A trainer for an Olympic fencer told me about the Alaska Baseball Summer League while riding in a cab in New York City. I had never photographed baseball and he described to me the differences between the famous Cape Cod League that takes place in the summer in Massachusetts, and the similarly prestigious but much more remote, Alaska Baseball League.
His description stuck with me for years, on a list of things I would like to go shoot for personal work or pitch to magazines. And while riding the Amtrak train from New Orleans to Los Angeles just after New Year’s 2023, I decided that I would pick one project this year that I would go shoot if my calendar were free in that month. I chose Alaska Baseball League as that project.
The ABL has five teams made up of some of the best college baseball players in the country. They play each other in 4 small towns in Alaska, traveling to each other throughout the season. with games nearly every day. Founded in 1974, this league has seen many players come through on their way to the professional ranks. It’s a memorable experience in their development where the rugged and picturesque scenery makes quite the backdrop for the great American pastime.
