Miners assistant’s efforts great for Valley baseball

For many Alaska Baseball League coaches, their goals parallel those of the players.

The experience is a stepping-stone, resume builder. Coaches get jobs in the ABL so they can get jobs later in life at the highest levels of baseball. It’s a great opportunity for coaches.

But sometimes that opportunity leads to extraordinary chances for others.

During his two years with the Mat-Su Miners, pitching coach Brad Baker has created opportunities for the Valley’s own baseball players. Baker’s regular gig is in Oregon, where he’s the head coach of Blue Mountain Community College. When Baker returns to Oregon after the ABL season, he’ll be taking two Valley players with him. Baker has recruited a pair of Colony High School graduates, pitcher Jonathon Boyer and infielder Ben Ross. It’s the second straight year Baker has added two Valley players to his team. Wasilla graduate Josh Grissom and Colony grad Jacob Butcher played for Baker at Blue Mountain last year.

The Mat-Su Miners have created a tradition of including local talent on the team. Even if it means only a spot on the roster and potential to see playing time, the experience is invaluable for local players. If a Valley player has a realistic shot at playing college baseball, the opportunity to be a part of the Miners team is too important to pass up, regardless of how many innings they may see in an official game. The chance to be surrounded by Division I players could make a difference for the aspiring Valley athlete.

The Miners have given a number of Valley players those chances with roster spots. Baker is taking it a step further. He’s helping mentor the players while he’s in Alaska. In the last two years, he’s helped Valley players realize their baseball dreams.

Mat-Su Miners head coach Ben Taylor praised Baker’s effort to recruit players in the Valley.

“I think it’s fantastic,” Taylor said. “He’s a guy rebuilding a program. He’s found some really good players to build a foundation with, and he’s found them in the Mat-Su. I think the whole thing is fantastic. It’s great for Brad, and it’s great for the ballplayers in the Mat-Su. It’s great for the Miners. The whole thing is fantastic.”

The Miners have always been very community oriented. Baker’s work falls right in line with that.

“It shows that the Mat-Su Miners are interested and involved, keeping their eyes on the local baseball talent as well as the baseball talent in the Lower 48” Taylor said.

Through the years, the Mat-Su Miners have had excellent ambassadors the team and the sport serve on coaching staffs.

But it’s one thing to embrace baseball in our community.

Baker is helping to improve it.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor

Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.