For the past 22 years, Anchorage Bucs general manager Dennis Mattingly has dedicated much of his life to shaping college players into Alaska Baseball League contenders.
Recruiting is a relentless process, but Mattingly wouldn't have it any other way. The 54-year-old founder and driving force behind the Bucs is a no-nonsense, hard-working man who fancies men of the same mold.
Bringing college kids to Alaska for two months is a gamble, and last summer Mattingly nearly crapped out. The Bucs struggled to find consistency on the field and harmony in the clubhouse. A record eight players left the team before the end of July, a few due to injuries but most because of poor attitudes.
"We had a lot of prima donnas last year," Mattingly said. "They spent most of the time just screwing around."
Despite all the clowning around, the Bucs still challenged for the ABL pennant. They finished just two games behind the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Fairbanks Goldpanners, who tied for the league championship and ended up in the championship game of the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan.
To avoid another circus, Mattingly plans on teaching chemistry during his version of summer school. But he won't do it alone. Jim Yanko returns for his third season as manager in a move that proves Mattingly's word and Yanko's worth.
Yanko, the head coach at Delta Junior College in California, is similar to Mattingly. Both are straight shooters and success-driven men who are eager to put a winner on the field.
"He knows me and how I am about getting things done," Mattingly said. "He knows what the league means to us."
At no point did Mattingly question Yanko's coaching or motivational abilities, Mattingly said, blaming selfish players for causing friction in the clubhouse.
"It has to be a deal where the players are willing to buy into the theory of having fun and playing hard," Mattingly said. "You're not here to party and see how stupid you can be."
The Bucs extended invitations to a few players from last season's team but only relief pitcher Bryan Johnson of Reno is expected back. Outfielder Terry Trofholz signed a major-league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, and pitcher Ryan Schreppel opted to play with Team USA.
Minimal carryover paves the way for a fresh start and allows Mattingly to do what he does best -- form a band of brothers willing to go to bat for each other for the benefit of the team.
"They can be the best team on paper, but if they can't get along with each other, they're not gonna play well," he said. "Get that chemistry going, and even a mediocre team would be tough."
Expect the Bucs to be long on pitching -- literally -- with all 13 pitchers listed 6 feet or taller, including five 6-4 and above. Headlining the staff are tall right-handers Jason Windsor and Andrew Kown. Returner Johnson, a rubber-armed lefty who can start, relieve and close, pitched in 22 games at school and finished 2-0 with a 6.11 earned-run average.
The 6-2 Windsor, from Cal State Fullerton, was 9-2 in 20 games with a 1.87 ERA. Batters hit just .216 against him and struck out 64 times in 77 innings. The 6-7 Kown, from Georgia Tech, was 3-2 in 18 games with a 4.65 ERA. Last summer, Kown pitched for Delaware of the Great Lakes League, where he went 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA in six starts.
The bullpen likely will be anchored by left-hander Patrick Overholt of Santa Clara. Overholt, a second-team all-West Coast Conference pick, was 4-4 with 10 saves and a 3.00 ERA in 48 innings. He can be on (47 strikeouts in 48 innings) or wild (10 wild pitches and 10 hit batters).
The offense, led by a group of lofty .300 hitters including a pair of catchers and two studs, looks to feature some punch.
Tennessee catcher Nick Crowe is hardly slow, stealing nine bases and banging out 16 extra-base hits in 55 games; he hit .327 with 29 RBIs. Cal State Fullerton catcher Kurt Suzuki hit .355 in 40 games, drove in 27 runs and struck out just nine times in 149 plate appearances. Fullerton beat Arizona State to Sunday to advance to the College World Series.
Michigan State outfielder Travis Gulick was an RBI machine in college, driving in 43 runs in 54 games while hitting 13 home runs and a whopping .370. He also swiped nine bases in 10 attempts.
And then there's Santa Clara infielder Will Thompson. Thompson averages an extra-base hit every 5.8 at-bats. He hit .335 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 43 games. His slugging percentage was .647, and his fielding percentage was .997.
Thompson is among four players from Santa Clara, which is coached by former Bucs infielder and manager Mark O'Brien, Mattingly's close friend. O'Brien, like Yanko, understands the sort of player who can hack it in the ABL.
"He's gonna send me some good kids, the best he's got," Mattingly said of O'Brien. "He's gonna send me some legit guys who aren't gonna be a problem."
Reporter Van Williams can be reached at vwilliams@adn.com.
