to record of 23-4 at Growden Park. The 51st season (50th Anniver- reliever Kyle Brule of Oklahoma Baptist. sary) of the Alaska Goldpanners Brule, who started his career at Arizona came down to as close a finish as State, had three outstanding summers is possible in the Alaska League, as a closer for the Goldpanners and but unfortunately the Panners etched his name into the team record wound up on the short side. book. Cabral was a first-year guy who went 5-0 with a 2.47 earned run aver- Pic by Duane Nelson The Mat-Su Miners claimed age. He started eight games and his the title when the Goldpanners 54.1 innings topped the club. dropped five of their last seven games. The unfortunate streak Freshman hurler Chase McDowell of came as the team was just one Rice made a late surge on the mound win away -- at the Anchorage Gla- and finished 3-2 with a 2.30 ERA. He cier Pilots -- from salting away the worked 47 innings and struck out 41 to title. But, when that game was lead the club in that category. lost on a dramatic walk-off home run the door was cracked just a bit A couple of Yuba College hurlers con- for the Miners. They responded tributed mightily before leaving the club. by taking 3 of 4 -- one game of Matt Vedo went 4-0 with a team leading Top row, from left: J.T. Chargois, Jarod Berggren, Jesse Sikorski, Kyle Richter, Derek Grieve, which had been rained out in Fair- 2.20 ERA while Zach Vawter-Scoggins Jake Stewart, Kyle Brule, Evan Simonitch. Middle row, from left: Jim Dietz, Jerrod Rig- banks earlier. The Miners needed chipped in at 2-0 with a save and a 2.52 gan, Matt Mardesich, Jake Dziubczynski, Colton Plaia, Chase McDowell, Ryan Cabral, Mike two wins on the final day but wise- ERA. Tauchman, Liam Baron, Simon Kudernatsch, Trainer Mark Wellhousen, Austin Wooldridge, ly had their two top pitchers await- Dan Cassidy. Bottom row, from left: Zach Arneson, Elliot Van Gaver, Derrick Chung, Derek ing the depleted Panners. Simon Kudernatsch of Hartford U., a Wilson, Martin Medina, Kevin Roundtree, DJ Crumlich. Czech native, came to Fairbanks for a By the end of the Alaska season tryout and wound up the club’s lead- 2010 ALL-ABL TEAM: 1st Team - 2B: Derrick Chung,; 3B: Martin Medina; Relief: Liam Fairbanks was without a single ing hitter at .319. Second year third- Baron ; Closer: Kyle Brule; Starting Pitching: Ryan Cabral // 2nd Team - 1B: Mike Tauchman starting outfielder and had a baseman Martin Medina of Bakersfied banged shortstop/second base- slugged six home runs and his 28 runs ; SS: DJ Crumlich,; C: Kevin Roundtree; OF: Jake Stewart; Utility: Simon Kudernatsch; DH: man in Derrick Chung, a two-year batted in tied Jesse Sikorski of Johns Jesse Sikorski; Gold Glove: DJ Crumlich mainstay with the club. Without Hopkins for tops in that department. an outfield a trip to the national BASEBALL AMERICA TOP 10 PRO PROSPECTS KYLE RICHTER, JAKE STEWART & D.J. CRUMLICH tournament was aborted after Manager Jim Dietz went into the sea- reaching Denver en route. son needing just three victories to post his 500th win with the club. He got that The Panners set an Alaska milestone early on and moved all the League record of sorts when they way to 531 by season’s end. Those vic- captured the season series from tories coupled with all his victories lead- each of the five other teams but ing the Cascade Royals and Springfield still managed to lose the title by Mitchford Mack Bulldogs of Oregon, two one-half game. seasons at the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, and a really big 1980 season with the The club had some outstanding Boulder Collegians places Dietz at the pitching, primarily from starter top of the heap among summer baseball Ryan Cabral of Southern Cal and managers. The 52nd season of the Alaska Goldpanners takes on a look of something old and something 2011 - The 52nd Season of Goldpanners Baseball borrowed from the past along with something Goldpanners to Operate Two Separate Clubs During Summer new. New entry into the Fairbanks Adult Amateur Baseball League provides Goldpanners with more roster spots for local ballplayers. For the first time in decades the Goldpanners will be participating in the North of the Range of Houston Baptist leads the way at first while Kyle Gleason of the League, now known as the Fairbanks Adult Ama- University of Minnesota has a line on third. the middle infield will be teur Baseball League. The new wrinkle allows rotated among Cody Slader of San Diego State, and Mike Vaughn a training ground and perpetual tryout situation II of Fresno Pacific. The outfield will be patroled by Andy Peterson for Fairbanks and Alaska players aspiring to raise of Santa Ana College; Zac Fujimoto of Loyola Marymount, and Chris their level of baseball competence. Doyle of Grossmoont College in La Mesa, Ca. Doyle is the son of Jeff G. Doyle of the Fairbanks 1976 national championship team.