Hawaii Winter Baseball
Founded	1993
Class	winter league; loose affiliation with Major League Baseball
Based in	Honolulu, Hawaii
Chief Executive Officer	Duane Kurisu
Official Website	Hawaii Winter Baseball

Hawaii Winter Baseball, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a professional baseball league located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It is loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Hawaii Winter League was started in 1993, but the history of baseball goes almost all the way back to when baseball began. Image File history File links HawaiiWinterBaseball. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: Sheltered Bay Location within the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii Coordinates: Country United States State Hawaii County City and County of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann Area    - City 105 mi² / 272. ... Nickname: Sheltered Bay Location within the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii Coordinates: Country United States State Hawaii County City and County of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann Area    - City 105 mi² / 272. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... OÊ»ahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English), the Gathering Place, is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of Hawaii. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Alexander Joy Cartwright, the founder of organized baseball, moved to Hawaii in 1849, only three years after creating the rules of the game in New York state. Alexander Joy Cartwright (April 17, 1820 – July 12, 1892) was an American engineer who has as good a claim as any as the inventor of baseball. ... Official language(s) None Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ...

The popularity of baseball caught on in Hawaii immediately.

The first baseball game in Hawaii to be saved for the record books was played on July 4, 1866 and saw the "natives" beating the "haoles" (Caucasians) 2-1.

Babe Ruth even played in two exhibition games in Hawaii in 1933. The following year, baseball greats like J. Foxx and Lou Gehrig joined the Great Bambino for more exhibition games. For the band named Babe Ruth, see Babe Ruth (band). ... Henry Louis Gehrig (June 19, 1903 — June 2, 1941) was a Major League first baseman who played his entire career for the New York Yankees. ...

By the mid-1940's, 26,000 fans would cram the bleachers to watch Major League All-Star games. Rosters of the games played here during WWII included Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, Pee Wee Reese, Schoolboy Rowe, and Vernon Olson. Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr. ... Philip Francis Rizzuto (born Fiero Francis Rizzuto on September 25, 1916) is a former Major League Baseball player and radio/television sports announcer, known both for his skills as a player and his popular but idiosyncratic style as an broadcaster. ... Harold Henry Pee Wee Reese (July 23, 1918 - August 15, 1999) was an American professional baseball player who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1940 to 1958. ... Lynwood Thomas Schoolboy Rowe (January 11, 1910 _ January 8, 1961) was an American right_handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Detroit Tigers, during the 1930s and 1940s. ...

The wooden Honolulu Stadium, nicknamed "The Termite Palace," was home to Hawaii's first traveling professional team, the Hawaii Islanders, which launched in 1961 with the beginning of regular air travel between Hawaii and the mainland United States. Later, with a move to modern Aloha Stadium and a division title-winning 1970 season in the Pacific Coast League, the Hawaii team lead all the mainland Minor League teams in attendance-- with 470,000 fans that year. The Islanders played for 27 seasons, winning three more division titles and two more PCL pennants. Honolulu Stadium, demolished in 1976, remains a landmark memorialized today as the Old Honolulu Stadium Park. ... The Hawaii Islanders was the name of a AAA minor league baseball team based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1961 through 1987. ... Aloha Stadium is a stadium located in Honolulu, Hawaii. ... The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a minor league baseball league operating in the West and Midwest of the United States. ...

In 1993, after a five-year hiatus for professional baseball in the Hawaiian islands, professional baseball returned in the form of the Hawaii Winter Baseball League. Teams composed of some of the best prospects from 16 American Major League teams, 3 Japanese pro teams, and 4 Korean pro teams took to the ballparks all over Hawaii. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The ultimate dream of playing in the Major Leagues came true for 130 HWB players who played in the Hawaii Winter Baseball League from 1993-1997. Hawaii baseball fans recognized the potential of the young pro talent in the league which included the likes of Ichiro Suzuki, Jason Giambi, Alex Ochoa, Michael Barrett, Tadahito Iguchi, A.J. Pierzynski, Todd Helton, Adam Kennedy, Mark Kotsay, Preston Wilson, and Randy Winn. Ichiro Suzuki ), often known simply as Ichiro ), born October 22, 1973 in Toyoyama, Nishikasugai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is the center fielder for the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball team. ... Jason Gilbert Giambi (born January 8, 1971), is a Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the New York Yankees. ... Alex Ochoa (born March 29, 1972 in Miami Lakes, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. ... Michael Patrick Barrett (born October 22, 1976 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a catcher for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball. ... Tadahito Iguchi (井口 資仁 Iguchi Tadahito born December 4, 1974 in Tokyo, Japan) is a second baseman who played his first major league season for the 2005 World Series champions Chicago White Sox. ... Anthony John A.J. Pierzynski [peer-ZIN-skee] (born December 30, 1976 in Bridgehampton, New York) is a Major League Baseball catcher who has played for the Chicago White Sox since 2005. ... Todd Lynn Helton (born August 20, 1973 in Knoxville, Tennessee) is a Major League Baseball first baseman who has played for the Colorado Rockies since the 1997 season. ... Adam Thomas Kennedy (born January 10, 1976 in Riverside, California) is a Major League Baseball player. ... Mark Steven Kotsay (born December 2, 1975) is an outfielder for the Oakland Athletics. ... Preston James Richard Wilson is a Major League Baseball outfielder, playing for the St. ... Dwight Randolph Randy Winn (born June 9, 1974 in Los Angeles, California) is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the San Francisco Giants. ...

When HWB opened in 1993, with 16 of the 28 Major League club systems sending players.

The total attendance for the inaugural season was 53,383, exceeding the 50,000 Pro Bowl attendance, Hawaii's only other professional sports event. Logo for the 2007 Pro Bowl in Hawaii. ...

1997 was the last playing season of the Hawaii Winter Baseball league.

The Hawaii Winter Baseball league will return in 2006 for its sixth season.^[1]

References

The American Association was a minor baseball league at the Class AAA (Triple-A) level of baseball in the United States from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997. ... Part of the History of baseball series. ... The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a womens professional baseball league which existed from 1943 to 1954. ...

External links

• The official published history of Hawaii Winter Baseball Catch the Dream: The Story of Hawaii Winter Baseball by Lance Tominaga. ISBN 0-9779143-4-8.

• Catch all games live via streaming audio on Iamhawaii.com

• Want to talk HWB? Join the Hawaii Winter Baseball web community on Iamhawaii.com. Click here to join.