On deck: Former Colony High baseball head coach slated to succeed longtime Mat-Su Miners general manager

It was only supposed to last a year.

In 2002, Pete Christopher opted for an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers honorary withdrawal and left his day job to help revitalize the Valley’s fledgling summer collegiate developmental baseball program, the Mat-Su Miners, as the team’s general manager.

It was a short-term plan, but Christopher and his wife, Denise, have played the long game. Fast forward more than two decades and the Christophers are still there.

Pete recruits the players, manages the coaching staff, and works to oversee and maintain everything that needs to be done at the team’s home park, Hermon Brothers Field. Denise handles the marketing and community relations.

Both are very active in the community, and Denise has also been a longtime employee at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

In recent years, both have thought about when it might be time to take a step back and settle into their version of retirement. But that also means they need to find someone to take the reins of their beloved Mat-Su Miners.

The Christophers believe they have found that person, longtime local educator and baseball coach Jordan Chadwell.

Chadwell has been named the assistant general manager of the Miners, the Valley’s Alaska Baseball League club, and is slated to be the eventual successor to Christopher.

This is not an immediate change, Pete Christopher said. It’s a 5-year plan. The Christophers will mentor Chadwell, show him all that has to do with every aspect of running a baseball team, on and off the field. Both Pete and Denise said they want to put Chadwell in a better position than what Pete Christopher faced nearly 25 years ago.

“When Pete started, we knew nothing. They just handed it to us,” Denise said.

Pete had a baseball background, growing up around the game. He was also a Major League Baseball regional scout. But he was forced to dive right in, learning everything from recruiting top talent on the diamond to maintaining the field, and everything else in the park.

Chadwell has also grown up around the game, and spent the majority of his life in the Valley. He’s a Colony grad and former member of the Knights baseball team. He was the head coach of his alma mater’s baseball team for 11 seasons, and also served as an assistant coach at Colony and Palmer.

He has been a teacher for 19 years

“It’s super exciting,” Chadwell said. “Especially living in Alaska, born and raised, loving baseball. If you live in Alaska, this is pretty much the only gig you can do as a job and take care of your family. How lucky am I to be able to do something like that.”

Chadwell knows he has a lot to learn, and become comfortable taking responsibility for.

“I’m equally excited and terrified at the same time,” Chadwell said.

Chadwell said recruiting talent presents the biggest learning curve.

“Being the Colony head coach, we did fundraising, we did field maintenance. Not to the level of the Miners, but we did it to a lesser extent. You don’t get to recruit players at a high school. Making the contacts will be a brand new thing for me.”

As Pete Christopher sat next to Chadwell, he pulled out his cell phone and showed as he scrolled through the dozens of names on his contact list.

“These are all coaches. I’ll be giving those to Jordan,” Pete said.

Pete said he also gave Chadwell all of his notes from his time at a baseball scouting school. Chadwell will join the Christophers at the annual American Baseball Coaches Association Convention.

Chadwell was hand-picked to be the successor, a decision that included the Miners Board of Directors, and Terry Johnson, the president of the board. Denise is also the secretary on the board.

“He loves baseball. He has an even temperament. Integrity. He’s honest,” Pete Christopher said, listing reasons why he sees Chadwell as the fit.

Christopher is entering his 24th summer as Mat-Su’s general manager. In that time, the Miners have won eight Alaska Baseball League titles. Mat-Su has finished first or second in each of the last 15 years. Twenty-five former Miners since 2002 have advanced to Major League Baseball, and more than 200 have gone on to play professional baseball at some level.

Hermon Brothers Field has also received a facelift over the past two decades. The field itself was completely redone. The press box and grandstand were remodeled. A new concession stand was built, with a second story for office and storage space. The batting cage was enclosed and is now indoors and available for year-round use. A garage was added to the property. The pathways around the field were also paved to make the park more accessible.

All of the renovations were made possible by grant funding, donations and volunteer effort, both Pete and Denise said.

In addition to all of the success on the field, Denise said the team’s financial stability is something they are very proud of. There’s the vast support from the business community. Pull tabs are an important part of the revenue stream, with the partnerships with Palmer Bar, Mug Shot Saloon and Panhandle Bar in Anchorage. Attendance has also been key. The Miners can draw more than 1,000 fans on a summer night.

Chadwell said he’s eager to get more involved but relieved there is time for transition.

“It takes a lot of pressure off, for both sides,” Chadwell said. “They’ll get a little bit of an idea how fast I’m picking it up, being comfortable with the situation. Myself as well, making sure I’m comfortable. We’re saying 5 years. But it doesn’t have to be 5 years to the day. When we’re ready.”

And when that time does come, both Pete and Denise Christopher said they will step back, but not out. Both will transition to other roles, and be there for Chadwell.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Denise said.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.