Co-champions now a thing of ABL past

PALMER — The Mat-Su Miners and Athletes in Action Fire are both currently recognized as co-champions of the Alaska Baseball League.

Starting next year, the possibility of having two teams share the league title will be a thing of the past. ABL general managers solidified the tiebreaking procedures at the annual league meeting earlier this month.

Both Mat-Su and AIA finished with identical 24-11 records. AIA won the season series against the Miners. But according to the old set of ABL bylaws, the winner of a season series was not used to break a tie at the top of the final league

standings.

Now it does.

Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher said he voted against the proposal to use the season series as the tiebreaker.

“We should recognize both teams if we can,” Christopher said earlier this month.

The 2007 season marked the second time in league history that two teams were called champions of the ABL.

Miners named ‘Top Prospects’

Seven members of the 2007 edition of the Mat-Su Miners were named among the top 25 professional baseball products in the ABL, according to Allan Simpson of Perfect Game Magazine.

Stanford outfielder Joey August, San Diego Mesa Junior College pitcher Max Peterson, Washington pitcher Jason Erickson, Louisiana State shortstop Derek Helenihi, Southern Minnesota first baseman Michael Ewing, California-Riverside outfielder Carl Uhl and Oregon State catcher Ryan Ortiz were each included on the list.

August was noted as the ninth-best prospect in the league.

San Diego pitcher Matt Thompson, the ace of the Peninsula Oilers staff in 2007, was called the top pro prospect of the six-team league.

Christopher said Simpson’s lists of the top players in the major summer collegiate developmental baseball leagues is a tool used by coaches and scouts across the country.

Perfect Game also recognized the Miners 16th best summer collegiate developmental baseball team in the country. The Miners are the lone representative from the ABL on the list.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@

frontiersman.com.