Pitching debut a dream come true for Palmer coach

PALMER — The sport of baseball and Mat-Su Miners have always held special meaning for David Combs and his family.

Combs has been around baseball and the Miners for most of his life. He’s a Palmer High School graduate and former standout on the Moose baseball team who pitched at the college level. Now he’s the head coach of the Palmer baseball program he once played for.

Combs’ family is deeply rooted in the history of the Miners summer amateur developmental baseball program. Led by his grandmother, the late Mary Combs, his family is a major reason why the organization continues to field a team today.

Combs has seen countless games over the years, but he had never worn the Mat-Su green and gold.

Until this week.

Combs, one of three local players temporarily added to the roster as the Miners continue to wait for players to arrive, made his Alaska Baseball League debut against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Mulcahy Stadium on Tuesday.

“That’s like a bucket list item, without a doubt,” Combs said. “That was fun.”

The 31-year-old Combs hadn’t thrown more than batting practice or a bullpen session in about eight years. But on Tuesday, Combs made the start and threw 73 pitches during a 3-2 seven-inning loss to the Pilots.

“For a guy who hadn’t pitched in a while, he did pretty good,” Mat-Su Miners general manager Pete Christopher said.

Combs allowed four hits and two earned runs over three innings. He walked four and hit two batters. But he also fanned four and got himself out of a bases loaded jam twice.

“I was so nervous,” Combs said. “I wanted to do well. I wanted to get up there make myself proud and make the people there watching me proud.”

Combs walked lead-off hitter Cullen Mahoney in the top of the first, but followed by striking out Ernesto Ortiz and Adam Landecker on back-to-back at bats.

In the second, Combs caught Landecker looking to strike out the Glacier Pilots hitter for the second time and end the inning with the bases loaded. In the third, with the bases loaded once again, Combs forced Ortiz to ground out to end the inning.

It bugs Combs that he walked four and hit two others. It bothers him even more that he hit each batter when he was ahead 0-2 in the count. It’s the coach inside of himself that was aggravated, Combs said. But having the perspective as a coach helped him through his outing.

“It actually made the game a bit easier,” Combs said. “I was able to calm myself down.”

When Christopher asked Combs to join the team for a week as the team waited for more players to arrive, Combs thought the Miners general manager was joking.

“We were laughing about it when he asked me. He knew how long it’s been since I played,” said Combs, who capped his college career at George Fox eight years ago. “He knew with the kids, I’ve been throwing a little bit. But nothing like that. Nothing like pitching.

“I said, ‘are you serious?’ I thought, ‘OK, I’ll see what I can do.’”

Combs used 73 pitches to keep the Miners in the game. And after eight years of throwing not much more than batting practice, Combs is feeling the effects of those 73 pitches days later.

“My arm is paying the price now,” Combs said. “It’s totally different than throwing a bullpen session.”

But, to Combs, the experience was worth it. Looking back on his moment on the mound, wearing the Miners green and gold, Combs said it’s emotional.

“It’s definitely something I’ve wanted to do,” Combs said. “My grandma was such a huge part of the Mat-Su Miners. It was definitely a proud moment for me to be asked to wear the Miners uniform.”

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