[Elendil]

Where Are They Now?
Retired Stars of the Alaskan League

Today, the Alaskan League is the destination of choice for all the top Alaskan players and has even drawn players from the U.S., Japan, and Canada. But it wasn't always so. When the league first started, salaries were higher, but there was much less certainty that the league would actually stick around long enough to pay those contracts. A number of players decided to do something else after the 2007 season, and there were also a few who skipped out on their contracts in the off-season or even during mid-season.



Tim Rigg was the ace of Peninsula's staff in 2007. Although he went only 8-11, he pitched 155 innings (back when the schedule had only 96 games), allowing just 7 HR's and 51 BB's and striking out 92, all good for a 2.91 ERA. His contract ran out after the season, and he didn't get a good enough deal in the offseason, so he held out - ultimately for the entire season. By that point, he was 34 years old and teams were even less interested, so he moved out of state for a job. He now works in lower management for Wachovia in Seattle.



Kevin Iwasaki had two All-Star seasons with the North Pole Nicks, winning a championship ring with them in 2008. His 2007 season was truly excellent, as he posted a 2.59 ERA in 111 innings. He was also an All-Star in 2009, posting a 10-4 record to go with a 4.11 ERA. However, he was inconsistent: in 2008 he posted an ugly 5.90 ERA in 101 IP. In June 2010 the Nicks finally released him, and he signed a league-minimum deal with the Goldpanners. He ultimately finished that season with a 5.68 ERA in 59 IP. Now 35, he announced his retirement at the end of the season. He now works in the office of municipal sanitation in his hometown of Palmer.



When he signed with the Goldpanners in 2007, John Robertson was a career minor leaguer, now 40 years old, but enjoying pinpoint control and a good enough fastball to baffle most Alaskan League hitters. He went 6-5 with a 3.83 ERA in '07 before rupturing a tricep tendon, ending his season. Shortly before his injury, he had signed a two-year contract extension with Fairbanks. He tried to come back the next year and was doing well, going 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 5 starts, but in his final start he left the game early because of serious back pain and was diagnosed with a ruptured disc. That injury effectively ended his career. He still lives in Fairbanks on the scant allowance he gets from disability. He comes out to the ballpark for autographs now and then, although among today's fans he is largely forgotten - just another unfortunate twist in the increasingly dismal history of the Fairbanks franchise.



Raleigh Murdock was another one of those players who thought they could get either a big Alaskan contract or a minor league deal with a major-league organization after an outstanding 2007. Almost all of them turned out to be mistaken. Murdock was Reliever of the Year in 2007, posting a 0.96 ERA in 47 IP. He had some interviews with major league clubs but at 27 was too old to be a serious prospect and never signed a contract. Today he works in farm supply in South Carolina.



Reverend Walt Nippard, the Baptist preacher from Dillingham, retired after 2007 simply because he didn't have the time or money to continue. He'd had a 1.43 ERA and 18 saves with Kodiak in that year. Today he is a youth pastor at a large Anchorage church.



Art Johannson was really an underrated player during his career, despite the three All-Star selections. In 2007 he had a great year with Fairbanks, hitting .310/.376/.518 with 16 HR in 326 AB and making the All-Star team. He was then traded to Peninsula, where he put up rather pedestrian numbers for an outfielder (.264/.383/.421) in 2008. In '09 he came off the bench and hit .385/.484/.673 in 52 AB before being released. To this day, he is the only bench player ever to make an All-Star team. His numbers were just that good. But Peninsula released him. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because he signed on with Juneau and participated in their championship run. His final line for 2009: .373/.476/.642. After '09, he was a free agent and signed on with the struggling Jets. He hit a respectable .287/.377/.408 at age 33, made another All-Star team, and even stole 18 bases. During the offseason, he was released from Chugiak and tried to find another job in the league, but could not. He retired in January 2011 and now does part-time scouting for the Bethel Mushers and raises sled dogs.



Ray Tomiak was Eagle River-Chugiak's main offensive force in 2007 - indeed, one of the main offensive forces in the league. He hit for both average and power, posting a .336/.425/.610 line in 333 AB with a whopping 36 doubles and 17 home runs.

Unfortunately, his next year was a total collapse, as his home run power virtually evaporated overnight. He hit a mere .256/.343/.372 in 2008. The Jets kept him on for his final contract year and he enjoyed a minor resurgence in '09, hitting .299/.406/.412 but with only 2 HR in 318 AB.

The Bucs then signed him to a two-year deal worth $10,000 per year. His main offensive asset was now his eye, and he put up a .262/.411/.315 line in 2010 coming off the bench. He finished off his career regaining a starting role and putting up a .270/.382/.353 line in 382 AB. He is now employed by an Alaska Native Corporation in the town of Cohoe (part of Kenai borough) and can often be seen at Oilers games.



Hirotada Kokura was a two-time All-Star whose career was cut short by injury. He started his AKL career with Kodiak and made the All-Star team in 2008, although he finished the year with a fairly unexceptional .248/.339/.461 line. He then signed on at league minimum with the hapless Jets and had a fantastic season going, hitting .354/.397/.535 before succumbing to a fractured foot that put him out of commission for an entire calendar year. He was named to the All-Star team but could not play due to his injury. He tried to come back in 2009 with the Jets but did not play well, hitting only .226/.300/.409, and did not re-sign when his contract was up. He then moved to the even more hapless Glacier Pilots, putting up a dismal .186/.238/.412 line before calling it quits and returning to Japan, where he now works in the Yomiuri Giants organization.



First baseman Bryan Morris was a key part of that 2007 Sitka club that went to the ACS. He was an All-Star and hit .314/.387/.456 with 29 doubles that year, playing in every game. He also played in every game in 2008, but the wear and tear started to catch up with him. He hit a respectable .288/.386/.381 in '08 but at age 37 was not re-signed. He then signed on with the Mushers and hit decently coming off the bench for two years with them (.262/.354/.393 in '09 and .289/.429/.422 in '10). He is now a graduate student in oceanography at the University of Alaska, Southeast.



Third baseman Erik Boone was another element of Sitka's 2007 run. He hit .305/.377/.458 with 27 stolen bases that year and was an All-Star. At 25, he decided to try his luck in the Lower 48 and signed a minor league deal with the Royals. He bounced around the Royals organization for a while and hit well but was never promoted above rookie level. After the 2010 season, he returned to Alaska for tryouts, but his salary demands were too high, and he never signed a contract, choosing instead to continue working in real estate in Phoenix, Arizona.



Left fielder Fred Dempsey had a very good year with North Pole in 2007, hitting .285/.407/.454 and making the All-Star team. He worked for the University of Alaska for a while but then signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and ultimately worked his way up to AA. When he was demoted to A-ball again in 2010 at age 29, he left pro baseball to become a coach at San Jacinto Junior College.



Ah, the infamous Ron Bishop, who had signed himself to a six-figure deal with the Bucs while one of the team owners. He was never a popular guy around Anchorage after hitting just .264/.368/.344 in '07, not very good even for a shortstop. He never hit a home run in his career. After selling out of the Bucs and moving to North Pole, he didn't improve and was relegated to bench duty. He still lives in Fairbanks today, where he owns an auto-parts store.