From the Belgrade News
2009-07-21
Former Bandit, Outlaw honored to have played in all-star game
By Mike Brandt • Staff Writer
Former Belgrade Bandit and College of Idaho catcher Garrett Schultz was part
of a historical event Friday night at Edward S. Medina Field. Schultz was the
starting catcher for the Montana All-Star baseball team, which featured former
American Legion and current college players from Bozeman to Missoula and Great
Falls.
The Montana squad hosted the Alaska Goldpanners, which also features current
college players, in an exhibition game. The Goldpanners came out on top, 10-2,
but the game was about much more than the final score.
“It was awesome. I was definitely a little rusty,” said Schultz. “But it felt
great to get back there and play the game with a bunch of good guys. I had tons
of fun and I was glad I got the invitation.”
Schultz caught for several pitchers that he played against in Legion ball. He
caught for Kody Kennedy, who played for the Butte Miners and is now with
University of North Dakota. Kennedy was the starting pitcher and had five strike
out in two innings of play.
Austin Bosch, another Butte alumni and Miles Community College player, came
in to pitch in the third. While Conor Hartz, former of the Dillon Cubs and now a
Yakima Community College athlete, worked the fifth inning.
Brenden Brown, of Missoula and South West Oregon Community College, came in
to pitch in the sixth. Then Bozeman’s Gabe Weidenaar (College of Southern
Nevada) finished the game, working the ninth inning. Schultz played against most
of these players during his career.
“We had a bunch of rivalries when we played them,” he noted. “But it was
great to see everybody and how they have developed as players.”
Former Gallatin Valley Outlaw and Whitehall native Derek Allen played
shortstop and pitched one inning late in the game. Allen finished his first
season at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore.
“It was awesome. It was kind of rough at first getting into things and being
eight hours away from home,” Allen said of his first year in college. “I got
into it and got to pitch a lot. We did very well. We actually made our first
NWAACC (Northwest Athletic Association of Community College tournament
appearance).”
Treasure Valley, which is also where Bozeman’s Matt Comer is playing, lost to
Green River, 5-1, in the NWAACC championship game.
Allen, Comer and Hamlin played against teammate Jason VanSkike, who is a
right handed pitcher for the Goldpanners. The trio also competed against players
from other Community College’s from the West coast.
“It was fun to see all of these guys again,” said Allen. “It was a lot of
fun. I hadn’t thrown for a while so I was a little rusty. If I’d known that I
was going to play shortstop I would have taken some ground balls. It was still
fun to be part of.”
The person who made the exhibition game possible was Belgrade Bandits manager
Johnny Graham. Graham called two of his American Legion manager friends, Randy
Schipman of Dillon and Dustin Bahm of the Bitterroot Bucs, to help coach.
Graham said that he had just as much fun as the players, and that this type
of game there was no pressure on the coaching staff.
“This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. There wasn’t a whole lot of
coaching these guys,” he said. “With these guys they know what they need to do.
It was cool watching Taylor King at shortstop and Hamlin play. They had never
play together before and met for the first time tonight. They worked the middle
of the diamond really well and were talking all the time. These guys played it
right. It was fun to watch them.”
Graham hung around for the free clinic that the Goldpanners put on prior to
the game. He said that the clinic was great for local youth baseball players as
they received a lot of experience and information on how to play the game.
“It was such a good event. I think the neatest thing was listening to Jim
Dietz, manager of the Goldpanners, and his son Steve, talking to the our little
leaguers during the camp,” said Graham. “They talked about the quality of a
bunt, pitching and a lot of stuff. I was cool to watch them.”
Maybe even more rewarding for Graham was watching Dietz coached his team and
the quality of athletes that are on the Goldpanners’ roster.
“I think it was great for those youngsters in the crowd to be able to see
this game and how well it was played,” said Graham. “It was fun to watch Dietz
coach.”
Graham added that he would like to bring the game back again, hopefully
making it an annual event.
