Making memories at the ballfield

Even as adults — baseball fans — there’s the kid in all of us. And there are those moments that bring us back to our childhood.

Whether they are memories of watching Harry Caray and the Chicago Cubs on WGN, listening to Dave Niehaus call Seattle Mariners games on the radio, or sifting through piles of Topps cards searching for your favorite players, certain instances can take you back to those times. Like sitting in the Hermon Brothers Field bleachers on a calm Alaska summer night with the Mat-Su Miners playing on the diamond.

There are no jumbotrons. No screams from a freeway in the background.

But there are trees reaching high into the sky before the backdrop of Pioneer Peak. There are kids running after fly balls. The savory aroma of grilled burgers and hot dogs on the grill. The sounds of fans cheering for the home team.

There’s baseball, the way it was meant to be.

It’s like getting hit with a line drive of nostalgia.

The highest level of sports has drastically changed in recent generations. Sports have evolved, producing athletes who continue to amaze and mystify. But in some ways, sports have devolved. Dollars and attention trump the spirit of the game.

But pockets of sports remain somewhat immune to what we know as the reality of professional sports. A night at Hermon Brothers Field is definitely one of those.

For nearly 40 years, the Valley has been home to a member of the Alaska Baseball League. First, with the Valley Green Giants, and now, with the Mat-Su Miners, top collegiate talent from across the country has spent the summer in the Valley, working to take the next step toward their baseball dreams.

That top talent comes in the form of future Major Leaguers, future all-stars, future Hall of Famers. They’ve graced our home field, providing memories for decades of baseball fans.

Valley fans can remember back to the days current Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell spent his summer nights on Hermon Brothers Field, or when Los Angeles Angels starter Garrett Richards invented himself on the Mat-Su mound.

It’s our opportunity to catch a glimpse of the future of the big leagues, on our small scale. It’s like finding the hidden gem inside the hidden gem.

The 2015 edition of the Miners starts a new ABL campaign this week. Tonight, the Miners open the season against the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks at 7 p.m. at Loretta French Field in Chugiak. Wednesday, it’s the home opener, the Miners and Chinooks at 7 p.m. at Hermon Brothers Field.

Wednesday starts another summer’s worth of opportunity to sit in the Hermon Brothers bleachers, watching the Miners on a calm Alaska summer night.

For seasoned fans, it’s a chance to feel like a kid again. The sounds. The smells. The crack of the bat. The roar of the crowd.

It takes you back to hearing Harry or Niehaus. Or sifting through Topps cards. It’s baseball.

And on a calm Alaska summer night at Hermon Brothers Field, that’s hard to top.