Celebrate summer with the Miners

Today, about two-dozen top-tier baseball players from colleges across the country will run together onto Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer wearing the Mat-Su Miners’ green and gold for the first time. As fans celebrate opening day in the storied Alaska Baseball League, this newfound collection of talent will begin its work toward a common goal, a league championship.

But as the Miners chase their fifth league title since 2004, these players also are working toward their own individual goals in baseball. These players come to the Valley each summer to hone their skills playing in one of the top summer leagues in the country. They use their experience in Alaska to help solidify their role for their schools’ team, and improve their chances of reaching a higher level of baseball.

And every summer, as these players from the top programs in the country work to improve their game, Valley fans are within arm’s length of the future of the sport. There are currently a handful of players at the Major League level who once roamed the field at Hermon Brothers, the longtime home of the Miners. More than a dozen who have played with the Miners since 2002 have already made their MLB debut.

Numerous MLB all-stars and World Series champions spent a summer early in their careers in the Valley playing for the Miners. It’s a time in their careers where the future is still bright, but the focus has not been clouded by the distractions that can plague the pro game.

And that’s what makes the ABL experience unique for the players, coaches and fans.

Fourth-year Miners head coach Ben Taylor says he has a love affair with Alaska. It’s a love shared by many. And playing — or watching — baseball here is special.

There’s always been something pure about baseball, and the ABL competition at Hermon Brothers is the purest form of the game. Storylines are not dominated by allegations of performance-enhancing drugs. There are no contract disputes, or fusses over endorsement deals.

These athletes are working for their future, and fans have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of baseball’s future.

More than watching as young careers start to bud, there are other reasons to go to a ball game. There’s the family-friendly atmosphere. The Miners organization has long prided itself on creating an affordable, but memorable, experience for the family.

So go on out to a ballgame this summer. Have a burger or a hot dog and a cold beverage for less than the price of a fast-food extra value meal. On a warm Mat-Su evening, at the field surrounded by the trees and the backdrop of the local mountain ranges, it’s easy to enjoy a few hours at Hermon Brothers celebrating summer and baseball.