“I’ve been around baseball for a long time and this was the most special
evening I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’m going to push for it.”
Goldpanners General Manager Dan Dennis said that it would be nice to return
to Montana.
“We’re certainly going to give it some consideration. So far this stop for us
was terrific,” said Dennis. “I think if we were to do it again we would mark
this one down or get a hold of Johnny ... it’s been the highlight of the tour so
far.”
“It’s been fun,” added Jim Dietz. “Its good to come in to a place like this
and promote baseball and get kids thinking about it. There’s a lot of good
baseball played in Montana, people just don’t know about it. And the people here
are so out-going and friendly. That’s what America should be like. And, the ball
field here is outstanding. We were just in Kelowna, British Columbia, and their
ball park isn’t as good as this one here.”
After the game the Goldpanners pitched a tent in the outfield and spent the
night before returning to the road the next day for Rapid City, S. D. The team
will play several more games in various Western states before capping its
barnstorming road trip at the National Baseball Congress tournament Aug. 1-3 in
Wichita, Kan.
Goldpanners 10, Montana All-Stars 2
Alaska001 231 003 - 10 6 1
Montana000 020 000 - 2 7 2
Stephen Foster, Timothy Culligan (5), Derek Speigner (6), Carey Schwartz (8),
and Austin Wooldridge, Joe Pratt (6). Cody Kennedy (Butte), Austin Bosch (Butte)
(3), Conor Hartz (Dillon) (5), Derek Allen (Three Forks/Whitehall) (8), Gabe
Weidenaar (Bozeman) (9), and Garrett Schultz (Belgrade).
ALASKA (18-6) - Tristan Metcalf 0-1, Cam Christian 0-0, Josh Ashenbrenner
1-5, Travis Anderson 0-3, David Deutchman 1-4, Eric Lane 2-4 (2B), Mykal Stokes
1-4, Josh Kalalau 0-2, Wooldridge 1-2, Pratt 0-2, Taylor Hunter 0-5, Foster 0-0,
Culligan 0-0, Speigner 0-0, Schwartz 0-0.
MONTANA - Taylor King (Missoula) 1-3, Chance Plutt (Dillon) 1-5 (2B),
Weidenaar 2-4 (3B), Zach Semenza (Great Falls) 1-1, Brenden Brown (Missoula)
0-3, Matt Comer (Bozeman) 1-4, Schultz 0-2, Zach Griffith (Great Falls) 1-3,
Hartz 0-1, Allen 0-1, Matt Perez (Hamilton) 0-4.
Around Montana: Goldpanners to
play in Belgrade
By Chronicle
Staff - Bozeman
A collection of Gallatin Valley and
Montana college baseball players will be taking on the
Alaska Goldpanners at Belgrade’s Medina Field Friday,
July 17 at 7 p.m.
The Goldpanners, who play out of Fairbanks, are
making a barnstorming tour through parts of North
America to commemorate their 50th anniversary as a team.
They will play games in British Columbia, Oregon,
Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota,
Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas.
The Goldpanners are known for their roster of future
major leaguers and hosting the Midnight Sun Game, which
begins at 10:30 p.m. on June 21 and doesn’t end until
the next morning. The game, which dates back to 1906, is
stopped at midnight for the singing of the Alaska Flag
Song and uses no artificial lights.
The Goldpanners have sent nearly 200 players to the
major leagues, including Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and
Dave Winfield.
The Montana roster for the game against the “Panners”
includes Matt Comer and Gabe Weidenaar of Bozeman; Derek
Allen of Three Forks; and Garrett Schultz of Belgrade.
A free clinic for all ages run by Goldpanners
head coach Jim Dietz will be held at 4 p.m. prior to the
game. Tickets for the game cost $5 each.
Bozeman, Montana
Panning
for local talent
By WILL C.
HOLDEN Chronicle Sports Writer
It’s appropriate
that Johnny Graham will be
facing the Alaska Goldpanners
Friday.
