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"I've been lucky enough to attend many World Series, All Star Games and Opening Days but the Midnight Sun Game is in a league of it's own."

2008 Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks

2008: Schedule/Results • Statistics • Personnel || Roster - Tim Gloyd • Shawn Epidendio • Nate Anderson • Bryan Tapley // Bryan Beres • Kyle Brule • Nick Ciolli • Andrew Clauson • Steven Davis • Trent Diedrich • Jake Dunning • Tyler Duran • Adam Gaylord • Jeremy Gillan • Jason Hamel • Jonathan Harmston • Ryan Heroy • Ben Jones • Bill Lee  • Matt Maggiolo • Nigel Morton • Thomas Myers • Matt Newman • Eric Nyquist • Jon Pokorny • Ryan Robowski • Ryan Scoma • Casey Stevenson • Reid Suitor • Raoul Torrez | 2007 Team Baseball Card Set | All-Time Roster • All-Time Lineups

Alaska
Goldpanners Alumni

Ball Field Master Plan Offers Little

Bill "Spaceman" Lee wins 2008 Midnight Sun Game

"Bill “The Spaceman” Lee made an appearance, not for a ceremonial pitch but he started and pitched 6 innings and is still in line for the win. I can die a happy man seeing the Spaceball/Leephus pitch in person. It was magical."

1/5/9: Lake Erie Monarchs to Play in 104th Midnight Sun Game “To be able to represent the Great Lakes League and the Great Lakes region in the Midnight Sun game is one of the greatest opportunities our organization will have ever taken part in,” stated Jim DeSana, the Monarchs General Manager.

1/4/9: Royce Ring (00) Royce Ring joins Cardinals

12/25/8: Nine innings with Nick "I spent a year at Santa Clara before I transferred to San Ho-Ho-Jose as I like to call it. I played two summers in the Alaska Baseball League, since it wasn't too far from home"

12/24/8: All-Time North Coast Team (1999) - Mark Lucich, Lee Iorg, Gary Wilson "Mark Lucich, who graduated from Eureka in 1972, and Rick Lundblade, who starred in the late 1980s, both left their mark locally and then starred for the Cardinal.  "Mark was just a great hitter. He hit for average and with power," said former Alaska Summer League teammate Lee Iorg, who played against Lucich at Eureka High."
12/24/8: Todd Steverson (89) Named First Base Coach for Oakland

Dave Smith (75 • 76)

d. 12/17/8

12/18/8: Dave Smith (75-76) Dave Smith remembered for his generosity | Baseball loses one of its true good guys Former Astros reliever Dave Smith was a giving person, and he made sure his younger teammates learned to value others as they adjusted to life in the majors.    Smith’s name is atop or near the top of several of the Astros’ relief categories. But as his former teammates coped with his death Wednesday, they didn’t talk about his 199 saves for the Astros or his team records for appearances (562), relief wins (53), relief innings (760) or most games finished (400).   Instead, Smith’s friends and former teammate remembered the former San Diego State pitcher’s generous nature and cool California demeanor after he died of a heart attack Wednesday at age 53.

“I remember the first thing he told me,” Kerfeld said. “He said, ‘Charlie, always treat everybody right because the same people you see on the way up are going to be the same people that you’ll see on the way down.’ He was correct with that advice he gave me

12/17/8: Ed Cheff (02-03-04-05-06) 2009 Lefty Gomez Award Recipient "The Lefty Gomez Award is one of the most prestigious awards in all of amateur baseball. Named after the great Lefty Gomez, this award is presented by the American Baseball Coaches Association each year to an individual who has distinguished himself amongst his peers and has contributed significantly to the game of baseball locally, nationally, and internationally. The Lefty Gomez Award is presented each year at the ABCA Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet at the ABCA Convention. "

• 2009 - Ed Cheff (02-03-04-05-06) Lewis Clark State

• 1994 - Sam Suplizio (63-64) Colorado

• 1983 - Chuck Brayton (78) Washington State

12/13/8: Aaron Heilman (98 MVP)  Signed by Seattle Mariners

Goldpanners Put Fairbanks on International Stage

12/8/8: Elliott Strankman (03-04-05-06) Strankman hired as Twins’ scout for northern California

11/30/8: Nick Ciolli (07-08 MVP) ISUs Ciolli Honored by Alaska Baseball League (with video)

1920 Midnight Sun Game Picture
Poems of Klondyke's Early Days and Alaska's Long White Trail
By Fred Crewe - 1921

11/21/8: PannerVision: Midnight Baseball- Only in Alaska "The game starts at 10:30 pm - and is played without the aid of artificial lights." Red Boucher former lieutenant governor tells the story of the birth of the Alaska league." (Footage of Nancy DeLeon and 2000 Goldpanners)

11/20/8: Don Wakamatsu (83) Ex-Goldpanner Wakamatsu to lead Seattle Mariners

Wakamatsu was the catcher for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks during the summer of 1983 when the Panners posted a record of 42-19 under Dave Snow.

