Former Flame lands a cool baseball gig

Mike Buchmiller has dedicated himself to giving back to the game he's always loved.

So, when the Mat-Su Miners came calling, he jumped at the chance to manage a team of top college players in the Alaska Baseball League.

After serving as the hitting instructor for the Anchorage Bucs in 2001, Buchmiller will call all the shots for a Miners roster that features six freshmen All-Americans and a preseason third-team All-American third baseman.

"I love coaching because it allows me to be around the game," said Buchmiller, who currently lives in Las Vegas where he is a physical education instructor.

After leading the Las Vegas Desert Devils to a berth in the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan., last year, Buchmiller became a hot coaching commodity.

"We had 40 applicants and Mike's resume jumped out," Miners General Manager Pete Christopher said. "He's a good recruiter and a hard worker."

Mike Buchmiller

With 54 former Miners making it to the big leagues and ABL alumni such as Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Randy Johnson and Tom Seaver, Buchmiller said the job is one of the top 15 in the country.

"The job is highly regarded, so it feels really good," he added. "The league in Cape Cod is the only other league that rivals the talent of Alaska."

Buchmiller is no stranger to top-level talent. A 1990 graduate of Lodi High, he earned All-San Joaquin Athletic Association first-team honors twice.

He then played with Minnesota Twins closer Eddie Guardado on a San Joaquin Delta College team that set a school-record with 31 wins.

He finished his playing career by leading Division II San Francisco State with a .350 batting average in 1994 before he earned his degree in sociology from Stanislaus State.

"I've always had a mind that understands baseball," he said. "And coaching allows me to give back to the game. It's a hobby I enjoy and I would do it for free."

Christopher said Buchmiller's desire to succeed has been evident from the day he was hired.

"We've talked almost every day since September and we're looking forward to starting the season," he added.

Buchmiller, 31, realizes the importance that the Miners hold on the town of Palmer, which is located 40 miles northeast of Anchorage, and the surrounding Matanuska Susitna Valley.

"It's a big deal for all of Alaska," he said of the ABL. "The whole town comes out to the games and pressure is on to succeed."

"People drive 30 to 45 minutes from surrounding towns to come watch us play," Christopher said. "We pull in 400 to 500 people a game, which is good for the smallest market in the ABL."

The two-time NBC Champion Miners, who haven't played in the World Series since 2001, play against five other teams, with the top two earning an invitation to Wichita.

"The goal is to win the World Series every year," he said. "But I put more pressure on myself than others. I set goals up high and it'll be my job to get the kids to play up to that level."

Buchmiller's quest to return the Miners back to glory begins June 9th, with league play running through July and the World Series, which is held July 31-August 14.

For more information on the Mat-Su Miners, visit their Web site at www.matsuminers.org.