After all, the Belgrade
Bandits’ head coach panned
through all the baseball talent
Montana had to offer to find one
of the most recognizable amateur
teams in all of baseball a
suitable opponent.
The Goldpanners will be playing
a game in every state on their
barnstorming tour to National
Baseball Classic in Wichita,
Kan. to commemorate their 50th
anniversary as a team.
The Goldpanners’ head coach Jim
Deitz, who piloted the San Diego
State program for over 30 years
before handing it over to Tony
Gwyn, asked Graham if he
wouldn’t mind his team making
its Treasure State stop Edward
S. Medina Field.
Graham was happy to oblige given
his knowledge of Deitz’s club.
The Goldpanners’ list of
alumni, which includes Tom
Seaver, Barry Bonds and Bill
“Spaceman” Lee, is surpassed in
grandeur only by one specific
game the team plays hosts.
The Midnight Sun Game is the
only night baseball game that
ever has, and likely ever will
be played with the all-natural
light that Fairbanks, Alaska
provides for 24 hours during the
summer solstice. The game begins
at 10:30 p.m. often last until 2
a.m.
ESPN chronicled the 100th
anniversary of the game in 2005
and Baseball America listed it
among 12 “Must See” baseball
events.
On Friday night, you can see the
Goldpanners in Belgrade, where
they’ll be adding one more blip
to their impressive resume.
“It might very well be the
biggest amateur baseball event
to ever come through Montana,”
Graham said.
Don’t believe him? Ask another
one of Montana’s baseball sons.
“I would agree with that,” said
Gabe Weidenaar, a former Bozeman
Buck who now pitches for the
College of Southern Nevada.
“It’s going to be a pretty big
event for a state that only has
one four-year baseball school in
MSU-Billings.”
The lone local who will be
partaking in the contest didn’t
offer dissent.
“I think it’s definitely going
to be a cool day and a cool
game,” said Garrett Schultz, a
former catcher for the Bandits
who left the program in 2006.
“The Goldpanners have a really
great tradition and they come
from a great collegiate summer
league.”
But for Schultz, who likely
played his last collegiate
baseball game four months ago at
the College of Idaho, there’s
something else that he’s looking
forward to Friday, and it has
nothing to do with the team from
up north.
“I’m just excited to get a
chance to see all the ex-Legion
players together like a little
all-star team,” Schultz said. “I
played in the Big Sky fall
program and I saw first hand how
great some of the talent is in
this state. I think Montana does
produce good ballplayers and I
think that will show up on
Friday.”
The other two Gallatin Valley
locals who are on the Montana
team’s official roster are Matt
Comer, formerly of the Bozeman
Bucks and currently of Treasure
Valley Community College, and
Derek Allen, a former Gallatin
Valley Outlaw who also now plays
for Treasure Valley.
There are three former Dillon
players Chance Plutt, Conor
Hartz and Jackson Berkman that
will be joining their old head
coach Randy Shipman, who will
serve as an assistant under
Graham. Butte will be sending Kody Kennedy and Austin Bosch
while Taylor King and Brenden
Brown will represent Missoula.
Great Falls natives Zach
Griffith and Zach Semenza will
also suit up.
“It was a lot of work putting
that team together,” Graham
said. “Some of these kids didn’t
know who the Goldpanners were,
but I think they’re starting to
get it and it’s creating quite a
buzz.”
That was apparent in Bozeman as
Comer went out and recruited
Weidenaar knowing his former
Buck teammate was back for the
summer after a successful first
season at Southern Nevada.
Weidenaar started 12 games for
CSN compiled an 8-3 record with
a 2.79 ERA and 98 strikeouts n
12 shy of the school record.
Weidenaar took the summer off to
rest his shoulder and Comer
thought he’d be itching to play.
Considering the Weidenaar’s
Coyotes were shown the door out
of the National Junior College
Association of America after
their first two games while he
was “saved” for the next
contests that would never come,
Comer was right.
