The past two years I have written a sappy New Year’s post full of thank yous and all that jazz, but this year I think I’ll give you all what you come here for and stick with baseball. Let’s look ahead at the 2012 Alaska Baseball League season! I’ll give a brief rundown of where I think each team stands headed into the new year (though, of course, much could change in the next six months) and a “state of the blog” report. So let’s get to it!
Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks
The biggest news of the offseason so far has been the return of the Goldpanners to full league status after playing a truncated, non-league schedule in 2011. That right there is reason for Panner fans to celebrate. Last year’s team seemed to pack quite a bit of talent, so it will be interesting to see if they can put together another club as solid as the last, and how it will stack up against the full gauntlet of ABL opponents. It’s definitely good to have them back full-time and it’ll be exciting to see how their season comes together.
Anchorage Bucs
Change is the theme for the Bucs in 2012. Founder and long-time General Manager Dennis Mattingly has stepped aside due to health concerns, but the team seems to be in capable hands. Former Oilers GM Shawn Maltby is moving in to take over in Anchorage. Maltby has put together some really stellar teams in Kenai, including the league champion club last season which made a solid run at the NBC World Series title. The big question is whether or not he can recreate the magic in Anchorage and help the Bucs rebound from two consecutive sub-.500 seasons.
Anchorage Glacier Pilots
There hasn’t been a lot of ground-shaking news coming out of the Glacier Pilots camp this winter. But as they say, no news is good news, and that’s especially true around these parts. Despite putting together a talented team that included the likes of White Sox first-rounder Keenyn Walker in 2011, the Pilots fell just short of a .500 campaign, though they definitely improved upon their 2010 performance. They’ll keep quietly putting together a club which they hope can continue the upward trend.
Chugiak Eagle-River Chinooks
The rebirth of the AIA Fire as the Chugiak Eagle-River Chinooks is a huge story this off-season. After playing a “road warrior” schedule in 2011, the Chinooks have a new name, a new logo, a new ballpark, and a new town to call home. There has been an outpouring of support for the team which is putting down roots in this community. The big question: will this help propel the team toward ABL success in 2012? That remains to be seen, but it seems likely to give them a bit of a boost as they take the field in the coming season.
Mat-Su Miners
This was supposed to be a quiet off-season for the Miners, with no major projects to distract team GM Pete Christopher from putting together a ball club for 2012. But if there’s one thing to be said about Alaska, it’s that Mother Nature has a way of sabotaging even the best plans, and that’s exactly what she did when she unleashed hurricane-force winds upon the Mat-Su valley in November. In addition to patching up Hermon Brothers Field, the Miners will be tasked with putting together a team that lives up to fans’ high expectations and, fans hope, recapture the crown which the Oilers snatched from them after back-to-back championships.
Peninsula Oilers
Like the Bucs, change is the theme for the Oilers, and for the same reason. They were on the losing end of Shawn Maltby’s departure for Anchorage. In addition, they’ll be losing ABL Coach of the Year Dennis Machado, who departs with a 103-60 record in the Alaska League. However, the Oilers have had staff waiting in the wings to take over. James Clark, who has years of experience running nonprofit organizations, has assumed the role of GM, while John Stevens — who Machado credited with last year’s offensive surge as Oilers hitting coach — will take over as manager. This will be a great opportunity for Stevens to showcase his talent, and Oilers fans are hoping that he’s got enough of it to defend the ABL title.
49thStateHardball: State of the Blog
I’ve taken some time off from blogging this off-season. I’ve moved back to Alaska full time, I’m finishing my bachelor’s degree at UAA, and I’ve taken a new job. I’ve committed myself to excelling in those pursuits and, unfortunately, blogging has taken a backseat at times. Furthermore, I’m always on the lookout for good summer internships which may make it difficult or impossible to attend the games necessary to keep this thing going.
It would pain me greatly to have to give this blog up, but I’m not in a position to turn down a rewarding (financially and experience-wise) internship. If it comes down to being offered a job, for example, on the slope, I will probably have to accept. Fortunately there are a lot of opportunities for me in places like Anchorage, Kenai and Fairbanks, which I will be pursuing vigorously. Hopefully things will pan out so that I can continue to give you a solid season’s worth of coverage this summer and for years to come. And hopefully this spring semester will be calm enough that I can pick up the pace and crank out some more articles leading up to the season.
However, I am entertaining the idea of taking on an assistant or two to help keep things fresh around here. This would also be part of my exit strategy should I need to temporarily or permanently excuse myself from writing due to work or whatever. If there are any other fans out there who would like to help contribute to this blog, please contact me. We could start with a guest post or whatever and see how it goes from there.
Assuming I can hang in there for the season, things are looking up. The Chinooks’ arrival in the area puts another team within my daily driving radius and I’m excited for the opportunity to cover more of their home games. The Goldpanners’ return to full-time status will allow me to give them the coverage they deserve, and I’m scheming a way to make this the year I can finally live-blog the Midnight Sun Game in person.
I lost my video camera this past season and haven’t been able to put together any good scouting videos with the footage I have of 2011, but there’s a possibility I’ll acquire a newer, better camera and can get some good stuff for 2012. I’ve picked up a netbook with decent enough battery life to haul to the park with me, and upgraded my ancient Blackberry to a higher-end Android phone, so I should be able to keep my notes better organized and do more live from the park. I’d really love to at least upgrade my terrible, terrible stopwatch. Actually I’d really love to get a Stalker gun. Hey, my birthday is tomorrow. Anyone?
But seriously, only six months until the season begins. I’m starting to get excited…are you?
P.S. OK, so here’s the thank-yous. Thanks to everyone who has made blogging possible…all the team personnel, the players who have taken a chance to speak with me, the players’ parents who have read my writing and given me feedback, everyone who’s read this blog, posted a comment, participated in any way, all the fans, players, host families and personnel who make Alaska baseball possible…everyone! Have a happy 2012.
jjack is an Alaskan exiled in Montana, except for the summers, when he makes his annual quest north in search of employment and awesome baseball. 
