By Matt Nevala
(Published July 7, 2000)

Where Ryan Garko did or didn't place his feet Thursday night caused quite a commotion.

Where Garko placed the baseball a few moments prior resulted in even more trouble for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in an 8-1 Alaska Baseball League loss to the Alaska Goldpanners.

Garko, a freshman first baseman from Stanford, skied his second home run of the season over Mulcahy Stadium's left-field wall in the third inning to highlight Alaska's offense early. The rocket came an at-bat after Goldpanners shortstop Kaulana Kuhaulua hit his first home run.

The two solo shots off Pilots starter Trey Stephens gave the Panners a three-run cushion and forced first-year Anchorage manager Bob Miller to try and jolt his team.

After Garko crossed the plate, the Pilots protested that he didn't touch third base on his sojourn around the bases. When plate umpire Tim Norman ruled the play a home run, Miller stormed out of the dugout. Norman and Miller went at it for several minutes, exchanging animated, R-rated verbal jabs, before Miller was ejected for the second time this week.

Meanwhile, Garko stood by and watched, not sure what exactly the problem was.

"I touched the bag," Garko said. "I wasn't worried about it.

"I was kicking it going around, so I don't know what they were talking about. I think he (Miller) was frustrated by some of the calls. But I don't know what you're complaining about after someone hits a home run."

The Panners left Anchorage after the game with little to complain about at all. After struggling to score runs prior to their two-game series with the Pilots, the Goldpanners rocked the scoreboard for 15 runs at Mulcahy.

The Pilots, on the extreme other hand, have been having serious problems offensively.

Anchorage left fielder Randy Walter crushed his third home run of the year to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. The lone run marked the Pilots' first in 15 innings and second in 25. The Pilots are 1-4 since returning from a 7-0 road trip to Hawaii.

Panners starter Brian Felten, a right-hander from Loyola-Marymount, scattered nine hits in eight inning of work to earn the win. He threw 117 pitches, walked four and fanned two in improving to 2-0.

Jonah Martin, Garko and Jeff Phelps all tallied a pair of hits for the Panners. The Goldpanners head back home and open a lengthy series with the Hawaii Island Movers tonight at Growden Park.

"We're feeling good going home," Garko said.

July 6, 2000, Anchorage Daily News