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Elendil · 06-16-2007, 01:59 PM

Challenging Times in Chugiak

The owner of the Eagle River-Chugiak Jets announced at the end of training camp that he would sell the team after this season if attendance fell from last year. Privately, he told the league that the team was close to bankruptcy, and the league prepared contingency plans to place the franchise into receivership should the Jets' finances deteriorate further. To encourage fans to come out, the Jets dropped their ticket price to $6.50. The signing of Greg York (3.93 ERA in 2 years with Kodiak), a former Chugiak High School pitching star, to shore up the bullpen was also intended to build up community spirit around the ailing team.

Opening Day

The 2009 season opened on Friday May 15th at 2:05 PM with the Mat-Su Miners visiting the Anchorage Bucs before an anemic crowd of 1,414. The Bucs downed the Miners 8-6 in 10 innings on a walk-off homer by Zander Sabin (who? well, apparently, he's been the starting 2B for the Bucs every year - go figure).

That evening, the other teams played their first games. The Mushers and Senators joined in a wild one in the capital city, Bethel scoring four in the first, only to allow the Senators to put up eight in the bottom half. Bethel starter Newt Langille left the game with a 108.11 ERA! The game didn't end there, though, as the Mushers clawed back with three in the fourth and four in the seventh to tie things at 11. At that point a bullpen duel set in, and the Mushers used every single reliever on their roster before finally taking the game in 14 innings, 12-11. Nineteen-year-old outfielder Mike Wilson's solo shot was the game winner.

In other games, Kodiak blanked the Glacier Pilots 8-0, Ketchikan beat up on North Pole 12-4, the Jets spoiled Peninsula's home opener 8-6, and John Dewitt's stellar pitching gave Sitka a 3-1 victory over the Panners.

The First Month

The Alaskan League needed to make a big impression, particularly in its larger markets, during the early part of the season to show that they were not a flash in the pan, that they could become the focus of summertime entertainment and sporting rivalry in the Last Frontier. They also needed more recognizable stars. It would be nice if Scott Northeast filled out his potential in Juneau, and Tim Robbins went back to his old self.

Well, the outlandish extremes of the league soon made themselves felt once again. You could always count on a ridiculously high-scoring game now and again, and the first one of the season came on the first Sunday of the season, as the stacked North Pole Nicks lineup devastated Ketchikan pitching, putting up 22 runs on 18 hits, 14 walks, and 6 extra-base hits. Ketchikan's John Lynn, one of the league leaders each of the last two years for lowest ERA, now became the league leader for highest ERA: 121.62. The Nicks' shortstop, Sloan Starr, tied the single-game nine-inning record for times on base with seven (three hits and four walks).

In another exciting extra-inning matchup that same day, Bethel put up nine unanswered runs, starting in the seventh, to defeat the Senators 9-8 in 11 innings.

The league also had its first-ever no-hitter on Sunday May 24th, as Tom Pick of North Pole dismayed but dazzled almost 1,500 Miners fans at Hermon Brothers Field, giving up only a single base runner on a walk over the full nine innings. However, Pick K'ed only three Miners and thus had his defense to thank for preserving the no-no.

Other records were broken that first month. Dirk Cluett, the 20-year-old Fairbanks outfielder, put up the longest-ever hitting streak in the league's 3-year history, ending at 27 games extending back to 2008 on May 21. Juneau pitcher Louis Mays set the single-game strikeout record on June 10th, striking out 13 hapless Jets in just 7 innings before being lifted for a reliever (the Senators combined for a two-hitter in a 3-0 victory over Chugiak).

Gary Laursen

He may not have been a star on the diamond, but working lumberjack Gary Laursen became one of the league's best-known personalities after being featured in an article in Alaska Magazine.

Laursen, now 30, had never played organized baseball at any level before the Alaskan League started, but had taken in part in numerous slow-pitch softball leagues in the Juneau area over the years. When he heard about the startup of the new league, he immediately contacted the Senators about trying out.

