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PANNERS'
BARNSTORMING SCHEDULE
July
5-6-7-8-9
Travel From Oregon to Canada, Through Washington
LONGVIEW, WASHINGTON
KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
wiki
Kamloops
International Tournament site
KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
COEUR
d'ALENE, IDAHO
BELGRADE, MONTANA
STURGIS, SOUTH DAKOTA
DODGE
CITY, KANSAS
BEATRICE, NEBRASKA
CILLICOTHE, MISOURRI
JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS
HAYS,
KANSAS
LIBERAL, KANSAS
EL DORADO, KANSAS
DERBY, KANSAS
WICHITA, KANSAS
National
Baseball Congress Opener
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BARNSTORMING
PANNERS
6,000 miles on a
bus, 26 days and 24 games, the Goldpanners’ barn-storming tour is coming
to an end! The tour began on July 6 in Longview, Wash., and
included games in Washington, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana,
Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Fairbanks won three games in one
day to win a tournament in British Columbia early in the tour. The bus
surprisingly broke down just once (a flat tire). It happened
in Wray, Colo., as the team was on its way to Dodge City after a game in
Belgrade, Mont. The malfunction came on a travel day and was quickly
repaired, so the Goldpanners didn’t miss any games.
(from The Wichita Eagle)
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"Touching the Game, Alaska"
Order Now
The 2-Disc Touching
the Game, Alaska DVD is scheduled to be
released on 11/30/09, but we are now accepting pre-orders. At a price of
$19.95, the DVD will feature the full-length director’s cut of the film as
well as plenty of extra features and unseen footage, and if you pre-order
now you will receive free shipping upon the DVD release!.
"A life is
not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Jackie Robinson
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Midnight
Sun Goldpanners
"Alaska 50" Barnstorming Tour
Stats
•
Schedule/Results
•
Roster
•
Pictures
10/17/11:
Cam
Christian:
2009 Goldpanner Cam Christian [HQ] -
Short video dedicated to 2009 Goldpanners pitcher Cam Christian (d.
10/15/11) showing what a great teammate he was. Video footage by Anthony
Keel
Fairbanks’ hometown Alaska Baseball League team — the
Goldpanners — went on tour in 2009 as part of the
state’s (and the team’s) 50th anniversary celebration. In
addition to the team’s regular 2009 season, the Goldpanners fielded a second team to participate in the “Alaska 50
Tour” commemorating the Goldpanner’s historical
“barnstorming” manner of traveling solely by bus from game
to game. The “Alaska 50 Tour,”
culminated at the 75th National Baseball Congress
Tournament in Wichita, Kansas. The tour included
games in British Columbia and the states of Oregon,
Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado,
Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.
Midnight Sun Goldpanners:
Jim Dietz •
Randy Barber
•
Steve Dietz
• Dan Geisler // Travis Andersen
•
Josh Ashenbrenner
• Brian Buckham
• Ryan Buckles
•
Anthony Burke
• Cameron Christian
• Timothy Culligan
• David Duetchman
• Stephen Foster
• Bud Hollowell
• Thomas Hoenshel
• Taylor Hunter
• Josh Kalalau
• Eric Lane
•
Patrick McClain • Tristan Metcalf
• Trent Olezszcuk •
Phil Parrish
• Joe Pratt
• Carey Schwartz
• Derek Speigner
• Mykal Stokes
• Elliott Van Gaver • Jason Van Skike
• Brett Williams
• Austin Wooldridge | Administrative -
Ann Dennis •
Don Dennis
• Anthony Keel
• Brian Kerley
• Aaron Torres
GOLDPANNERS WIN
KAMLOOPS!
