Miners skipper will return for third season

PALMER — When Ben Taylor first accepted the offer to become the head coach of the Mat-Su Miners prior to the 2013 season, Taylor pledged long-term service to the Valley’s Alaska Baseball League squad.

Miners general manager Pete Christopher recently confirmed the relationship with Taylor will continue. Taylor, the associate head coach at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona, will return in 2015 for his third season as the field manager of the Miners.

“We work really well together,” Christopher said of Taylor. “He knows what (Miners marketing and community relations director Denise Christopher) wants. He knows what I want, and he gets it done.”

Taylor has proven his worth on the field, leading the Miners to back-to-back runner-up finishes during the 2013 and 2014 season, and a 46-29 record in two years with the club. But it’s also Taylor’s drive off the field that impresses Christopher. Taylor is very community-oriented, which is very important to the Miners organization, Christopher said.

“The parade, handing out our tickets (around the community), he doesn’t balk at that,” Christopher said. “We don’t have to plead with the coach to get the guys out. He understands we want to keep a visual presence in the community. He gets what we’re trying to do here.”

Christopher also praised Taylor’s abilities as a coach.

“His baseball IQ is pretty high,” Christopher said of Taylor. “He’s easy to work with. He’s usually got a smile on his face. The guys love playing for him. He does what I ask. I don’t ask a lot, the off the field stuff. What happens between the lines, that’s his thing. I don’t tell him who to play. I’ve got other things to worry about.”

Taylor has made no secret he wants to coach the Miners in the Alaska Baseball League for as long as he can.

“I will return to the Mat-Su Valley and coach the Miners as long as I’m welcome,” Taylor said by cellphone from his home in Arizona recently. “I love the organization, the league, the Valley. I love the state. It’s really hard when I come home. I miss (Alaska). I miss being up there.”

Taylor said he and Christopher began, at least informally, talking about the future with about three weeks left in the 2014 ABL season. He said he’s excited for the opportunity, and continued support from not only the Christophers and the organization, but also the community.

“My wife (Mandy) and I, we’re treated really well when we go up to the Mat-Su,” Taylor said. “It’s nice to know we get to do it again.”

Christopher is entering his 13th season as the general manager of the Miners, and Taylor is just the third field manager to serve as head coach of the Miners for multiple seasons. Taylor will be the first in the Christopher era to be the head coach for three seasons. Christopher said it’s a relief to know his team is in good hands.

“I don’t have to worry about that. It’s a stress-reliever,” Christopher said.

During the Christopher era, the Miners stand as the winningest team in the ABL. Mat-Su has won four league titles since 2004, and has finished with at least 20 wins (a league benchmark) in most seasons. Taylor has guided the Miners to back-to-back runner-up finishes in the league, and has coached the league player of the year award winner in both of his seasons in Palmer. In each of the last two seasons, Mat-Su players have snagged two of the league’s three most prestigious postseason honors. In 2013, former Miners outfielder Christin Stewart earned player of the year honors and shortstop was named the league’s silver slugger. In 2014, Miners pitcher Tyler Stubblefield was named pitcher of the year and the league’s top prospect. Outfielder Cameron Newell was named the player of the year.

Taylor is looking forward to more success in the future.

“We’re trending in the right direction,” Taylor said.

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