One-way ticket to success

Clayton Carson paid his own way just to have an opportunity to play in the Alaska Baseball League and now his play is paying dividends for the Mat-Su Miners.

Carson, not even on the roster a week prior to the start of the 2004 season, arrived in Palmer the day before the team's opener and since has been a mainstay in the lineup and a leader on the field.

The Yucaipa, Calif., native was the fourth shortstop to be added to the 2004 Miner roster, Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher said. In late May, as players and the coaching staff began to arrive, the Miners were told Chris Valaika, a blue chip shortstop and prized recruit from the University of California San Bernandino, earned an invitation to try out for the U.S. national team and would not be available to suit up for Mat-Su for at least three weeks. Valaika has since made the squad and will forego the chance to play for the Miners in favor of the opportunity to play for Team U.S.A. The loss of Valaika, combined with several Mat-Su players competing in the NCAA postseason play, created holes on the Miner squad.

"Things do happen, nothing's set until guys get up here," Mat-Su field manager Mike Buchmiller said.

Buchmiller was in contact with Carson, a Saddleback Community College product who'd yet to sign with a summer squad. Carson, who had recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play for San Diego State next year, said if he went undrafted one option would be to use his contacts at San Diego State to land him on the roster of a Southern California amateur league team. Though that was an option, he was eager for the opportunity to play in the Alaska Baseball League.

"I've known about the ABL forever," Carson said. "I always read about it in Baseball America and they always speak highly of the ABL."

Carson was eager to play on the league, and Buchmiller was eager to find an opening day shortstop.

"We were waiting for the College World Series to be over and our budget was limited as far as flying guys up here," Buchmiller said. "When I talked to Clayton Carson, he basically said he would do anything possible to get up here.

"I told him if you pay your way up here, we'll make sure you get home safely."

Without a guarantee of a spot on the roster for the entire season, Carson boarded a plane and arrived in Alaska soon enough to hit leadoff and start at shortstop in the squad's opener June 9 against the Stockton Senators.

"I just wanted the opportunity," Carson said. "It wasn't a big deal."

Carson looked at his early action with the Miners as a tryout. With players trickling in throughout the first two and three weeks of the season, Carson took advantage of his opportunity to play every day.

"I knew for the first month I had a spot," Carson said. "I just needed to prove myself."

It did not take long for Carson to prove himself to the Miner coaching staff and solidify his spot on the team. He hit safely in the first four games and currently leads the Miners with 12 runs driven in. Defensively, Carson is the leader of a talented infield that has allowed the Miners to boast defense as a strength. In 14 games, Carson has a .976 fielding percentage -- retiring a team-high 53 opponents with his glove and arm, while committing just two errors.

"As it turns out Clayton has done a hell of a job," Buchmiller said. "He's been working his tail off since day one. He made this ballclub and he's going to stay here for the duration.

"It goes to show, sometimes just wanting to play and doing anything you can possible, benefits not only him, but the ballclub."

To reward Carson's efforts on the field, Buchmiller said the Miners have decided to reimburse his travel costs.

"What the Mat-Su Miner organization did, because they have a lot of class, is reimburse him for his one-way ticket," Buchmiller said. "He's such a great kid and they stepped up and made sure he was reimbursed."