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Experience the magic of boogie boards, turtle encounters, and the enduring spirit of ‘Aloha’ in the Hawaiian Winter League.
Teams like the Honolulu Sharks, Waikiki BeachBoys, and Maui Stingrays hit the fields in places called Rainbow Stadium, creating memories for young prospects like Todd Helton, Daniel Murphy, and Ichiro Suzuki.
Former Hawaiian Winter Baseball League owner Duane Kurisu reminisces about the fond memories, “We carried a vision that went beyond baseball. … We felt that our role could be to develop the tools of Aloha, which included characteristics like trust, confidence, character, and community.”
From 1993-97 and then again from 2006-08, there was the short-lived Hawaiian Winter League. Players from the U.S., Japan, and Korea descended on tiny whaling towns like Lahaina and the tropical rainforests of Kauai. They stayed in beachside hotels, played before warm, welcoming crowds, and, um, indulged in a lot of pineapples?
“Pineapples,” former big leaguer and BeachBoy Daniel Murphy told MLB.com. “They offer them everywhere, even in McDonald’s.”
The league was founded by Kurisu, who fell in love with baseball playing pickup games on sugar plantations along the north shore of Hakalau. It was “like in the movie ‘Sandlot,’” he says.
The Hawaiian Winter League brought together a mix of cultures and people, showcasing Hawaii as a home for pro baseball. “MLB and Asian baseball has great synergistic opportunities that can help bridge political and economic boundaries,” Kurisu says. “With HWB, it was not MLB vs. Japan vs. Korea. The players from different countries were mixed and they played together for their adopted cities in Hawaii.”
From ’93-’97, the league featured cities like Hilo (Stars), Honolulu (Sharks), Kauai (Emeralds), Maui (Stingrays), and West Oahu (Canefires). After funding issues caused the league to shutter following the ’97 season, Kurisu brought it back from ’06-’08 with the Canefires, Sharks, Waikiki BeachBoys, and North Shore Honu.
Rosters ended up featuring scores of future Major League talent: Jason Giambi, Buster Posey, Derek Lee, Lorenzo Cain, Ian Desmond, Aaron Boone, So Taguchi, Dexter Fowler, and Matt Wieters were just some of the 157 Hawaiian baseballers who eventually made it to the big leagues.