Miners' assistant promoted to manager

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman sports editor

After a season as an assistant coach, Jimmy Smith now has the opportunity to be the head of the Mat-Su Miner coaching staff.

Smith, an assistant coach for the King College baseball program in Bristol, Tenn., was recently named head coach of the Miners. Smith replaces Mike Buchmiller, who moved on after one summer with the Miners.

Smith was originally among the same pool of candidates as Buchmiller for the field manager position. Once Buchmiller was hired and began putting together his staff, Miner general manager Pete Christopher asked his skipper to seriously consider Smith for an assistant coach position.

"I originally applied to get my name out there, get my foot in the door," Smith said. "I wasn't sure if I was ready to be a head coach."

Buchmiller took Christopher's advice, named Smith to his staff, and the duo, along with pitching coach Jack Krawcyzk, led the Miners to an Alaska Baseball League title and a spot in the National Baseball Congress World Series title game.

Following the 2004 summer season, Smith spoke with Christopher, stressing his desire to return to Palmer as a member of the Miner coaching staff. Smith saw the first option of coming back as an assistant coach, but the thought of the field manager position never left his mind.

"I'd say (the thought of the head coaching position) wasn't necessarily on the front burner," Smith said. "But the (idea) has been on the stove."

Now that Smith has the opportunity, he feels it is a great situation to continue coaching in a community he is now familiar with.

"Career-wise, I feel this is a good thing," Smith said. "I love Alaska, it's a great league, I have an understanding of the town. All around I feel like it's a right fit."

Christopher also saw the hire as a great fit, noting Smith's ability to relate to the players and desire to make the Miners stand out in the local community.

"Without the community, things don't happen," Smith said.

In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Smith directed the Miners' youth baseball clinics.

As far as coaching philosophies, Smith's primary goal, other than a championship, is for players to have fun and return to their respective colleges better players than when they came.

"The biggest thing about summer baseball is (the players are) going to learn more about themselves here," Smith said. "They're playing better competition and using wood bats. It's a closer glimpse at professional ball. It's not so much about technique, they already have those tools."

Mat-Su now has two-thirds of its coaching staff complete. Former Miner hurler John Hendricks was named the Mat-Su pitching coach during the winter.

Now searching for a coach to complete his staff, Smith said he is looking for a polar opposite of what he and Hendricks bring to the squad. Rather than looking for the traditional second assistant, a younger coach, Smith is looking for an older more experienced coach.

"I want to find an older guy who has been around the block," the 25-year-old Smith said.

Smith is currently in his second stint on the King College staff. After ending a three-year playing career with the Tennessee college, Smith served as an assistant coach for a season at Frostburg State University in Maryland. Smith helped the Bobcats claim their second conference title in school history before returning to King.

Smith's duties at King include coaching the team's infielders, recruiting and assisting with the strength and conditioning programs.

As a player, Smith started in the middle infield for the Tornado, led his squad in several hitting statistical categories in 2000 and the conference in runs scored in 2001.

The Miners starts the 2005 season on June 9 with a two-game nonconference home series against a Southern California squad. Mat-Su begins defense of its ABL title with a pair of road dates against the Anchorage Bucs on June 20 and Anchorage Glacier Pilots on June 21. The Miners' league home opener is June 22 against the

Bucs.