Wai'anae's Kuhaulua signs with Twins
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In Local News: Dad's coaching a labor of love
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Kaulana Kuhaulua will follow his father's footsteps into pro baseball.
The 1998 Wai'anae High graduate signed with the Minnesota Twins, who drafted him in the 12th round in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft on June 5. He will forgo his senior season at Long Beach State, where he started in all 58 games at second base this season.
Kaulana Kuhaulua will forgo his senior year at Long Beach State, to play for the Minnesota Twins.
Fred Kuhaulua, who also played at Wai'anae, pitched for the California Angels in 1977 and the San Diego Padres in 1981.
"I'm pretty proud of him," Fred Kuhaulua said of his son.
Kaulana Kuhaulua played two seasons as a shortstop at Los Angeles City Junior College.
He was drafted in the 39th round by the Detroit Tigers in 1999 and in the 17th round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2000. But he elected to transfer to Long Beach State, where he was moved to second base because the 49ers already had an All-America shortstop in Bobby Crosby, who was a first-round pick.
Kuhaulua, 6 feet and 170 pounds, started off the season hot, but cooled to .232 with six doubles, two triples and a home run. He scored 41 runs and was 11-of-14 in steal attempts.
His father noted that Long Beach State coaches changed Kaulana's batting style, which might have affected his hitting.
Kuhaulua is the sixth player with ties to Hawai'i to sign out of the 15 who were drafted.