Wakamatsu had a .318 batting average that summer and caught pitchers such as Joe Magrane, Alex Madrid and Brad Arnsberg. Some of the other players on that team included Shane Mack and Oddibe McDowell.

11/20/8: Aaron Heilman (98) Heilman to seek trade if not made starter

11/19/8: Don Wakamatsu (83) Named Seattle Mariners manager

11/18/8: USKH Ball Field Master Plan Offers Little About Growden Park

11/9/8: The Price of Life?  For (Bucs GM) Dennis Mattingly: $127,000K

11/9/8: Bill Lee (66-67-08) Spaceman lands in Red Sox Hall of Fame

11/6/8: Scott Robinson (01-02 MVP) Robinson joins Rascals The River City Rascals are pleased to announce the signing of Scott Robinson who will be joining the team beginning in the 2009 season. Scott was the 2007 MVP of the South Coast League where he led the Macon Music batting .338 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI's.

10/31/8: Beau Mills (06) Playing in dad's shadow isn't a problem for Mills

2008 Midnight Sun Game

Zak Basch, Bill Lee, Sean Timmons
 

10/23/8: Mike Dunlap (76) Lute Olsen out; Dunlap now running the 'cats - A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, Dunlap was a third baseman for the 1976 Goldpanners
 

Ed Olsen, Paul W. Deese, Ben Hines

10/10/8: 1975 NBC World Series The Boulder, Colo., Collegians snapped Fairbanks, Alaska's string of three straight NBC tournament championships with a 6-4 victory over Fairbanks in the title game. 

Bill Stroecker, Tom Seaver, Steve Agbaba

Dennis Littlejohn (75) - Newest Scrapbook!

Floyd Bannister - 1975 NBC All-American Award

9/16/8: Los Angeles Times Blog: Andrew Malcom - Sarah (Palin) and Donny (Baarns) chat at a baseball game BF (Before Fame) - "in between pitches and a sharp line drive to left center, a very professional Donny and a very casual sports enthusiast named Sarah have a five-minute conversation about Alaska and political ethics and being governor and sports. One thing the former high school runner and basketball star reveals, well, actually, two: She likes sports a lot (the governor even asks if she can hang around the radio booth a while longer) and also she doesn't go for all that "gender stuff."

9/10/8: For the Love of Sports: Bill "Spaceman" Lee

8/9/8: Mike Cervenak (98) Cervenak relieved to collect first MLB hit "I think I kind of pictured it not being a high chopper through the infield," Cervenak said with a smile. "When it happened, it was a big relief -- something I'm always going to remember."

8/8/8: Lowell Purcell "rounding third and heading for home" When the family moved north in 1960, it wasn’t long before Lowell made his voice heard. He was a senior at Lathrop, working weekends at KFRB, when he met up with the likes of Steve Agbaba.  The 17-year-old read the ads during the broadcasts of Goldpanner baseball games as Agbaba’s assistant. The 1961 season was young when Agbaba threw him a curve ball.

“In the bottom of the fifth, in about the fourth or the fifth game, Agbaba says, ‘Here, you do the play-by-play.’”  “I did probably the worst play-by-play ever,” Lowell said in a 1987 interview. “It was bad, really horrible. Some people say I still broadcast like that.”

Lowell figured that he did as many as 2,500 sports broadcasts across the years. His real love was baseball and so it was fitting that he chose to get married to his wife Leah in 1993 as part of the pre-game activities at the Midnight Sun Game. The groom went on the air to do the play-by-play that night."

8/2/8: Longtime Fairbanks broadcaster Lowell Purcell dies "Longtime Fairbanks radio broadcaster Lowell Purcell was inducted into the Alaska Broadcasters Hall of Fame on Tuesday, two days before he died. The award ceremony was originally slated to take place at a Goldpanners game at Growden Memorial Park, but the game was washed out by rain and by then Purcell had already been admitted to Providence Hospital in Anchorage."

BROADCASTING THE 2000 MIDNIGHT SUN GAME:

Letter to the Daily News-Miner Editor:
To the Panners Community

To the editor:

As a parent of a 2008 Panner, I want to take a moment to thank the city of Fairbanks, the Panner organization and most importantly the people of Fairbanks for again being the place to be and play ball in the summer.

Winning in baseball is important, and this year’s record may be disappointing, but winning in life is what counts. Fairbanks, you have won again, your residents, baseball fans, Panners organization, coaching staff and most importantly your host families have again done an amazing job.

There are thousands of players, families, that are grateful forever for what you have shown our sons.

I can tell you that the players feel blessed to have spent the summer of 2008 in your great city. Thank you to all and Fairbanks will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Warren Brule, Chandler, Ariz.
Published Monday, July 28, 2008

From Gail Conrad, Mother of Brooks (99-00)

"Brooksie was so ready for this moment and had waited so very long...it was truly a dream come true. It is wonderful to share the moment with all of his supporters! Thanks for all the years of you and the Goldpanners family rooting for him!

