Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks
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| Nicknames | 'Panners |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1960 |
| League | Alaska Baseball League |
| Based in | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Ballpark | Growden Memorial Park |
| Colors | Blue, Gold, Red |
| Owner | Alaska Goldpanner Baseball, Inc (non-profit) |
| President | Brian Rasley |
| General manager | John Lohrke |
| Championships |
NBC (1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1980, 2002) Alaska (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2013, 2014) |
| Broadcasters | Gero von Dehn |
| Website | http://www.goldpanners.com |
The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks are a collegiate summer baseball team which was founded in 1960 as an independent barnstorming team. The Goldpanners were charter members of the Alaska Baseball League at the league's inception in 1974. The Goldpanners play their home games at Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. They also host the annual Midnight Sun Game at their home venue.
Like other amateur collegiate summer baseball teams, the Goldpanners operate in a similar manner to professional minor league organizations: playing a nightly schedule, using wooden bats, and with lengthy road trips facing advanced competition. Facing a unique challenge due to Fairbanks' isolated location, the Goldpanners often play teams from the rest of Alaska and the West Coast of the Lower 48.
Founded by H. A. Boucher in 1960, Fairbanks' baseball team first made national news when the Pan-Alaska Gold Panners appeared in the 1962 NBC national championship game. Following a business re-organization led by W.G. Stroecker in 1963, the team changed was renamed the Alaska Goldpanners.
In 2008, former Goldpanner Bill "Spaceman" Lee returned to Fairbanks as an alumnus of the Midnight Sun Game. During his time with the club, which included a win for Lee in the Midnight Sun Game, Bill declared that the Goldpanners were "the number one amateur baseball organization in history."
First held in 1906, the annual Midnight Sun Game is held yearly in Fairbanks, hosted by the Goldpanners. The game, which begins at 10:30 PM on the night of the summer solstice, has gained the attention of international media.
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