Miners hit career milestones

PALMER — During the 2012 summer season, Ben Taylor became the winningest head coach in the history of the Texas Collegiate League. Taylor’s record with the East Texas Pump Jacks helped create the opportunity to coach in the Alaska Baseball League, one of the country’s most storied summer collegiate amateur baseball leagues.

And now Taylor has made history once again.

Earlier this month, with Mat-Su’s 6-3 win over the Chugiak Chinooks on July 18, Taylor led the Miners to his 103rd victory during his tenure, giving him the organization’s record for wins by a head coach.

“It’s incredibly humbling. I pinch myself on a regular basis, just knowing the fact I get to coach in this league,” Taylor said recently “Knowing the coaches, some legendary coaches who have ran teams up here, to be part of this fraternity is one thing. But to be the all-time wins leader for the Mat-Su Miners is really special.”

Mat-Su finished as the runner-up in the ABL in each of his first three seasons in Palmer. As of Monday, Mat-Su was again at the top of the league ladder, with a 20-13 mark and a 1 ½-game lead over the second-place Peninsula Oilers.

With the win over the Chinooks July 18, Taylor passed former Mat-Su mentor Jim Fleming, who posted a 102-54 mark, from 1985-87.

This is the second straight year in which Taylor has reached a coaching milestone. In 2015, Taylor posted his 200th career victory as a summer collegiate amateur baseball coach.

Throughout his time in the Valley, Taylor has continually expressed his thrill to jump to the ABL.

“I love coming up here. I feel like a better person. I couldn’t ask for a better organization, a better board of directors, a better (general manager) to work for,” Taylor said. “And we have the best fans in the ABL.”

Mat-Su’s general manager, Pete Christopher, also hit a milestone of his own recently. Mat-Su’s 10-2 win over Chugiak on July 13 was the 350th during Christopher’s run with the Miners. Christopher is in his 14th season. During his tenure, the Miners have won four ABL titles and finished second in the National Baseball Congress World Series in 2004.

“That’s all you need to know,” Taylor said of Christopher’s success as Mat-Su’s general manager. “This team is always in the hunt.”

The Miners have had only two losing seasons during Christopher’s time with the team, and the club has never won fewer than 16 games. Mat-Su has won 30 or more games three times, and 20 or more in 12 of Christopher’s 14 years as general manager.

Taylor posted a 136-76-1 mark with the Pump Jacks. Entering Mat-Su’s game against the Anchorage Bucs Tuesday, Taylor held a 106-57 career mark with the Miners, giving him a total record of 242-133-1 as a summer collegiate baseball coach.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.