The Midnight Sun Game is a 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. Famous players who have appeared in the game include Tom Seaver, Dave Winfield, Terry Francona, Harold Reynolds, and Jason Giambi.
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.
Starting the game in 2008 was Bill "Spaceman" Lee. He last pitched in the game in 1967, and avenged a loss to the Japanese national champions that year by beating the Southern California Running Birds, 10-6.
Through 1959, the Midnight Sun Game featured various teams from the Fairbanks area. In 1960, the game became exclusively hosted by the Alaska Goldpanners.[1]
The Goldpanners have a record of 41 wins, 11 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.[1]
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 21, 1960 | Pan-Alaska Goldpanners | 11 | Fairbanks Pioneers | 0 | |
| June 21, 1961 | Pan-Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | North of the Range Military All-Stars | 4 | |
| June 22, 1962 | Pan-Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | North of the Range Military All-Stars | 3 | |
| June 21, 1963 | Wichita Rapid Transit Dreamliners | 3 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | |
| June 21, 1964 | Grand Junction Eagles | 10 | Alaska Goldpanners | 5 | |
| June 21, 1965 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | USC Trojans | 3 | |
| June 21, 1966 | Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | Oregon State Beavers | 3 | |
| June 21, 1967 | Kumagai Gumi | 10 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | |
| June 22, 1968 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | Santa Clara Broncos | 0 | |
| June 21, 1969 | Boulder Baseline Collegians | 5 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | |
| June 20, 1970 | Arizona Wildcats | 4 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | |
| June 21, 1971 | Alaska Goldpanners | 12 | Stanford Indians | 3 | |
| June 21, 1972 | Ponchatoula Athletics | 5 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | |
| June 21, 1973 | BYU Cougars | 8 | Alaska Goldpanners | 5 | |
| June 21, 1974 | Alaska Goldpanners | 5 | Washington State Cougars | 6 | |
| June 21, 1975 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | Vanderbilt Commodores | 3 | |
| June 20, 1976 | Alaska Goldpanners | 6 | Westwood Bruins | 4 | |
| June 21, 1977 | Alaska Goldpanners | 12 | Red Deer M&K Generals | 11 | |
| June 21, 1978 | Wichita El Dorado Coors | 10 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | |
| June 21, 1979 | Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 2 | |
| June 20, 1980 | Alaska Goldpanners | 16 | Wisconsin Badgers | 5 | |
| June 20, 1981 | Alaska Goldpanners | 11 | Intermountain Badgers | 4 | |
| June 20, 1982 | Alaska Goldpanners | 9 | San Francisco Senators | 3 | |
| June 19, 1983 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | Anchorage Bucs | 2 | |
| June 21, 1984 | Alaska Goldpanners | 9 | Chinese Taipei | 0 | Forfeit. |
| June 22, 1985 | Moraga Marauders | 12 | Alaska Goldpanners | 11 | 11 innings. |
| June 20, 1986 | Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | San Francisco Senators | 1 | |
| June 20, 1987 | Mat-Su Miners | 2 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | |
| June 21, 1988 | Alaska Goldpanners | 6 | Hawaii Island Movers | 5 | |
| June 20, 1989 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | San Diego SeaWorld Killer Whales | 3 | |
| June 21, 1990 | Alaska Goldpanners | 12 | San Bernardino Tribe | 3 | |
| June 22, 1991 | Alaska Goldpanners | 9 | South Lake Tahoe Stars | 8 | |
| June 21, 1992 | Victor Valley Mets | 2 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | |
| June 21, 1993 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | South Lake Tahoe Stars | 4 | |
| June 21, 1994 | Alaska Goldpanners | 15 | San Diego Stars | 6 | |
| June 21, 1995 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | San Francisco Seals | 4 | |
| June 21, 1996 | Alaska Goldpanners | 5 | Anchorage Bucs | 3 | |
| June 20, 1997 | Alaska Goldpanners | 12 | Kelowna Grizzlies | 0 | |
| June 20, 1998 | Alaska Goldpanners | 14 | Kelowna Grizzlies | 7 | |
| June 21, 1999 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | Oceanside Waves | 1 | |
| June 21, 2000 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | Santa Barbara Foresters | 2 | |
| June 21, 2001 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | Oceanside Waves | 1 | |
| June 21, 2002 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | California Dons | 1 | |
| June 21, 2003 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | California Dons | 1 | |
| June 21, 2004 | Alaska Goldpanners | 9 | Peninsula Oilers | 1 | |
| June 21, 2005 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | Omaha Strike Zone | 1 | |
| June 21, 2006 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | Beatrice Bruins | 1 | |
| June 21, 2007 | Oceanside Waves | 5 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | |
| June 21, 2008 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | Southern California Running Birds | 6 | |
| June 21, 2009 | Alaska Goldpanners | 6 | Lake Erie Monarchs | 3 | |
| June 21, 2010 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | Heroes of the Diamond | 3 | 15 innings. |
| June 21, 2011 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | Oceanside Waves | 1 | |
| June 21, 2012 | Alaska Goldpanners vs. TBA | ||||