Johnson makes himself at home with the Goldpanners
Getting to Alaska wasn’t a simple task for Ryan Johnson, a first time Goldpanner from Wake Forest University. In fact, the trip took three days—by plane. Fortunately, during the two days that he spent "stuck in Salt Lake City," he met up with several Goldpanner teammates, and the group started melding even before they arrived at Growden Park.
Johnson said he’s felt right at home since he came to Fairbanks, and it shows in his .271 batting average midway through the season. He takes on every game with an enthusiasm that is evident in his at-bats and as he takes his position in right field.
There’s been no adjustment needed to the cool Fairbanks summer for Johnson, who said it reminds him of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the home of his Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
"It’s eerie," he said. "This town is just like my town (at college). I feel right at home."
And he is at home, being hosted by Norm and Shirley Jenkins, longtime members of the Goldpanner Board of Directors. Johnson is their 46th "Summer Son."
"I couldn’t ask for a better host family," Johnson said. "They come to every game."
The 19-year-old has already been drafted by the Chicago Cubs, but the novelty of playing baseball has yet to wear off. The Midnight Sun Game, though overcast, was an experience Johnson is not likely to forget.
"It was hard to see the ball because it was kind of dark that night," he said, "but it was fun. There were a lot of fans, and they were going crazy at everything we did."
Johnson likes the arrangement of the Goldpanners organization, appreciating the opportunity to play every day. Also is the added attraction of work days at the yard. "It’s great to work on your own field," he said. "You can feel yourself getting better every day."
Johnson, from Laguna Hills, Calif., traveled across the country to the East Coast to attend college. The distance has made it difficult for his family to be involved in his baseball career, but they do so nonetheless. His mother, who has only seen her son play one college game, listens faithfully to the Goldpanner games on the Internet.
"I called her from a pay phone after we played Kenai, and she already knew how I’d done and all the results," he said with a smile. Soon she won’t need a computer to follow the play-by-play. The family will be in Fairbanks to cheer on Goldpanner No. 44 during the last homestand of the season.
Though he didn’t choose to come to the Alaska Baseball League—the college coaches make that decision—Johnson had heard plenty about the Goldpanners from Floyd Watson (1960-61-62-63), a family friend and MVP of the 1960 Goldpanners team, as well as his high school coach, both of whom told him "this was the best experience of their lives."
"The tradition of the Goldpanners is one of the greatest things about it," Johnson said. "It’s fun to be a part of that tradition."
Michelle Eastty