Those Alaska summers are still some of the very best baseball memories that Brooks has thanks to all of you!  (And especially to) Brooks' host family there; the Wentz's"

NICK CIOLLI NAMED 2008 ABL TOP PROSPECT

All-ABL Team Members: Nick Ciolli, OF ; Raoul Torrez, 3B ; Matt Newman, UTIL // 2nd Team: Thomas Myers, OF ; Matt Newman, SP ; Kyle Brule, RP

7/29/8: 2008 Yearbook and Statistical Record (42 Mb PDF) - Smaller, better version of the 2008 Yearbook.

OAKLAND INFIELD'S LEFT SIDE IS ALL PANNER!
Brooks Conrad (99-00), 3B ; Bobby Crosby (99), SS

Brooksies' All-Time First Card / MLB News

7/22/8: 2008 Yearbook and Statistical Record (51 Mb PDF)
7/22/8: Brooks Conrad (99-00) Conrad Makes MLB Debut - Panner # 190 to MLB // But as excited as Conrad was to share the news, he couldn't resist having a little fun with his father first.  "He always wants to talk about [that night's] game, so we were doing that for a while," Conrad, 28, said before the opener of a three-game series against the host Rays at Tropicana Field. "Then I said, 'Oh yeah, they made a move. ... I'm going up to the big leagues.' He said, 'Wait. What?? You knew that the whole time?'  (Youtube: Conrad hits 3-run HR)

7/21/8: MLB Network to pursue broadcasting the Midnight Sun Game - "Much like NFL Films supplies content to NFL Network, MLB Network will rely on MLB Productions and its extensive library. The network also plans to pursue rights to non-MLB live programming such as the World Baseball Classic, Arizona Fall League, Caribbean World Series and the Cape Cod League. “There’s also midnight games in Alaska,” said (CEO Tony) Petitti, referring to the Alaska Baseball League. “All that stuff is going to be talked about. We’ll take pieces of all that hopefully and sprinkle it throughout the schedule.”

MLB Debut July 11, 2008  |  Goldpanner #189 to MLB
MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUTS

7/11/8: Mike Cervanek (98) Finally receives his call to the major leagues - "Columnist Nick Fierro chronicles Cervenak's story, from the independent Frontier League to a spot in the Citizens Bank Park home dugout for Thursday's matinee meeting with the St. Louis Cardinals. Cervenak told Fierro his head was spinning so much after IronPigs manager Dave Huppert gave him the good news, the rest of his manager's words were a blur:  "Everything that he said about the trip to Philly was just kind of like the teacher from Charlie Brown," he said. "It was just like, 'wah, wah, wah.' You know what I mean?"
 

Bill Lee (66-67-08) Stories

6/29/8: Peninsula: 2008: A Spaceman's Odyssey

6/28/8: Spaceman's Midnight Sun Game one for the ages  “I went to places through adrenaline and the crowd and everything,” he said. “Somehow my body was 38 years old again. “It was an emotional game. I took my shoulder places it hasn’t been in a long time.”  And he was still hurling through the sixth, which was long enough for the Panners’ offense to give him a 5-4 lead and the chance for a win. At this point, Lee could not lose the game if he stayed off the field. So it was surprising to see him put on his glove and begin the seventh."

“I’d finally redeemed myself since ’67,” he said. “Sometimes you gotta wait a long time for it to come back, you know?”

6/23/8: Flickr pics: The Spaceman Deals

• Photo Journal: Midnight Sun Game "The stadium was adorably cute and small-town. No big bleachers, no bag checks or metal detectors to walk through. Heck, I saw people pulling in wagons and mixing up margaritas during the game."

• Ira and Mary Watts: Summer solstice - "Summer Solstice in Alaska is a big deal as the day is almost 22 hours long and during the other two hours it is still daylight. It never really gets dark. After the downtown festival Mary & I went to see the 103rd annual Midnight Sun Baseball game played entirely without artificial lighting. The game was a lot of fun and we enjoyed every minute of it.

• Fenway West: The Spaceman can still get it done

• Legend revived in the Midnight Sun

6/22/8:Bill Lee (66-67-08) Lee true to form as Panners shine in midnight sun "Bill “Spaceman” Lee walked off the field with a cigar in his mouth, a grin on his face and another win on his record after the Midnight Sun Game this morning."
6/21/8: Bill Lee (66-67-08) Wins Midnight Sun Game (all time msg record 1-1)
6/21/8: One small slip leads to one big win for the Goldpanners

• Alaska Goldpanners hope for some fun under the midnight sun

• Bill "Spaceman" Lee returns for Midnight Sun Game

LOTS MORE TO CHECK OUT!

2008 Site Updates
2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000

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Tom Seaver (64-65)

10/31/7: MSG: 1965 Midnight Sun Game Ends Dramatically with a Strikeout - Tom Seaver (64-65) vs. John Herbst (64)

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Barry Bonds ALL-TIME HOME RUN KING 1983 GOLDPANNERS

 

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“We who live here the year round come to know and love our land best in winter, when the quiet fields of space brood in a white unbroken glory, made mauve and blue and rose by phantom day and incredible lights by flickering Aurora in the more lingering dark. Then life is unpreterbed by a multiplicity of things that fret our summers; tourists for instance.”  - Mary Lee Davis, 1924

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