When he showed up, the team didn't know exactly what to do with this fit (6'1", 200) but slow and awkward player with the fierce, wild swing. When he did make contact with the ball, he hit it a long way, but making contact was the problem. He gave it his all on every flyball in the outfield but was error-prone and didn't have a great arm. They figured he might have some benefit in the clubhouse, so dedicated to the team was he, that they signed him to a league-minimum contract.

A month into the 2007 season, he'd gone 1-for-6 with 2 strikeouts and played in 6 games. The Senators had no more room for him with the draft coming up, so they released him.

That same day, Laursen took the ferry down to Sitka, walked into the Sentinels' offices, and offered his services - on the amateur affiliate if need be. The Sentinels agreed and assigned him to Glennallen. But before he had a chance to play for the amateur club, the Sentinels had an injury and immediately signed him to a league-minimum contract.

The rest of that season, Laursen started frequently in the corner outfield positions, making six errors in 31 starts, but also hitting 10 home runs in 135 at-bats, with a .274 batting average and .375 OBP. He pinch-hit in five of the Alaskan Championship Series games but went just 1-for-5 with two strikeouts and never played in the field.

After the season, the Sentinels declined to re-sign him, and in March '08 he accepted an assignment to the Fairbanks ATL affiliate. Before the ATL season began, though, he again found himself in the Alaskan League on a league-minimum contract. He played every position for the Goldpanners except first base, center field, and pitcher, as the manager struggled to find a place to get him AB's. In the end, though, he struggled mightily, as the magic of the previous season seemed to have left him. He hit just .220/.263/.240 in 48 games, 50 at-bats, so the Goldpanners declined to re-sign him at the end of the year.

During the offseason, Laursen tried out once again for the Senators. Having seen what he could do first-hand in the Denali Division in '07, the club was willing to take a chance on him, and gave him a $5690 contract. Before the season began, though, they found they had no room for him and gave him his unconditional release.

Not to be discouraged, Laursen faxed all the Alaskan League clubs offering his services. In the end, the Oilers decided to take a chance on him and assigned him to their amateur training camp. By opening day of the 2009 season, he was back in the pros on a league-minimum contract.

Laursen took an apartment in Kenai, even though it meant that he had to drive two hours each way to the nearest logging job. He frequently drove himself to away games but was always there on the bench, even at the panhandle games.

He endeared himself to the Oilers fans with his blue-collar work ethic, distinctively wild swing, clutch pinch-hitting, and clubhouse leadership. He became the heart and soul of an Oilers franchise that was suddenly resurgent.

Although Alaska Magazine chose to profile Gary Laursen, he was just one of many Alaskan men - and even "flatlanders" and a handful of Japanese players - who were making sacrifices, from giving up steady jobs to giving up steady sleep, to have a chance at playing organized baseball just for the love of the game. The fans came out to watch because they identified with these players, and because they all wanted their city to be the best in Alaska. Which, after all, was the only part of the world that mattered.

Laursen's stats as of June 24, 2009:

Code:

Year/Team/League     Age G   AB  2B 3B HR RBI R BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG VORP
2007 Sitka - AKL     27  60  135 7  1  10 34 24 18 23 0 1 .274 .375 .563 12.1
2007 Juneau - AKL    27  6   6   0  0  0  0  0  0  2  0 0 .167 .167 .167 -0.8
2007 Total - AKL     27  66  141 7  1  10 34 24 18 25 0 1 .270 .367 .546 11.2
2008 Fairbanks - AKL 28  48  50  1  0  0  8  7  3  8  0 1 .220 .263 .240 -6.2
2009 Peninsula - AKL 29  19  23  2  0  2  3  3  3  3  0 0 .261 .346 .609 1.8
Total AKL          3 yrs.133 214 10 1  12 45 34 24 36 0 2 .257 .341 .481 6.9