RECORD FOUR WINS IN A
SINGLE DAY - 7/13/9
AK:
2pm vs. Oilers
/ Kamloops:
Game One,
Game Two,
Game
Three
2009
MIDNIGHT SUN GOLDPANNERS SCHEDULE & RESULTS /
STATS
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STORIES |
GAME OPPONENT |
RESULT |
SCORE |
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July 5 |
Travel Day |
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July 6 |
Workouts in Longview, WA |
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|
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July 7 |
Longview, WA, Red Lion |
W |
12-1 |
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July 8 |
Little League Clinic in
Kamloops, BC, Canada |
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KAMLOOPS INT'L TOURNEY |
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July 9 |
Seattle, WA, Studs |
L |
2-1 (14) |
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July 10 |
Kamloops, BC, Red
Devils |
W |
8-1 |
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July 11 |
Red Deer Riggers |
W |
17-3 (5) |
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July 12 |
Kamloops, BC, Jays |
W |
13-3 (5) |
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July 12 |
Seattle, WA, Studs |
W |
2-1 |
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July 12 |
Championship vs. Everett Merchants |
W |
5-3 |
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|
|
|
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July 13 |
Kelowna, B.C., Canada Falcons |
W |
4-3 |
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July 14 |
Kelowna, B.C., Canada Falcons |
W |
4-3 |
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July 15 |
Kelowna, B.C., Canada
Falcons |
L |
1-0 |
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July 16 |
Coeur D' Alene, ID |
L |
5-4 |
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July 17 |
Belgrade, MT, Bandits |
W |
10-2 |
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Workouts in Sturgis, S.D. |
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Travel Day |
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July 20 |
Dodge City, KS, A's |
L |
6-5 |
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July 21 |
Clarinda, IA, A's |
W |
2-1 |
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July 22 |
Clarinda, IA, A's |
W |
10-7 |
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July 23 |
Chilicothe, MO |
W |
9-5 |
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July 24 |
Chilicothe, MO |
L |
6-5 |
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July 25 |
Junction City, KS, Generals |
L |
6-1 |
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July 26 |
Junction City, KS, Generals |
L |
1-0 |
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July 27 |
Hays, KS, Larks |
L |
6-5 |
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July 28 |
Liberal, KS, BeeJays |
L |
8-4 |
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July 29 |
El Dorado, KS, Broncos |
L |
6-1 |
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July 30 |
Derby Twins |
L |
7-2 |
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August 1 |
Opening of the 75th NBC Tournament in
Wichita, KS |
L |
6-5 |
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Hey Goldpanners, You're 50!
"Dennis said the people of Fairbanks have kept the
Goldpanners afloat for 50 years, and they have truly made the team
their own."
H.A. (Red) Boucher
1921-2009
Film Details Red Boucher's Involvement in Alaskan Baseball
As one Goldpanners player left the theater, he
looked at another, both still in uniform, and said, “That was like
my story.”
Boucher's Vision Changed Baseball in Alaska - “We had a
remarkable relationship from the moment I met him in 1964,” Dennis
said. “He was one of those guys that when you met him you knew you
would never forget him. There are so few who genuinely stand out
that way.”
His family said Boucher earned his lifelong
nickname after President Franklin Roosevelt met the red-haired
boy and said, “They ought to call you Red.” The family said he
ended up in Alaska after campaigning for a young senator from
Massachusetts by the name of John F. Kennedy, who told him there
was great potential in the far north territory.
Former Fairbanks mayor, Goldpanners founder 'Red' Boucher dies at 88
FILM KICKS OFF MIDNIGHT SUN GAME FESTIVITIES
7/5/9:
Land of Midnight Baseball "It gets kind of dusky like when
you’re at a ballgame and they’re about to turn the lights on,
but you don’t need lights. You start to get some shadows, then
the sun comes up again."
"At one point the
sky turned really pink," Jablonski said. "But the sun never went
past the horizon. It was really cool. I’ve never played in front
of a crowd that big." More than 4,000
boisterous fans attended the game. The game is halted briefly at
midnight for the singing of a traditional Alaskan folk song.
"They were
chanting the whole game," Yinger said. "The sun went down and
literally came right back up. "It was awesome. It made the whole
trip worth it. It was a great atmosphere."
7/4/9:
In the land of "continual sunlight" - "After dinner and the Midnight Sun
Festival, Brad and I attended the 104th Midnight Sun Game hosted by the
Alaska Goldpanners. It was one of the coolest things I have ever
experienced. The game started at 10:30 at night and went until about 1 am.
The whole game was played under natural light. The furthest the sun went
down was a little bit under the horizon but it never got dark. It was neat
seeing baseball played under those conditions and to see how much the
community supported that game, as over three thousand people attended the
game. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to go to the game."
6/14/9:
Film Crew Captures Essence of Midnight Sun Four Massachusetts
filmmakers spent two years following the teams in the Alaska League.
They sent me an advance copy of the DVD, and it is about as in-depth
a look at the world of Alaska baseball that we might ever see.
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Alaska Has Key Role in NBC
Hey Goldpanners, You're 50!
Broncos Get
Revenge on Anchorage at NBC World Series
8/17/9: "That
breeze you feel from the north is the Fairbanks Goldpanners sighing
in relief. "The Goldpanners weren't even playing Saturday, but
they were among the winners when the Anchorage Glacier Pilots were
denied a sixth championship at the National Baseball Congress World
Series in Wichita, Kan."
8/1/9:
Bud Hollowell
- Five Decade Goldpanner
GOLDPANNERS ANNOUNCE
'ALASKA 50 TOUR'
AS PART OF TEAM'S REGULAR
2009 SEASON
The Alaska Goldpanners and the State of Alaska will go on tour this summer.
It is part of the 50th year celebration of the team as well as the State.