“It’s been hard sitting around
and not playing,” Weidenaar
said. “Not only am I get back
out there, I’m getting a chance
to do it in Montana. I’m
excited.”
The last time Weidenaar toed the
rubber in Montana was when he
helped lead the Bozeman Bucks to
the 2007 state championship in
Billings.
“It’s been too long and that’s a
shame,” Weidenaar said. “I’m
ready for a little Montana
baseball.”
Goldpanners make stop in Belgrade
‘Panners to add another
milestone tonight
By
WILL C. HOLDEN Chronicle
Sports Writer
The
Alaska Goldpanners are
boldly going where
they've never gone
before.
The renowned
collegiate summer
baseball team that has
been entertaining
Fairbanks for a
half-century will play
in front of a Montana
crowd for the first time
tonight (7) when they
take on a Treasure State
All-Star team in a
nine-inning game at
Edward S. Medina Field
in Belgrade.
Then they'll be pitching
a tent in the outfield
grass upon the game's
conclusion and shacking
up for the night.
"We've never done that
either," Goldpanners
general manager Don
Dennis said.
And once they get a
taste of Belgrade Bandit
head coach Johnny
Graham's pancakes the
following morning, they
may never do it again.
"Hey," Graham
said. "I told them I
wasn't a great cook."
It's all part of the
experience, Dennis said.
In commemoration of the
team's 50th anniversary,
the Goldpanners are
making their way to the
National Baseball
Classic tournament in
Wichita, Kan., the way
they started doing it in
1962.
Every last detail has
been sweated, including
digging up the old
school bus the team used
to travel in.
"We tore out all the
seats and put recliners
in it a long time ago,"
said Dennis, who has
been with the team since
1967. "But for this trip
we splurged and added
air conditioning."
The old bus has seen
trips through places
such as Bellingham,
Wash., Eureka, Calif.,
Ogden, Utah, and Grand
Junction, Colo.
"We took different
routes during different
years," Dennis said.
"Back in the early years
we would always play
tournaments in Canada so
that's the route we
decided to take again
this year."
This year's barnstorm
dropped the Goldpanners
in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho,
Thursday night - their
final stop before
Belgrade. After leaving
Belgrade, the team will
make its way to
Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri
and the Kansas - states
that all house historic
programs in the National
Baseball Congress.
But why Belgrade?
"It was pretty much the
first place we looked in
Montana," Dennis said.
"It had a lot to do with
mileage and it just so
happened that one of our
people knew Johnny in
Belgrade. It all worked
out pretty perfectly."
Graham would have to
agree. As luck would
have it, Belgrade's head
coach received the
autobiography of Bill
"Spaceman" Lee from one
of his students at Chief
Joseph Middle School
last summer. Lee, who
went on to pitch for the
Boston Red Sox and
Montreal Expos in the
early 1970's and 80's,
happens to be one of the
Goldpanners' most
colorful alumni.
"It's one of the
funniest biographies
I've ever read," Graham
said. "He talked about
the Goldpanners a lot in
that book. ... I never
imagined they'd call me
for anything, though."
It turns out Jim Dietz,
the Goldpanners head
coach, was talking with
one of his contacts in
Oregon about trying to
find a good spot in
Montana to play. That
contact was Chad Angel,
a Legion coach whose
Albany Rockets had
played in Graham's Boys
of Summer Tournament a
season ago.
Then Dietz called Corey
Bridges, another Legion
coach from Couer d'Alene
who happens to count
Graham as one of his
pupils. And after two
positive recommendations
about a man nicknamed
Moonlight - derived from
Archibald Wright
"Moonlight" Graham, who
played for the New York
Giants before being
immortalized in the
novel "Shoeless Joe" and
the film "Field of
Dreams" - Dietz knew who
he needed to call next.
"I pick up the phone and
it's Jim Dietz," Graham
said. "He says,
'Moonlight Graham?' I
said, 'Yeah.' He said,
'Two guys gave me good
recommendations and your
nickname is Moonlight.
