Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks
Encyclopedia
The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks are a collegiate summer baseball team which was founded in 1960 as an independent barnstorming
team. The Pan-Alaska Goldpanners were charter members of the Alaska Baseball League
at the league's inception in 1974. The Goldpanners play their home games at Growden Memorial Park
in Fairbanks, Alaska
. They also host the annual Midnight Sun Game
at their home venue.
Like other amateur
collegiate summer baseball teams, the Goldpanners operate in a similar manner to professional minor league
teams: playing a nightly schedule, using wooden bats, and bus travel between games. To maintain their amateur status and NCAA
eligibility, they are not paid and live with host families.
National Championship. The team changed its name to the "Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks" in 1963. The media most often refers to the team as the "Fairbanks Goldpanners," but are also known as the "Alaska Goldpanners."
In 2008, former Goldpanner Bill "Spaceman" Lee
returned to Fairbanks as an alumnus of the Midnight Sun Game
. During his time with the club, which included a win for Lee in the Midnight Sun Game, Bill declared that the Goldpanners were "the number one amateur baseball organization in history."
is held yearly in Fairbanks, Alaska
and hosted by the Goldpanners. The game, which begins at 10:30 PM on the night of the summer solstice, has gained the attention of international media.
Baseball America
declared the game one of the "10 Must-See Baseball Events." In 2005, ESPN
spotlighted the game during "50 States in 50 Days." ESPN The Magazine
called the event the "#8 Ultimate Baseball Experience." The Sporting News
declared that on the 21st of June, "Fairbanks is the Baseball Capitol of America".
, All-Star Game
s and Opening Day
s but the Midnight Sun Game is in a league of its own." –Greg Harris, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
.
"Everybody should have an opportunity to come to Alaska and see the Midnight Sun Game" –Bobby Doerr
, Boston Red Sox
alumnus and Major League Baseball
Hall of Famer
Barnstorming
Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus. Barnstorming was the first major form of civil aviation in the history of flight...
team. The Pan-Alaska Goldpanners were charter members of the Alaska Baseball League
Alaska Baseball League
The Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
at the league's inception in 1974. The Goldpanners play their home games at Growden Memorial Park
Growden Memorial Park
Growden Memorial Park is an outdoor baseball park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. It is used for summer collegiate and high school baseball, and has been the home field for the Alaska Baseball League's Alaska Goldpanners since 1960. It's also home to the Athletes in Action Fire. It was also...
in Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
. They also host the annual Midnight Sun Game
Midnight Sun Game
The Midnight Sun Game is a baseball game played every summer solstice at Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. Because the sun is out for almost 24 hours a day, the game starts at about 10:30 at night and completes around 1:30 the next morning...
at their home venue.
Like other amateur
Amateur baseball in the United States
Amateur baseball is a form of baseball in which the players either are not paid for playing, or receive only a modest stipend or employment arranged by the team's boosters...
collegiate summer baseball teams, the Goldpanners operate in a similar manner to professional minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
teams: playing a nightly schedule, using wooden bats, and bus travel between games. To maintain their amateur status and NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
eligibility, they are not paid and live with host families.
History
The team's first achievement came as runners-up in the 1962 NBCNational Baseball Congress
The National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
National Championship. The team changed its name to the "Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks" in 1963. The media most often refers to the team as the "Fairbanks Goldpanners," but are also known as the "Alaska Goldpanners."
In 2008, former Goldpanner Bill "Spaceman" Lee
Bill Lee (left-handed pitcher)
William Francis Lee III , nicknamed "Spaceman", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox from - and the Montreal Expos from -...
returned to Fairbanks as an alumnus of the Midnight Sun Game
Midnight Sun Game
The Midnight Sun Game is a baseball game played every summer solstice at Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. Because the sun is out for almost 24 hours a day, the game starts at about 10:30 at night and completes around 1:30 the next morning...
. During his time with the club, which included a win for Lee in the Midnight Sun Game, Bill declared that the Goldpanners were "the number one amateur baseball organization in history."
Championships and honors
- 1960 Championship: North of the Range League
- 1961 Championship: North of the Range League
- 1961 Championship: AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Regional NBC Tournament - 1961 2nd Place: AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
State Championship - 1962 Championship: North of the Range League
- 1962 Championship: AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
State Tournament - 1962 Championship: AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Regional NBC Playoff - 1962 Championship: AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Regional NBC State Tournament - 1962 2nd Place: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 1962 Award: National Non-Pro Team of the Year
- 1962 Award: Most Popular National Non-Pro Team
- 1963 Award: Most Popular National Non-Pro Team
- 1964 Championship: AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
State Tournament - 1964 2nd place: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 1966 Championship: Hawaii International Baseball Tournament
- 1966 Championship: World Baseball Tournament
- 1970 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1970 Championship: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
Big West Conference Tournament - 1971 2nd Place: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 1972 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1972 Championship: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 1972 3rd Place (Pool A): Haarlem Baseball WeekHaarlem Baseball WeekThe Haarlemse Honkbalweek is an international invitation baseball tournament at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, Netherlands...
