Midnight Sun Game

A photograph taken at midnight during the 2005 game, June 21, 2005.

The Midnight Sun Game is an amateur baseball game played every summer solstice at Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. Because the sun is out for almost 24 hours a day, the game starts at about 10:30 at night and completes around 1:30 the next morning. However, because Fairbanks's summer time zone differs by about 2 hours from local solar time, the game may not actually last until solar midnight, at about 1:53. Famous players who have appeared in the game include Tom Seaver, Dave Winfield, Terry Francona, Harold Reynolds, Jason Giambi, and Bill "Spaceman" Lee.

After Noel Wien's arrival in 1924, he noted, "The baseball team played on weekends, and on June 21 and July 4 they always started a game at midnight sharp, just to indicate that this was the farthest city in the country."[1]

The first game was in 1906. Artificial light has never been used. The sun does dip below the horizon for about an hour. Since 1960, the game has been hosted by the Alaska Baseball League's Fairbanks-based Alaska Goldpanners. The opposing team may be another ABL team, but frequently an NCAA or other collegiate summer team from another league is invited to play.

Game results

Through 1959, the Midnight Sun Game featured various teams from the Fairbanks area. In 1960, the game became exclusively hosted by the Alaska Goldpanners.[2]

The Goldpanners have a record of 45 wins, 12 losses in the Midnight Sun Games they have hosted. Although the Midnight Sun Game has been played since 1906, only games hosted by the Goldpanners are listed.[2]

DateWinning teamLosing teamNotes
 June 21, 1960  Pan-Alaska Goldpanners  11  Fairbanks Pioneers0
June 21, 1961 Pan-Alaska Goldpanners 10 North of the Range Military All-Stars4
June 22, 1962 Pan-Alaska Goldpanners 8 North of the Range Military All-Stars3
June 21, 1963 Wichita Rapid Transit Dreamliners 3 Alaska Goldpanners1
June 21, 1964 Grand Junction Eagles 10 Alaska Goldpanners5
June 21, 1965 Alaska Goldpanners 4 USC Trojans3
June 21, 1966 Alaska Goldpanners 8 Oregon State Beavers3
June 21, 1967 Kumagai Gumi 10 Alaska Goldpanners3
June 22, 1968 Alaska Goldpanners 7 Santa Clara Broncos0
June 21, 1969 Boulder Baseline Collegians 5 Alaska Goldpanners2
June 20, 1970 Arizona Wildcats 4 Alaska Goldpanners3
June 21, 1971 Alaska Goldpanners 12 Stanford Indians3
June 21, 1972 Ponchatoula Athletics 5 Alaska Goldpanners4
June 21, 1973 BYU Cougars 8 Alaska Goldpanners5
June 21, 1974 Alaska Goldpanners 7 Washington State Cougars6
June 21, 1975 Alaska Goldpanners 4 Vanderbilt Commodores3
June 20, 1976 Alaska Goldpanners 6 Westwood Bruins4
June 21, 1977 Alaska Goldpanners 12 Red Deer M&K Generals11
June 21, 1978 Wichita El Dorado Coors 10 Alaska Goldpanners1
June 21, 1979 Alaska Goldpanners 8 North Carolina Tar Heels2
June 20, 1980 Alaska Goldpanners 16 Wisconsin Badgers5
June 20, 1981 Alaska Goldpanners 11 Intermountain Badgers4
June 20, 1982 Alaska Goldpanners 9 San Francisco Senators3
June 19, 1983 Alaska Goldpanners 7 Anchorage Bucs2
June 21, 1984 Alaska Goldpanners 9 Chinese Taipei0 Forfeit.
June 22, 1985 Moraga Marauders 12 Alaska Goldpanners11 11 innings.
June 20, 1986 Alaska Goldpanners 8 San Francisco Senators1
June 20, 1987 Mat-Su Miners 2 Alaska Goldpanners1
June 21, 1988 Alaska Goldpanners 6 Hawaii Island Movers5
June 20, 1989 Alaska Goldpanners 7 San Diego SeaWorld Killer Whales3
June 21, 1990 Alaska Goldpanners 12 San Bernardino Tribe3
June 22, 1991 Alaska Goldpanners 9 South Lake Tahoe Stars8
June 21, 1992 Victor Valley Mets 2 Alaska Goldpanners1
June 21, 1993 Alaska Goldpanners 10 South Lake Tahoe Stars4
June 21, 1994 Alaska Goldpanners 15 San Diego Stars6
June 21, 1995 Alaska Goldpanners 10 San Francisco Seals4
June 21, 1996 Alaska Goldpanners 5 Anchorage Bucs3
June 20, 1997 Alaska Goldpanners 12 Kelowna Grizzlies0
June 20, 1998 Alaska Goldpanners 14 Kelowna Grizzlies7
June 21, 1999 Alaska Goldpanners 7 Oceanside Waves1
June 21, 2000 Alaska Goldpanners 3 Santa Barbara Foresters2
June 21, 2001 Alaska Goldpanners 2 Oceanside Waves1
June 21, 2002 Alaska Goldpanners 2 California Dons1
June 21, 2003 Alaska Goldpanners 3 California Dons1
June 21, 2004 Alaska Goldpanners 9 Peninsula Oilers1
June 21, 2005 Alaska Goldpanners 3 Omaha Strike Zone1
June 21, 2006 Alaska Goldpanners 2 Beatrice Bruins1
June 21, 2007 Oceanside Waves 5 Alaska Goldpanners1
June 21, 2008 Alaska Goldpanners 10 Southern California Running Birds6
June 21, 2009 Alaska Goldpanners 6 Lake Erie Monarchs3
June 21, 2010 Alaska Goldpanners 4 Heroes of the Diamond3 15 innings.
June 21, 2011 Alaska Goldpanners 2 Oceanside Waves1
June 21, 2012 Alaska Goldpanners 7 Everett Merchants5
June 21, 2013 Alaska Goldpanners 4 San Francisco Seals1
June 21, 2014 Alaska Goldpanners 13 Lake Erie Monarchs6
June 21, 2015 Alaska Goldpanners 7 Seattle Studs4
June 21, 2016 Alaska Goldpanners 9 Kenai Peninsula Oilers2
June 21, 2017 San Diego Waves 4 Alaska Goldpanners2
June 21, 2018 Alaska Goldpanners 6 Orange County Surf4

References

  1. ↑ Harkey, Ira (1991). Pioneer Bush Pilot. Bantam Books. p. 103. ISBN 0553289195.
  2. 1 2 "All Time Midnight Sun Baseball Game Results". Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks. Retrieved September 9, 2011.

Coordinates: 64°50′27″N 147°45′32″W / 64.84083°N 147.75889°W / 64.84083; -147.75889

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.