Hawaii Winter Baseball Announces Its Return For the 2006 Season
Published on June 29, 2006 under Hawaii Winter Baseball 2 (HWB 2) News Release
HONOLULU-Hawaii Winter Baseball officials announced Hawaii's professional baseball winter league will return for the 2006 season--after an eight year absence.
HWB Chairman and CEO Duane Kurisu opened the June 28th press conference on a respectful note by dedicating the event at the Willows Restaurant to one of the local sportswriters' own-Ferd Borch-who died Sunday.
Kurisu then began by telling a story from the initial 1993 HWB season. "I remember seeing an undersized Japanese kid consistently hitting bombs over the warehouse beyond the right field fence. This was the first time America saw Ichiro (Suzuki), and it was the winter before he won his first batting championship in Japan." Suzuki went on to become Major League Baseball's American League Rookie of the Year and also won the American League MVP honors that same year, 2001. Now, some 136 HWB players have gone on to "the Bigs" giving many players in the Major League a strong connection with Hawaii.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Linda Lingle, State Director of Finance Georgina Kawamura told of the league's home-stay program. "Back in the early days of the league we kept Mark Kotsay in our home." Even after he made it to the majors, Kawamura said, he sent us an invitation to his wedding, and invitations to his kids' birthdays. "We've remained close all these years."
Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann, who has been involved in securing use of Hans L'Orange Field in Waipahu for the league, pledged his continued strong support for the league.
League president Hervy Kurisu announced that HWB's executive committee was led by Roy Krasik, the senior director of operations from the office of the commissioner of Major League Baseball, and other members of the committee include Dayton Moore, general manager of the Kansas City Royals, William Geivett, vice president and assistant general manager of the Colorado Rockies, Ben Cherington, vice president of player personnel for the Boston Red Sox, and Bobby Evans, director of player personnel for the San Francisco Giants.
Joining Krasik and Geivett on HWB's Advisory Board are: Acey Kohrogi, director of Asian operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers and executive advisor to the president of the Orix Buffalos of the Nippon Professional Baseball League, Steve Munatones, president HWB Japan, Paul Yonamine of the Hitachi Corporation, and Derek Kurisu, vice president of KTA Superstores.
The four teams in the league include two from the past and two that are new, said Clyde Nekoba, HWB vice president and director of operations. Joining the Honolulu Sharks and West Oahu CaneFires will be the new North Shore Honu and the Waikiki Beach Boys. The level of professional play is at the Single A and Double AA level for U.S. players. The professional baseball leagues in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China will provide players chosen by their respective baseball organizations.
The teams will play a 40-game schedule, said Nekoba, starting October 1 at Hans L'Orange Field and October 2 at Les Murakami Stadium. A championship game will be played November 21.
"HWB is about catching the dream that is baseball and the convergence of cultures," said Rob Farrow, general manager of HWB West. "Throughout the season we will be hosting a series of promotions that highlight our different cultures and represent all things that are Hawaii."
Nekoba announced that Wayne Miyao will serve as general manager of HWB East.
The presenting sponsor for the league will be IamHawaii.com. Kyle Tanouye, representing the sponsor, announced that the comprehensive website featuring all that's special about Hawaii will launch October 1.
Andy Scott, who coordinates game telecasts for the league, announced that K5--The Home Team will broadcast one HWB game per week each Wednesday, starting October 11. The game will be delay-broadcast at 10:30 p.m.
A new feature of the league this year will be HWB games telecast in the U.S. via both terrestrial and cable television networks on the East Coast, and in Hawaii, reaching an estimated 35 million television homes. HWB game telecasts are also scheduled to appear in selected television networks in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China, reaching an additional estimated 40 million television homes throughout North Asia.
The league also announced the launch, June 28, of a comprehensive website which can be found online at www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the league office at (808) 973-7247.
Hawaii Winter Baseball 2 Stories from June 29, 2006
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