06-16-2007, 01:59 PM	#49 (permalink)
Elendil Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the dynasty forum Posts: 2,176 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	2009 season opens Challenging Times in Chugiak The owner of the Eagle River-Chugiak Jets announced at the end of training camp that he would sell the team after this season if attendance fell from last year. Privately, he told the league that the team was close to bankruptcy, and the league prepared contingency plans to place the franchise into receivership should the Jets' finances deteriorate further. To encourage fans to come out, the Jets dropped their ticket price to $6.50. The signing of Greg York (3.93 ERA in 2 years with Kodiak), a former Chugiak High School pitching star, to shore up the bullpen was also intended to build up community spirit around the ailing team. Opening Day The 2009 season opened on Friday May 15th at 2:05 PM with the Mat-Su Miners visiting the Anchorage Bucs before an anemic crowd of 1,414. The Bucs downed the Miners 8-6 in 10 innings on a walk-off homer by Zander Sabin (who? well, apparently, he's been the starting 2B for the Bucs every year - go figure). That evening, the other teams played their first games. The Mushers and Senators joined in a wild one in the capital city, Bethel scoring four in the first, only to allow the Senators to put up eight in the bottom half. Bethel starter Newt Langille left the game with a 108.11 ERA! The game didn't end there, though, as the Mushers clawed back with three in the fourth and four in the seventh to tie things at 11. At that point a bullpen duel set in, and the Mushers used every single reliever on their roster before finally taking the game in 14 innings, 12-11. Nineteen-year-old outfielder Mike Wilson's solo shot was the game winner. In other games, Kodiak blanked the Glacier Pilots 8-0, Ketchikan beat up on North Pole 12-4, the Jets spoiled Peninsula's home opener 8-6, and John Dewitt's stellar pitching gave Sitka a 3-1 victory over the Panners. The First Month The Alaskan League needed to make a big impression, particularly in its larger markets, during the early part of the season to show that they were not a flash in the pan, that they could become the focus of summertime entertainment and sporting rivalry in the Last Frontier. They also needed more recognizable stars. It would be nice if Scott Northeast filled out his potential in Juneau, and Tim Robbins went back to his old self. Well, the outlandish extremes of the league soon made themselves felt once again. You could always count on a ridiculously high-scoring game now and again, and the first one of the season came on the first Sunday of the season, as the stacked North Pole Nicks lineup devastated Ketchikan pitching, putting up 22 runs on 18 hits, 14 walks, and 6 extra-base hits. Ketchikan's John Lynn, one of the league leaders each of the last two years for lowest ERA, now became the league leader for highest ERA: 121.62. The Nicks' shortstop, Sloan Starr, tied the single-game nine-inning record for times on base with seven (three hits and four walks). In another exciting extra-inning matchup that same day, Bethel put up nine unanswered runs, starting in the seventh, to defeat the Senators 9-8 in 11 innings. The league also had its first-ever no-hitter on Sunday May 24th, as Tom Pick of North Pole dismayed but dazzled almost 1,500 Miners fans at Hermon Brothers Field, giving up only a single base runner on a walk over the full nine innings. However, Pick K'ed only three Miners and thus had his defense to thank for preserving the no-no. Other records were broken that first month. Dirk Cluett, the 20-year-old Fairbanks outfielder, put up the longest-ever hitting streak in the league's 3-year history, ending at 27 games extending back to 2008 on May 21. Juneau pitcher Louis Mays set the single-game strikeout record on June 10th, striking out 13 hapless Jets in just 7 innings before being lifted for a reliever (the Senators combined for a two-hitter in a 3-0 victory over Chugiak). Gary Laursen He may not have been a star on the diamond, but working lumberjack Gary Laursen became one of the league's best-known personalities after being featured in an article in Alaska Magazine. Laursen, now 30, had never played organized baseball at any level before the Alaskan League started, but had taken in part in numerous slow-pitch softball leagues in the Juneau area over the years. When