Former Hawai'i Islanders players have fond memories of time here

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Ron Wotus and Sonny Jackson are in the big leagues now, assistant coaches with the San Francisco Giants. Their "office" is baseball's crown jewel, Pacific Bell Park.

Ron Wotus recalls relaxing at the beach on "Makapu'u Mondays." Advertiser library photo

"The one thing that stood out for me was, as a player being sent down to Triple-A after spring training, going to Hawai'i was a little easier to take," said Wotus, a catcher with the Islanders in 1983, 1984 and 1986. "It was either go to Pittsburgh with the major league club, or go to Hawai'i. And if you're going to be in the minor leagues, there wasn't a better place to be. This is a beautiful, great place to live."

Jackson, who played 12 seasons in the major leagues with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, remembers specific details about his first visit to Honolulu Stadium with Oklahoma City in 1965, and his one year as an Islander in 1975.

"Every night, the mist would come in right before the game," Jackson recalled. "I remember the infield dirt was crushed lava, so it would scrape up your arm when you dove into it."

Older Islander fans may remember Jackson, an outfielder, as the man who hit the final home run at the ballpark affectionately known as "Termite Palace." It came in a playoff game against the Salt Lake City Gulls, giving Hawai'i a 2-1 victory. The blast, which sailed over the right-field fence, helped the Islanders win the Pacific Coast League championship.

"It was the only home run I hit all year," Jackson said. "I didn't know they were going to tear the stadium down, so I didn't think of (the home run) as historic."

Wotus, who was 21 when he first joined the Islanders, also remembers many things that happened away from the field.

"We had every Monday off, so a bunch of us would always head out to Makapu'u and hang out at the beach," Wotus said. "It became known as 'Makapu'u Mondays.'"

Sonny Jackson recalls hitting the last homer at Honolulu Stadium. Advertiser library photo

"It was in 1984, and she had moved here from California," Wotus said. "She was working only a block away from where I was living. My last year here was 1986, and we got married in '87."

Wotus, who played parts of two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, now serves as bench coach on manager Dusty Baker's staff. Jackson, 57, is the Giants' third base coach.

Both Wotus and Jackson went several years without visiting Hawai'i before coming here with Baker for the Winter Baseball camps. They were struck by the changes in Honolulu, one of which is the absence of pro baseball.

"I think there should be some kind of ball club here," Jackson said. "There's no other (pro) teams here, so I think it would be a good draw. But nowadays it's all about money, and (owners) will go where they can make the most. Fans will get left behind, and that's the sad part, because it's those fans who really support us."

Wotus agreed that a pro team would fit well in Hawai'i, but money could get in the way.

"I'd like to think it could work, because the weather and conditions are perfect for baseball," Wotus said. "But financially, it's probably too expensive for teams to travel here. That's the biggest obstacle."

While pro baseball's return may be far off, Wotus and Jackson said the major league presence at last weekend's camp is a good starting point. In addition to the Giants staff, Arizona Diamondbacks pitching coach Bob Welch and Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Gary Matthews also helped with instruction.

"At least this puts (pro baseball) out in front here," Jackson said.

Wotus said the enthusiasm shown at the camp shouldn't go unnoticed.

"There really should be a (pro) team here, because you have a great culture of baseball people," Wotus said. "That's what impresses me. There are some die-hard baseball people here, a good base, and quality players. The community is doing a great job with the sport.

"This is the perfect place to have pro baseball; it'd be great to see it come back."