- 1973 Championship: Alaska World Series
- 1973 Championship: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 1974 Championship: Kamloops, B.C., Canada, International Baseball Tournament
- 1974 Championship: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 1974 Championship: Kamloops, B.C., Canada, International Baseball Tournament
- 1975 Championship: Kamloops, B.C., Canada, International Baseball Tournament
- 1976 Championship: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 1976 Championship: Kamloops, B.C., Canada, International Baseball Tournament
- 1977 Championship: Kamloops, B.C., Canada, International Baseball Tournament
- 1978 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1979 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1980 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1980 Championship: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 1981 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1982 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1983 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1984 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1986 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
Pacific Division - 1988 Championship: U.S. Open Baseball Tournament - Tahoe
- 1990 Championship: U.S. Open Baseball Tournament - Ontario
- 1991 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1993 Championship: Alaska Federation
- 1993 2nd place: Grand National Baseball Tournament
- 1994 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1994 Championship: Alaska Baseball Tournament
- 1995 Championship: Alaska Federation
- 1995 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 1996 Championship: Hawaii International Baseball Tournament
- 1998 2nd place: Canada International Baseball Tournament
- 2001 Championship: Wood Bat Invitation Tournament
- 2002 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 2002 Championship: National Baseball CongressNational Baseball CongressThe National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
World Series - 2003 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 2003 Championship: Wood Bat Invitation Tournament
- 2005 Championship: Alaska Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball LeagueThe Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
- 2009 Championship: Kamloops, B.C., Canada, International Baseball Tournament
Notable alumni
- Tom SeaverTom SeaverGeorge Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
- Dave WinfieldDave WinfieldDavid Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
- Jason GiambiJason GiambiJason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
- Bill "Spaceman" LeeBill Lee (left-handed pitcher)William Francis Lee III , nicknamed "Spaceman", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox from - and the Montreal Expos from -...
- Barry BondsBarry BondsBarry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
- Michael Young
- Adam KennedyAdam KennedyAdam Thomas Kennedy is an American Major League Baseball second baseman who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously played for the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners and had two stints with the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early years:Kennedy...
- Bobby CrosbyBobby CrosbyRobert Edward Crosby is an infielder in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. The son of former major league infielder Ed Crosby, he bats and throws right-handed...
- Aaron HeilmanAaron HeilmanAaron Michael Heilman is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher but was converted to a relief pitcher in 2005...
- Travis LeeTravis LeeTravis Lee is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Lee graduated from Capital High School in Olympia, Washington in 1993, where he also played football. Being ambidextrous Lee played as a lefty in baseball and as a QB for the Capital High football team threw with his right...
- Graig NettlesGraig NettlesGraig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
- Bob BooneBob BooneRobert Raymond Boone is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, Bob Boone is the son of a major league player, the late third baseman Ray Boone, and the father of two major leaguers: former second baseman Bret Boone and...
- Andy MessersmithAndy MessersmithJohn Alexander "Andy" Messersmith is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was the 12th overall pick of the 1966 amateur draft by the California Angels...
- Dave KingmanDave KingmanDavid Arthur Kingman , nicknamed "Kong" and "Sky King", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter. The towering 6' 6" Kingman was one of the most feared sluggers of the 1970s and 1980s...
- Mike BoddickerMike BoddickerFor the similarly named musician , see Michael BoddickerMichael James "Mike" Boddicker was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox , Kansas City Royals , and Milwaukee Brewers...
- Curt MottonCurt MottonCurtell Howard Motton was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. Mainly a reserve left fielder and pinch hitter, he was with the Baltimore Orioles when they won three consecutive American League pennants and a World Series from to...
- Oddibe McDowellOddibe McDowellOddibe McDowell is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. McDowell was the first player to hit for the cycle for the Rangers when he accomplished that feat on July 23, 1985...
- Shane Mack
- Bret BooneBret BooneBret Robert Boone is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.-Personal life:Boone was born in El Cajon, California to Susan G. Roel and Bob Boone. He is a graduate of El Dorado High School and the University of Southern California. He is the grandson of former major leaguer Ray Boone and...
- Alvin DavisAlvin DavisAlvin Glenn Davis , nicknamed "Mr. Mariner", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. Davis played his career primarily for the Seattle Mariners...
- Brendan RyanBrendan Ryan (baseball)Brendan Wood Ryan is an American Major League Baseball shortstop for the Seattle Mariners. While he has typically fielded at shortstop in his professional career, Ryan has been known to play at second and third base and has dabbled with pitching.-Early and personal life:Ryan was born in Los...
- Don LeppertDon LeppertDonald George Leppert , is a former professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from 1961-1964. He would play for the Washington Senators and Pittsburgh Pirates. After his playing career ended, Leppert was a coach for the Pirates , Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros...
Midnight Sun game
First held in 1906, the annual Midnight Sun GameMidnight Sun Game
The Midnight Sun Game is a baseball game played every summer solstice at Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. Because the sun is out for almost 24 hours a day, the game starts at about 10:30 at night and completes around 1:30 the next morning...
is held yearly in Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
and hosted by the Goldpanners. The game, which begins at 10:30 PM on the night of the summer solstice, has gained the attention of international media.
Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
declared the game one of the "10 Must-See Baseball Events." In 2005, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
spotlighted the game during "50 States in 50 Days." ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
called the event the "#8 Ultimate Baseball Experience." The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
declared that on the 21st of June, "Fairbanks is the Baseball Capitol of America".
Quotes
"I've been lucky enough to attend many World SeriesWorld Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, All-Star Game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
s and Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
s but the Midnight Sun Game is in a league of its own." –Greg Harris, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
.
"Everybody should have an opportunity to come to Alaska and see the Midnight Sun Game" –Bobby Doerr
Bobby Doerr
Robert Pershing Doerr is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and coach. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox . He led American League second basemen in double plays five times, tying a league record, in putouts and fielding percentage four times each, and...
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
alumnus and Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Hall of Famer
2010 On Field Staff
- Manager: Jim Dietz
- Pitching Coach: Jerrod Riggan
- Coach: Dan Cassidy