You think you'd like to
host my baseball team?'"
When a man who was named
coach of the decade for
the 1970s asks you to
host his baseball team,
Graham said, you listen,
especially when he gives
you a chance to host a
game of this magnitude
in Montana.
"I'm really hoping that
the community fills up
the stands Friday night
and realizes what
they're coming to see,"
Graham said. "But shoot,
this game could be in
front of zero people and
still be one of the
biggest amateur events
in state history."
Aside from historic
alumni like Tom Seaver,
Barry Bonds, Dave
Winfield, Brett Boone
and Lee, the Goldpanners
have produced major
league stars like Jason
Giambi, Bobby Crosby,
Jose Cruz Jr., Travis
Lee, Jacque Jones, Adam
Kennedy and Michael
Young in recent years.
"They've sent over 100
guys to the big leagues,
they have a couple hall
of famers and they sent
one guy to the NFL
(quarterback Dan
Pastorini) for crying
out loud," Graham said.
"They've got the
history."
The Goldpanners also
have a filmmaker on
board with them for
their tour who is making
a documentary that he
hopes to sell to a major
network.
Which stop is he most
excited about?
"He thinks Belgrade is
going to be one of the
best stops on the tour,"
Dennis said. "We're
staying in tents on a
ball field for Pete's
sake. I think it oughta
be pretty fun, too."
Will Holden can be
reached at
wholden@dailychronicle.com
and 582-2690.
Local players on
all-star roster
By Sean Eamon - 07/16/2009
The Montana Standard
Summer League Baseball is coming to Montana
tonight.
As part of a celebration of its 50th season as a
Summer League Team, the Alaska Goldpanners will
play in 50 states this summer.
The Goldpanners will take on an all-star team
from Montana in Belgrade tonight at 7 p.m.
Both clubs will be playing with college baseball
players.
The Montana team will include two former Butte
Miners that competed at Miles City Community
College last spring.
Austin Bosch and Kody Kennedy will represent
Butte in tonight's game.
Dillon will be well represented with coach Randy
Shipman working with Bitterroot's Johnny Graham
and Belgrade's Dustin Bahm.
Shipman has three former Dillon players listed
on the team's roster. They include Conor Hartz,
Jackson Berkram and Chance Plutt.
Other players on the team include Garrett
Schultz of Belgrade, Matt Comer of Bozeman, Gabe
Weidenaar of Bozeman, Derek Allen of Whitehall,
Zach Griffith and Zach Semenza of Great Falls,
Matt Hamlin of Hamilton, Brenden Brown and
Taylor King of Missoula, and Phil Perez of
Stevensville.
Before the game, the Goldpanners will hold a
clinic featuring longtime coach Jim Dietz, who
has won 485 games with the team. The clinic will
begin at 4 p.m.
Coach Shipman was excited about the game in a
phone interview Thursday night.
"It's a really good group of Montana ex-Legion
players," he said. "It's going to be a great
opportunity for baseball fans in Montana and
kids in program across the country." The Alaska
team has had some notable names on its roster in
years past. Some former players include Tom
Seaver, Dave Winfield, Tony Francona and Don
Wakamatsu.
Some players on this year's Goldpanners also
play for Stanford.
"They're loaded with D-I kids," Shipman said.
"It'll be a great opportunity." The club is
known for its talent and for the Midnight Sun
Game, which takes place in Alaska during summer
solstice.
On the trip through the states, the club is also
making a documentary. |
Local / State Snapshots
By
The Montana Standard Staff - 07/18/2009
Goldpanners tilt Montana team BELGRADE — The
Alaska Goldpanners ended up with the upper hand
against a team of Montana all-stars late Friday
night.
The Goldpanners escaped Montana with a 10-2 win,
after managing only six hits. Most of the
players in the game play college baseball.
