New Miner GM busy at work

PALMER -- Though the first pitch at Hermon Brothers Field is months away, the Mat-Su Miners organization has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming season.

Led by the efforts of newly appointed general manager Pete Christopher, members of the Miners' organization and numerous volunteers from the community have spent countless hours at the ballpark in attempt to make it the place to be in Alaskan baseball.

Christopher was named the general manager of the Alaska summer league ball club in March. He is the first general manager of the organization in three years.

Christopher worked in the telephone union before taking the position with the Miners, but baseball has always been a part of his life.

He has been an associate scout for Major League baseball teams since 1988. Christopher worked as an associate scout for the Kansas City Royals, while living in Anchorage in the late 1980's and then in his home state of New Jersey for nine more years. He has also served as an assistant scout for the Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Atlanta Braves.

Christopher compared the life of an associate scout to that of a volunteer fireman.

"You do what you can, when you can," Christopher said.

In addition to working a full-time job, Christopher would scout an average of 50 games per summer.

"I love baseball," Christopher said.

Christopher's love of baseball has driven him to spend nearly every day at the ballpark, spearhaeding numerous improvements to the facilities.

Just in the past few months, Christopher has overseen the construction of new dugouts and a clubhouse.

They have replaced the fences along the sides of the field and have completely re-landscaped the area surrounding the ball field.

Christopher's goals for the new year include completing the club house and re-surfacing the infield.

"We are about 85-percent done with the clubhouse," Christopher said.

There are also plans to build a new ticket booth complete with mesh windows to prevent those inside being eaten alive by Alaska's state bird, the mosquito.

According to Christopher the help from local volunteers has been itegral to the process of fixing up the ball field.

Christopher has acquired the help of electritions, contractors, excavators and those just willing to throw their hat in and help create the finest baseball facility in Alaska.

"We had people come down about seven weekends in a row," Christopher said. "That is a lot to ask for. These people work full-time jobs."

Work on the infield will begin May 10, and Christopher has literally called in the calvary to help.

"I have a buddy that is an NCO in the Air Force and he has a bunch of guys looking for community service projects. He is going to bring them out," Christopher said.

Christopher's goals outside of giving Herman Brothers Field a facelift, lie in the area of enhancing the interest of Miners baseball in not just the community, but the business community.

"We need to get the business community involved," Christopher said. "This is something that the entire Mat-Su Valley can be proud of."

Christopher has also incorporated the help of Palmer's prep baseball teams and welcomes them to take the field on the Herman Brothers diamond.

"Kids that played here last year told me that this is the nicest ball field," Christopher said. "We want to work to make it better.

"It is the prettiest field in Alaska."