Randomness

-The Athletes In Action Fire will play most of their 2011 schedule on the road. With the Alaska (Fairbanks) Goldpanners not participating in a full league schedule this season, the AIA Fire will play on the road to save teams from traveling up to Fairbanks to only play one team. The Fire will only play 6 games at their "home field" this season. The Fire will play the Goldpanners in non-league games from June 27th through July 1st at Growden Memorial Park, with June 28th being the official Midnight Sun game.

-The Anchorage Bucs will feature the nephew of a former big leaguer. Ty Afenir an infielder from the University of Washington has the bloodlines. Ty's Uncle Troy Afenir was a catcher who played in the Major Leagues for six years with three different teams. Troy Afenir played his first Major League season in 1987 with the Houston Astros. Afenir went on to play for the Oakland Athletics and then eventually the Cincinnati Reds in his last season in the Major Leagues. Troy Afenir posted a career .190 batting average in the Major League but socked 114 career homers in 10 minor league seasons. Troy Afenir's brother Steven was drafted in the 40th round in 1991 by the Philadelphia Phillies. Steve's son Buck played college baseball at Kansas and is now a Houston Astro's farm hand.  Tom Afenir spent two seasons catching in the Cleveland Indians organization in the mid 90's. The bloodlines done stop there for Ty Afenir, his father played collegiate baseball at the division one level for BYU. I will need a family tree to remember this for future broadcasts this season.

-Peninsula Oilers have dipped into the international pool of talent around college baseball. The Oilers have signed Kevin St. Luce a pitcher from Nova Southeastern University. St Luce is a Virgin Island native. There has been 13 Major League Baseball players from the Virgin Islands. Callix Crabbe being the most recent native to reach the Major Leagues, with the San Diego Padres in 2008. The Oilers will feature a pitcher from Brazil. Gabrial Asakura out of Cal State LA is a native of San Paulo, Brazil. There have been a few minor league players from Brazil but never any Major Leaguers. Major League baseball now sponsors an academy in Brazil. Baseball is truly a global game.

We will be having some feature stories and interviews upcoming on our blog. Next we will start to preview some of the opposing teams in the Alaska Baseball League! GO MINERS!