ALASKA BASEBALL ALUMNI HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023
Day Eight Inductee
ALASKA BASEBALL ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
2022 saw the first class of the AKGPA Hall of Fame inducted during the month of April. The inaugural group were drawn from players, executives, mascots, and personnel directly involved with baseball in Fairbanks, Alaska. Listed below is the first class in its entirety:
THE ’22 TWENTY: Dan Pastorini, Bill Lee, Dave Kingman, Morganna the Kissing Bandit, Tom Seaver, Dave Winfield, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Bowie Kuhn, Andy Messersmith, Alvin Davis, Bob Boone, Sean Timmons, Allan Simpson, Bruce Robinson, Rod Dedeaux, H.A. (Red) Boucher, Hap Dumont, and Don Dennis.
2023 will see the induction of a new member into our Ball Hall every day during the month of April until the class is complete on the 20th.
Join us during the month of April for our second countdown of the Alaska Baseball Alumni Hall of Fame.
’23 TWENTY HALL OF FAME, DAY EIGHT INDUCTEE:
PETE REDFERN
Peter Irvine Redfern (born August 25, 1954) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He had a seven-season career in the majors, from 1976 until 1982, all with the Minnesota Twins.
Redfern was the Twins’ first-round pick, and the first pick overall in the secondary phase of the 1976 draft. After pitching in just four games in the minor leagues with the Tacoma Twins, he made his major league debut on May 15 against the California Angels. Although he gave up four runs in five innings, he was the winning pitcher (beating Sid Monge) in a 15–5 Twins victory.
– 1974-75: Alaska Goldpanners Pitcher
– 1975: Pan-American Games Pitcher (Mexico City)
– 1976: First Overall Selection of MLB Amateur Draft (Secondary Phase)
Minnesota Twins (1976–1982)
NEWS CLIPPINGS:
– Baseball Reference Statistics Page (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/redfepe01.shtml)
– LA Times: Strikeouts used to be a specialty (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-03-29-sp-20539-story.html)
– Wikipedia: Pete Redfern (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Redfern)
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS:
Goldpanners sign USC star, righthand pitcher Redfern
June 1974, Daily News-Miner
Last year when the Alaska Goldpanners won their second straight national championship, George Milke, only a freshman, was voted the team’s top pitcher.
So naturally a few eyebrows were raised earlier this year, when Rod Dedeaux, Milke’s coach at the University of Southern California, said he had another young pitcher on his roster even better than Milke.
Instantly there was a mad scramble among representatives of various summer baseball teams across the country, who were trying to find out the name of what obviously had to be a star prospect.
The pitcher’s name, it so happened, was Pete Redfern, which was nothing new to the Goldpanners. Along with Milke, they’d already signed the hard-throwing righthander for the 1974 season, beating everyone else to him.
Redfern’s official signing was announced today by the local semi-pro club.
Thus far this spring at USC, the 6-2, 198-pound Redfern has verified everything Dedeaux said about him earlier this year, as he’s currently the top winner on the staff, running up a strong 7-1 record for the four-time defending national collegiate champions.
A sophomore with the Trojans, Redfern is a former Los Angeles City prep baseball Player of the Year, an honor he received while pitching for Sylmar High School in the Los Angeles area.
Following his outstanding high school career, the 19-year-old Redfern was selected in the 10th round of the free agent draft by the Cleveland Indians, but passed up signing in favor of attending USC.
Photo Caption: TRJOAN ACE – The Alaska Goldpanners announced the signing today of pitcher Pete Redfern, a sophomore righthander from the University of Southern California. Redfern is currently the winningest pitcher for the four-time defending national collegiate champion Trojans, and will be expected to play a key role with the Panners this summer as they go after their third straight national title.
PICS BY BRUCE ROBINSON
Championship Line Comes Full Circle Back to Fairbanks
Chad Redfern got an early jump into the Goldpanners’ organization.
By Michelle Eastty
2000
When he was 12 years old, he donned a Panners cap as the team honored his father, Pete Redfern, for his star pitching performances in the 1974 and 1975 seasons. Then, as a college freshman last year, he placed himself under the coaching of one Jim Dietz, veteran Panners coach during Pete Redfern’s tenure with the Panners and current head coach at San Diego State University.
But he’s not here just because his dad played here, or because he has an “in” through Dietz. Chad has already proven that he can hit—he batted .322 in his debut season at the San Diego State—and field—as evidenced by more than one diving catch already this summer for the Goldpanners.
“This is one of the best summer leagues there is,” Chad said. “Coach Dietz encouraged me to come up . . . it would be great to return.”
Current Panners coach Dan Cowgill has an especially laid-back style of coaching, according to Chad, who appreciates the freedom to just “play ball.”
“He lets us show off what we can do,” Chad said. “He emphasizes bringing our ‘A’ game to the field—that’s what he tells us.” While Cowgill does give instructions during the critical moments, Chad said he and his teammates get out and hustle, though they still view it as a game, making it worth the hard work.
For this young player, the Alaskan experience is one that he heard stories of, and soon will have his own stories to tell. The California native is finding Alaska to be just a slight adjustment.
“I still can’t believe it doesn’t get dark,” he said, shaking his head. “You don’t know what time it is and pretty soon it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still awake. And the mosquitoes are driving me nuts.”
But, he adds, this new adventure is highlighted by a “great host family and roommate (Goldpanners pitcher Chris Dunwell).”
Chad maintains his independence from his father’s shadow, and certainly deserves the credit for his own talent on the baseball diamond. Still, his father, Pete, may feel as if he’s looking in a mirror this summer when he flies to Anchorage to see his son in a Goldpanner uniform, taking on his former rivals.
Check back tomorrow as we unveil the latest ’23 TWENTY inductee.