The Goldpanners will use a split-squad approach to the upcoming season,
advises General Manager Don Dennis.
The Alaska 50 Tour, as it is being dubbed, will cover British Columbia, and
the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota,
Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and feature a week-long visit to Kansas.
"It is the Goldpanners' 50th season and the 75th year of the National
Baseball Congress Tournament, so we have combined forces to celebrate the
two events," Dennis said. The Goldpanners will send the
split-squad ahead to take part in the ceremonial opening game of the 75
tournament on Aug. 1. The Panners are the NBC's most celebrated team
and they will take on Kansas' most celebrated team, the Liberal BeeJays.
The regular Goldpanners season does no end in Alaska until Aug. 2 but the
split-squad unit will assemble for the great barnstorming trip on July 6.
Then, on Aug. 3 the two squads will merge for participation in the NBC's
championship play.
The Goldpanners' regular season opens with four games in the Anchorage area
on June 11. The home opener is June 16 against the Fairbanks Adult
League all-stars. First visiting team in Fairbanks this year will be
the Oregon Black Sox of Salem on June 17-19 and then the Lake Erie, MI,
Monarchs will follow on June 20-22, including the famous Midnight Sun Game
at 10:30 p.m. on June 21. Several big events, including the world
premiere of the documentary "Touching the Game: Alaska" are scheduled in and
around the sun game. Special guests this year are 1968 team members
Dan Pastorini, the former Houston Oilers quarterback -- among many other
things -- and Jerry McClain, former North Pole Nicks manager and head coach
at Santa Clara University.
The split-squad unit will gather in Longview, WA, on July 6 and work out at
Lower Columbia College for a couple of days before traveling to Kamloops,
British Columbia to take part in the 47th Kamloops International Tournament.
Following the tournament it is on to Kelowna, British Columbia, for a
three-game series with the Kelowna Falcons. Then, a stop in Spokane to
play the River Hawks of the West Coast Collegiate League -- a team managed
by former Panner standout Barry Matthews. After Spokane the
group treks across Idaho to Belgrade, MT, for a meeting with the Belgrade
Bandits. Two off-days follow as the team covers Wyoming, South Dakota,
Colorado, and Nebraska to arrive in Dodge City, KS, for a game with the
Dodge City A's. General Manager of the A's is former Panner and major
leaguer Phil Stephenson.
The club then crosses Kansas to Beatrice, NE, and will spend the next three
days playing either the Beatrice Bruins and Clarinda, Iowa, A's, depending
on the MINK league playoffs.
The final leg begins July 25/26 with a two-day stop in Junction City, KS, to
play the Generals, a team managed by former Anchorage Pilots coach Yogi Cox.
The next night it is to Hays, KS, to meet the Larks of the well known
manager Frank Leo, and then to Liberal on the 28th to take on the BeeJays.
It will be the Panners' third trip to Liberal.
The group then crosses to the Wichita area and plays at El Dorado against
the Broncos on the 29th and at Derby in a game with the Twins on the 30th.
The 31st is an off day and the Panners will host a reception for all former
players who can make it to Wichita for the celebration.
The split-squad will play as the Midnight Sun Goldpanners to help cut down
on confusion. Legendary manager Jim Dietz, who was 485 wins in
the Panner uniform, will head the road trip while assisted by his son
Steve, a three-year Panner in 1990-1992, and Fairbanksan Randy Barber, who
recently has spent his summers coaching in the Czech Republic.
Randy is a nephew of Goldpanners Board of Directors member and recent
inductee into the Interior Baseball Hall of Fame, Carroll Barber.
Randy is a retired school teacher in Tempe, AZ. He was a Panner
coach in 1994.
"I will be going on the trip along with my wife Ann and a member of the
'Touching the Game' film crew," says Dennis. "For Jim Dietz and
I this is like old times. I haven't looked forward to anything this
much in a long time."
The Goldpanners have a great barnstorming background but have not played on
the road outside of Alaska (save for the national tournament) since 1998.
Barnstorming trips, the nature of the one planned for this season, we
common-place in the 1960s and 1970s. Red Boucher took the
Panners on their first barnstorming trip in 1963, stopping in Grand
Junction, CO, where they met the Eagles of Sam Suplizio and Don Dennis.
Annual trips followed along with numerous visits to Hawaii and as far away
as Japan for a 17-day goodwill tour and to Holland to take part in the
Haarlem International Baseball Tournament. In 1966, during the
trip to Hawaii, the Goldpanners captured the World Baseball Tournament by
beating the Japanese champion, Kumagai-Gumi. The Panners also won the
Hawaii Invitation Tournament that year. The Panners have posted a
traveling team record unequalled by any other amateur team in history.
May 2009
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