Blog: Posts in “Uncategorized” Category

Long time college and Alaska Baseball coach Ed Cheff retired after 34 years at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho.  Cheff was one of our stories in Touching the Game, Alaska.  We had the rare opportunity to put a microphone on him during a game, and he did not disappoint!  He is definitely a one-of-a-kind individual and coach, and one of the best! More on his retirement can be found here.

When filming Touching the Game, Alaska, we spent July 4th, 2007 in  Anchorage for the annual doubleheader between the Anchorage Bucs and the Anchorage Glacier Pilots.  The fireworks alone make this a great event, but it is also terrific baseball as these two arch rivals go at it.  You can see our video for the the event here.  Other parts of the day appear in the film itself.  It was a fun way to spend the holiday.

With the Summer Solstice upon us, that can only mean one thing in Fairbanks, AK, and that’s the annual Midnight Sun Game.  Called by The Sporting News “One of the Top 10 must-see events for the true baseball fan”, the MSG has been played for over 100 years.  Starting at 10:30pm with no artificial lights needed,  the exhibition game has been hosted by the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks since the early 60’s.  They usually play a traveling team from outside the state, but the game is the unofficial kick-off to the Alaska Baseball League season.  All this is covered in-depth in our new documentary release Touching the Game, Alaska.  Many past and present MLB players have played in the Midnight Sun Game, see what some of them have to say about it here.

Whether your dad is a diehard baseball fan or just a casual follower, our Touching the Game DVDs make a great last-minute gift idea.  This Sunday 6/20 is Father’s Day and the timing could not be much better as the summer amateur leagues begin regular season play this week.  It is also the weekend of the Summer Solstice which means one thing in Fairbanks, Alaska, the annual Midnight Sun Game.  This year, the signature game of the Alaska Baseball League takes place Monday night (6/21).  Many know the story  - midnight baseball, no lights needed – but if you want to know the history and experience it yourself, our new film, Touching the Game, Alaska has it and the rest of the ABL covered in depth.  We also have everything you need to know about the Cape Cod Baseball League in our 2004 documentary Touching the Game, The Story of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

You can go here to purchase either DVD, but the best deal for you (and dad), might be our current special – you get both Touching the Game DVDs at a discounted price of $34.95.  Happy Father’s Day!

The month of June is an important one for collegiate amateur baseball. Regular season schedules come to an end, the NCAA tournament begins, the MLB draft takes place, and summer league baseball gets underway.

The Alaska Baseball League, the subject of Touching the Game, Alaska begins league play the week of 6/6. The first few weeks of June will also feature many exhibition games against league and traveling teams.  The signature game of these exhibitions is the annual Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks, AK. This year, the Goldpanners entertain Heroes of the Diamond, a military all-star team. The game as always will be on the Summer Solstice, June 21, starting at 10:30pm.  The Alaska Baseball League regular season kicks into high gear after that.  We will continue to update you on our film and provide video clips and soundbites about life in the ABL.  If you are looking for day to day info on the league, check out www.49thstatehardball.com or any of the team websites.

The Cape Cod Baseball League, the subject of Touching the Game, The Story of the Cape Cod Baseball League, begins play the week of 6/13. The number of Major League alumni of the CCBL is at an all-time high, and many of the players we featured in our film are among them.  We will keep you updated on how they are doing, as well as any time our film is showing as even after 6 years, it continues to gain interest.   The Cape League website has day to day scores and stats, and www.codball.com is a great blog to keep you updated as well.  Also, don’t forget the Cape Cod League All-Star game at Fenway Park on 7/28. Enjoy the summer!

You now can get all the latest information on our Touching the Game films on the social network sites Facebook and Twitter.  Our ever-growing Facebook fan page can be found here.  Become a fan and get updates, reviews, screening dates and more. If you are a Twitter person, you can get your Touching the Game tweets here.  We will also be updating this blog as well.  Stay in touch with us as we present our award-winning films of amateur baseball to the world.

ESPN just came out with it’s “Travel Ten” top must see baseball events of the summer.  At #1 is Opening Day of The Cape Cod Baseball League and at #4 is the Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks, AK.   The Midnight Sun Game is a big part of our latest documentary Touching the Game, Alaska. As for the Cape Cod Baseball League, we spent a whole summer there in our 2004 release Touching the Game, The Story of the Cape Cod Baseball League. If you can’t make it to either event, our DVDs will bring them right into your home.  Enjoy!

The San Antonio Express-News has a new article and update on former Anchorage Glacier Pilot Todd Sebek, one of the players we focused on in Touching the Game, Alaska.

The May issue of Alaska Airlines Magazine is out and features a story on the Alaska Baseball League and Touching the Game, Alaska:

We interviewed many Alaska Baseball League players in our time spent producing Touching the Game, Alaska. Many appear in the film talking about their experiences in the Frontier State.  But where are they playing baseball today? Most of them were selected in the MLB draft and are now playing professionally in the minors, working their way up to what could be a dream come true, playing in the Major Leagues.  Here is a list of some of the guys in the film and where they are now.

And we have not forgotten  the players we followed in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the summer of 2003. Here is a list of the players from Touching the Game, The Story of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Many are on the verge of making it to the Majors.  Special congrats to Tommy Manzella, the new starting shortstop for the Houston Astros!