Butte pitchers Cody Kennedy and Austin Bosch
threw early in the game for the Montana squad.
Conor Hartz of Dillon came on in the fifth
inning and Derek Allen of Whitehall followed him
in the eighth.
Alaska won with a two-hit game by Eric Lane.
Gabe Weidenaar of Bozeman finished with two hits
for the Montana team.
The Goldpanners improved its all-time record to
1,807-928. The team is filming a documentary and
plans to play in each of the 50 states this
summer to commemorate the team's 50th
anniversary.
Alaska 001 231 003 — 10 6 1 Montana 000 020 000
— 2 7 2 Stephen Foster, Timothy Culligan (5),
Derek Speigner (6), Carey Schwartz (8), and
Austin Wooldridge, Joe Pratt (6). Cody Kennedy
(Butte), Austin Bosch (Butte) (3), Conor Hartz
(Dillon) (5), Derek Allen (Three
Forks/Whitehall) (8), Gabe Weidenaar (Bozeman)
(9), and Garrett Schultz (Belgrade).
ALASKA (18-6) - Tristan Metcalf 0-1, Cam
Christian 0-0, Josh Ashenbrenner 1-5, Travis
Anderson 0-3, David Deutchman 1-4, Eric Lane 2-4
(2B), Mykal Stokes 1-4, Josh Kalalau 0-2,
Wooldridge 1-2, Pratt 0-2, Taylor Hunter 0-5,
Foster 0-0, Culligan 0-0, Speigner 0-0, Schwartz
0-0.
MONTANA - Taylor King (Missoula) 1-3, Chance
Plutt (Dillon) 1-5 (2B), Weidenaar 2-4 (3B),
Zach Semenza (Great Falls) 1-1, Brenden Brown
(Missoula) 0-3, Matt Comer (Bozeman) 1-4,
Schultz 0-2, Zach Griffith (Great Falls) 1-3,
Hartz 0-1, Allen 0-1, Matt Perez (Hamilton) 0-4.
|
A night to
remember
By WILL C.
HOLDEN Chronicle Sports Writer
SEAN SPERRY/CHRONICLE Midnight
Sun Goldpanners shortstop Taylor
Hunter dives for a put-out
against Friday night at Medina
Field in Belgrade.
BELGRADE - Start
the calls for Johnny Graham's
job now.
Heading into the third inning
Friday night against the
renowned Alaska Goldpanners, he
pulled Butte native Cody Kennedy
even though he was on pace to
pick up a no-hitter along with
22 strikeouts.
"I was on pace to sit down that
many?" Kennedy asked with a
laugh. "I guess I am a little
mad now."
Graham then sat down first
baseman Zach Semenza of Great
Falls - the only Division I
college starter on his squad
(UNC-Charlotte) and also the
lone player to notch a hit
against Goldpanner starter
Steven Foster through the first
three innings.
"I'm not sure if that hit really
impressed anybody," Semenza said
of his looper to right field. "I
even pulled my hamstring for
like the third time in this
summer running it out. It was
time to come out."
Those on hand at Edward
S. Medina field were as
lighthearted as Kennedy and
Semenza, even though the “home”
team, a collection of Montana
college players and Legion
alumni - lost 10-2.
And it wasn't necessary because
the fans wanted to get their fix
of the Goldpanners during their
one-night stop on their
barnstorming tour towards
Wichita, Kan., and the National
Baseball Congress World Series.
"It's not every day you get to
see a Montana All-Star team,"
said Belgrade Bandit pitcher
Ryan Rothing, who gladly
volunteered on his birthday to
serve as an emergency pitcher
for Graham, his Legion head
coach. "Sitting in the dugout
with these guys, they're
hilarious. They crack me up"
The jovial crowd voiced its
approval along with Rothing at a
steal from Taylor King of
Missoula.
Cheers of "Go Conor!"
accompanied Dillon's Conor Hartz
on his mosey to the mound in the
fifth. But no roar was quite
like the one that came after a
two-run triple from Bozeman's
Gabe Weidenaar, playing his
first game in Montana since
heading to the College of
Southern Nevada in 2007.