he heard about the startup of the new league, he immediately contacted the Senators about trying out. When he showed up, the team didn't know exactly what to do with this fit (6'1", 200) but slow and awkward player with the fierce, wild swing. When he did make contact with the ball, he hit it a long way, but making contact was the problem. He gave it his all on every flyball in the outfield but was error-prone and didn't have a great arm. They figured he might have some benefit in the clubhouse, so dedicated to the team was he, that they signed him to a league-minimum contract. A month into the 2007 season, he'd gone 1-for-6 with 2 strikeouts and played in 6 games. The Senators had no more room for him with the draft coming up, so they released him. That same day, Laursen took the ferry down to Sitka, walked into the Sentinels' offices, and offered his services - on the amateur affiliate if need be. The Sentinels agreed and assigned him to Glennallen. But before he had a chance to play for the amateur club, the Sentinels had an injury and immediately signed him to a league-minimum contract. The rest of that season, Laursen started frequently in the corner outfield positions, making six errors in 31 starts, but also hitting 10 home runs in 135 at-bats, with a .274 batting average and .375 OBP. He pinch-hit in five of the Alaskan Championship Series games but went just 1-for-5 with two strikeouts and never played in the field. After the season, the Sentinels declined to re-sign him, and in March '08 he accepted an assignment to the Fairbanks ATL affiliate. Before the ATL season began, though, he again found himself in the Alaskan League on a league-minimum contract. He played every position for the Goldpanners except first base, center field, and pitcher, as the manager struggled to find a place to get him AB's. In the end, though, he struggled mightily, as the magic of the previous season seemed to have left him. He hit just .220/.263/.240 in 48 games, 50 at-bats, so the Goldpanners declined to re-sign him at the end of the year. During the offseason, Laursen tried out once again for the Senators. Having seen what he could do first-hand in the Denali Division in '07, the club was willing to take a chance on him, and gave him a $5690 contract. Before the season began, though, they found they had no room for him and gave him his unconditional release. Not to be discouraged, Laursen faxed all the Alaskan League clubs offering his services. In the end, the Oilers decided to take a chance on him and assigned him to their amateur training camp. By opening day of the 2009 season, he was back in the pros on a league-minimum contract. Laursen took an apartment in Kenai, even though it meant that he had to drive two hours each way to the nearest logging job. He frequently drove himself to away games but was always there on the bench, even at the panhandle games. He endeared himself to the Oilers fans with his blue-collar work ethic, distinctively wild swing, clutch pinch-hitting, and clubhouse leadership. He became the heart and soul of an Oilers franchise that was suddenly resurgent. Although Alaska Magazine chose to profile Gary Laursen, he was just one of many Alaskan men - and even "flatlanders" and a handful of Japanese players - who were making sacrifices, from giving up steady jobs to giving up steady sleep, to have a chance at playing organized baseball just for the love of the game. The fans came out to watch because they identified with these players, and because they all wanted their city to be the best in Alaska. Which, after all, was the only part of the world that mattered. Laursen's stats as of June 24, 2009: Code: Year/Team/League Age G AB 2B 3B HR RBI R BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG VORP 2007 Sitka - AKL 27 60 135 7 1 10 34 24 18 23 0 1 .274 .375 .563 12.1 2007 Juneau - AKL 27 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 .167 .167 .167 -0.8 2007 Total - AKL 27 66 141 7 1 10 34 24 18 25 0 1 .270 .367 .546 11.2 2008 Fairbanks - AKL 28 48 50 1 0 0 8 7 3 8 0 1 .220 .263 .240 -6.2 2009 Peninsula - AKL 29 19 23 2 0 2 3 3 3 3 0 0 .261 .346 .609 1.8 Total AKL 3 yrs.133 214 10 1 12 45 34 24 36 0 2 .257 .341 .481 6.9 __________________ Heaven is kicking back with a double Talisker and a churchwarden stuffed with latakia. Bush League: A Dynasty Harm Metal Magazine Free State Project - Liberty in Our Lifetime Last edited by Elendil; 06-16-2007 at 02:11 PM.