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FAIRBANKS — Shortly after arriving in Fairbanks and opening a sporting goods store, H.A. “Red” Boucher had a vision.

He wanted to bring the highest quality baseball that he could to the Golden Heart City, and he wanted to boost the Midnight Sun Baseball Game into the national spotlight.

Long before he died on Friday afternoon in Anchorage, Boucher saw both of those visions come true.

It is only fitting that on the day he died the documentary “Touching The Game: Alaska,” made its world premiere at the Pioneer Park theater, less than a half-mile from the hallowed grounds of Growden Memorial Park.

The film chronicles the Midnight Sun Game, the Goldpanners and the Alaska Baseball League, all of which would not have happened had Boucher not been such a visionary.

“A remarkable guy, a remarkable life, and remarkable memories,” said Alaska Goldpanners general manager Don Dennis, who was recruited by Boucher and has been the team’s general manager since October of 1967.

When asked for his thoughts on Boucher, Dennis chuckled and said, “How many days and hours do you have?”

Dennis said Boucher was one of those people one never forgets.

“We had a remarkable relationship from the moment I met him in 1964,” Dennis said. “He was one of those guys that when you met him you knew you would never forget him. There are so few who genuinely stand out that way.”

Boucher began recruiting Dennis in 1964. A little more than three years later, Boucher reeled in his catch.

“He put on the full-court press like only he could,” Dennis said. “He put me in a position where I couldn’t say no.”

Since Boucher founded the Goldpanners, nearly 200 Goldpanners have gone on to play in Major League Baseball.

More than 25 of those came during Boucher’s tenure. Among them are Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, Bob Boone, Dave Kingman, Andy Messersmith, Rick Monday, Graig Nettles, Jimmy Williams and Jim Barr.

The Midnight Sun Game is now on the Baseball Hall of Fame’s list of 10 “Must See” games.

Because of his contributions to the game, Boucher is a member of the National Baseball Congress Hall of Fame. Just last year, Boucher was a member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame’s third class.

When Boucher’s vision became a reality in the summer of 1960, baseball was forever changed in the 49th State.

In that summer of 1960, the Pan Alaska Goldpanners were formed with mostly local talent and five recruits from the University of Arizona. The team, sponsored by Boucher’s sporting goods store, played in the North of the Range League.

By the summer of 1962 Boucher had a team entered in the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan., and in the summer of 1963 he did the first wholesale importing of the top collegiate baseball talent in the country.

In 10 seasons at the helm of the Goldpanners, Boucher amassed a 337-118 record and forever changed the game in Alaska.

Although the Goldpanners never won a national championship during his tenure, they never finished lower than fourth place. The Panners have since gone on to win seven NBC titles, more than any other team.

A promoter by nature, Boucher once had a live bear in the dugout with the Goldpanners during the NBC Tournament at Wichita. The bear was later donated to the Wichita zoo.

The Goldpanners were planning a tribute to Boucher prior to the 104th Midnight Sun Game on Sunday night. That tribute, hosted by Ralph Seekins, now takes on a new importance.

“It’s going to be a celebration of all things good,” Dennis said. “Even at times like this, you can see a lot of bright light. He’s one who’s not soon to be forgotten.”

Come Sunday night, when the Goldpanners are playing the Lake Erie Monarchs under the midnight sun, we should all pause for a moment and tip our caps to the man who made it happen — H. A. “Red” Boucher.