All three were members of the
first Montana team ever
assembled to take on the
Goldpanners Friday night. And
even though players came from as
far as Oregon and North
Carolina, there were a few
unfamiliar faces.
"I played with most of these
guys in Big Sky Baseball," said
Three Forks native and former
Gallatin Valley Outlaw Derek
Allen, who now plays for
Treasure Valley Community
College. "It was great to see
all these guys again."
Allen and former Bozeman Buck
Matt Comer, who was also at
Treasure Valley last season,
even recognized some of the mugs
of their opponents. Goldpanner
third baseman Josh Kalalau and
relief pitcher Jason VanSkike
were also on the Treasure Valley
roster this past season.
"It was just like an old
inter-squad practices," said
Kalalau, who went 0-for-2 with a
pair of walks and a run scored
Friday. "We got a chance to come
out, mess around and play some
baseball. At Treasure Valley we
hung out together a lot. It's
great to play this game with
people you love."
But once the Goldpanners took
the field, they were all
business. And once Kennedy was
pulled, the team proved it knew
how to manufacture runs.
The Goldpanners scored seven
runs in the third through sixth
innings, never managing more
than a hit an inning, and
scoring a run in both the fourth
and sixth innings without
putting up any hits.
What else would you expect from
the legendary Goldpanner field
manager Jim Dietz, who was named
coach of the decade in the 1970s
by the National Baseball
Congress and went on to tutor
hitters like Tony Gywnn and Mark
Grace at San Diego State.
"It was so fun to watch him
coach," Graham said of Dietz, an
unconventional skipper who often
stands on the dirt near the
third base line when his team
hits and had his shortstop
Taylor Hunter lay down five
bunts Friday. "And it was great
for those youngsters in the
crowd to be able to see that and
say, 'You know what, it's not
all about hitting bombs. It's
about understanding yourself as
a hitter and understanding the
situation you're in.'
"Those are all things we try to
teach."
And as the night drew to a
close, even with his Montana
All-Stars behind by eight, Comer
couldn't keep himself from
cracking a smile in left field
in the top of the ninth.
After all, he didn't get much of
a chance to razz his former Buck
teammate Weidenaar when the two
played together.
Weidenaar threw three wild
pitches in the ninth, and hit
the Goldpanners' Mykal Stokes
square in the noggin on his
first offering of the inning.
"That was pretty sweet," Comer
said. "He hasn't thrown a ‘pen’
all summer, though, so what do
you expect.
"At least he hit well."
Will Holden can be reached at
wholden@dailychronicle.com
and 582-2690.
|
BELGRADE NEWS
By Mike Brandt •
Staff Writer
BELGRADE'S JOHNNY
GRAHAM STEPS DOWN:
The search is on for
a new Belgrade
Bandits manager
after Johnny Graham
resigned earlier
this week. Graham
reluctantly turned
in his resignation
after taking the
athletic director
position at Chief
Joseph Middle School
in Bozeman.
Graham, who also
teaches seventh
grade social studies
and physical
education at the
school, had stepped
into the manager
position when former
coach Brian Ayers
stepped down after
the 2007 campaign to
take an assistant
principle job at
Chief Joseph Middle
School.
“It was a tough one
(decision). When the
school called me I
told them that I
wanted to take a
couple days to think
about it,” said
Graham. “I thought
it would be tough to
tell the guys after
our last game (on
July19). It was
tougher than I
expected.”
Departing the team
after just two
seasons was not part
of Graham’s plans
when he took over
the squad. The
Kalispell native
wanted a much longer
stay, but his new
job won’t allow for
the time commitment
needed to coach the
Bandits.
“It’s a bittersweet
thing. (But) it’s a
sensible move for
me. It will give me
the resume and help
my career,” said
Graham, who is also
working on his
master’s degree. “I
hate to step down
from this program.
