Seeking to return to their glory years of 40-win seasons, Alaska Baseball League championships and national titles, the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks have snared one of the most successful amateur coaches ever.
Ed Cheff, the head coach at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho, is arriving in Fairbanks on Thursday to get ready for the Panners season, which begins on Tuesday with a two-game ABL set in Palmer against the Mat-Su Miners.
Cheff recently finished his 26th season at the helm of the Warriors, leading the team to its 12th national championship under his leadership. The Warriors have won 1,266 games and lost only 342 under Cheff, including a 310-158 record against NCAA schools.
Cheff previously coached in the ABL in 1992-93, leading the Anchorage Bucs to the league championship each season and a two-season record of 81-36.
"I enjoyed it there. I had a lot of fun and my wife likes Alaska in the summer. We both enjoyed our time up there," said Cheff, who also coached the USA National Baseball Team in 1991 and 94. "I have a lot of respect for (Panners GM) Don Dennis. He is one of the all-time great guys in amateur baseball. He is one of the guys, along with (Bucs GM) Dennis Mattingly, that I have tremendous respect for, and is the main reason I am coming there."
Last year the Panners went 26-27. It was just the third losing season in the team's 43-year history, but all three have come in the past 10 years. Under the leadership of Don Leppert the Panners went 38-18 in 1997, but since then they have compiled a pedestrian 109-93 record.
"We've been in the middle of the league for the past four years," Dennis said. "The last real strong team was in '97. I think more intensity will be a byproduct of this coaching change. We are going with a coach who has Alaska experience, knows the league and has a reputation of being hard-nosed. Dennis Mattingly told me he'll drive the players as hard as he can.
"I'm kind of looking forward to it myself," Dennis added. "It's a return to old school. You are not going to surprise this guy with anything."
Dennis and Cheff each used their connections to put together the 2002 Alaska Goldpanners squad, which will rely heavily on players from the West Coast.
"There are programs where I know the coaches and Don had a lot of connections, so we kind of each went with what we knew," Cheff said. "We do have (pitcher) J.P. Gagne from Notre Dame and a shortstop (Brett Garrard) from Ohio State, but otherwise it is mostly West Coast kids."
Like the Goldpanners (who have sent 179 players to the majors), Lewis-Clark has a reputation for developing pro talent. It also has a recent history of national titles, winning No. 12 with a 12-8 victory over Oklahoma City on May 31. Cheff would like to bring both of those traditions back to the Panners this summer.
"I have big expectations," Cheff said. "I hope the kids go out, get better and improve over the summer. I want the kids to play hard every day. We want to do the things we need to be the Alaska League champion.
"I'm really looking forward to this opportunity. I'm very excited about it."
Coming with Cheff from Lewis-Clark to help lead the Panners are pitching coach Rob Hippi and hitting coach Denny Barrett.
Staff writer Richard Larson can be reached at rlarson@newsminer.com or at 459-7583.