It’s my passion and
I love doing this.
But in the end I
think it is the
right move. It’s not
going to keep me out
of baseball. I want
to get back into it
as soon as I can.
But for the school,
I had to assure them
that I would not be
the manager of the
Bandits — that I
would be able to
give my time to my
new job. Once I get
it all figured out
then I can get back
into coaching
again.”
Graham hopes the
Board of Directors
for the Bandits will
receive plenty of
applications and
find the right coach
for the job.
“I hope they can
find someone that
will be able to
dedicate their time
year round,” he
said. “You have to
be able to do that.
Work with the kids
during the
off-season, then
start working with
them in April when
the outdoor practice
begins.”
Graham’s first year
as the Bandits new
skipper wasn’t easy.
Belgrade’s only
conference wins came
against lowly Miles
City, which they
beat in three of the
four meetings. The
Bandits finished the
season with a 12-41
record.
Graham’s second year
at the helm saw the
Bandits winning
eight of 24
conference games and
finishing with a
23-34 record. In
comparison, during
Belgrade’s first
year as a AA club
(in 2007) the team
finished with an
0-20 conference
record and 11-46
overall.
In 2009, Belgrade
defeated Bozeman for
the first time since
moving up to Class
AA and for the first
time in six years.
Graham’s club also
played the Billings
Royals tough, went
1-3 against Helena,
split with Butte and
took four games from
Miles City. The only
team in the Eastern
division to
manhandle the
Bandits was the
defending State AA
champion, the
Billings Scarlets.
Graham had set some
goals when he took
over and he felt
that he had
accomplished at
least some of them.
“I feel like I got a
start on what I
wanted to
accomplish. I was
taking over a task
that Brian started,
and he did an
excellent job of
it,” said Graham. “I
just tried to keep
the ball rolling.
But we both knew
that it was going to
be a timely process.
I think we are still
in the middle zone.
But I feel that the
team accomplished
some goals. We went
from 0-20 to 6-18 in
conference (in two
years) and had a
chance to make the
state tournament
with a few more
wins.
“I do feel like we
were starting to
play the game like
it is supposed to be
played. I also feel
that the kids
accomplished things
like base running.
The kids got smarter
on the base pads. We
are moving in the
right direction. But
did I accomplish all
I wanted too, no, I
planned on being
here longer.”
Graham pointed out
some of the
highlights as
manager of the
Bandits.
“One of them was
when Helena game
into town (this
season) and they
were hot. They came
in here and we split
with them. That
night the guys
surprised
themselves,” he
said. “That night
they knew that they
belonged in AA. And
the win against
Bozeman was big one.
“The one I will
never forget is
going to Lewiston
and beating them.
The biggest
highlight of my
career was bringing
the Alaska
Goldpanners in and
being able to coach
the college kids
from Montana.”
Graham took his club
to two tournaments
in Idaho — Lewiston
and Coeur d’Alene.
The Bandits faced
stiff competition at
both events, but
more importantly
they gained
experience.
Graham would like to
see the new manager
keep the Idaho
tournaments on the
Bandits’ schedule.
“I’m hoping he does.
It’s good
tournaments over
there,” he said. “I
was trying to find
one of our seniors a
place to play in
college. I was
chatting with the
Yakima manager while
in the Lewiston
tournament and said
that I was throwing
one of my guys in
this game and
another in a later
game.”
Yakima manager Ken
Wilson liked what he
saw in Belgrade’s
C.J. Layman,
inviting him to join
his club.
“If we didn’t go
then C.J. would not
have found a place
to play,” said
Graham. “I think you
need to travel and
Idaho is a good
baseball state. It’s
hard to get into
college ball when
you’re from Montana.
I hope whoever takes
over will keep this
on their schedule.”
Editor’s note:
Bandits President
Russ Nelson declined
to comment at this
time other than to
state that the
program will soon
begin advertising
for the vacant job.
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