Murakami made successful pitch for Tatsuno
| • | Coaches, seniors will say aloha Saturday |
| • | Furutani grateful to Coach Les |
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
The greatest pitcher in University of Hawai'i baseball history nearly ended up a Wildcat or Duck, nearly making history in a desert or rain forest.
Advertiser library photo
But Rainbow coach Les Murakami convinced a lanky 'Aiea High left-hander, the most dominating high school pitcher in the state in 1976, to stay home. The rest is history, mostly written by Derek Tatsuno.
Derek Tatsuno was college baseball's first 20-game winner.
"Initially, my interest wasn't to play for UH," Tatsuno said. "But (Murakami) convinced me to play at home. He wanted to upgrade his schedule. That convinced me to stay here. It was fortunate that I did."
Murakami gave a full scholarship to Tatsuno, while the Arizona Wildcats and Oregon Ducks offered partial rides.
"I'm thankful that he gave me an opportunity, not just for myself, but for the other local players who had the opportunity to play at the Division I level," Tatsuno said.
In the 1977 UH media guide, teammates called Tatsuno "Franchise." He backed that up, amassing an 11-2 record and 2.87 ERA. One of his victories was a three-hit shutout against Arizona State, which went on to win the College World Series.
Tatsuno went 9-3 his sophomore year, completing 12 of 13 starts and lowering his ERA to 1.45.
He then earned national acclaim as a junior by becoming college baseball's first 20-game winner, setting a number of other records along the way.
For his astonishing achievements, Tatsuno was named to Baseball America's All-Time All-Star Team in 1994. He also was named one of three NCAA Division I Players of the Century by Collegiate Baseball magazine in 1998.
Tatsuno remembers Murakami the way most other players do. Candid.
"Coach Les, he'll tell it like it is pretty much. I was fortunate to survive through my ears at the university," joked Tatsuno.
After his junior season in 1979, Tatsuno was a second-round selection of the San Diego Padres. But he turned down a reported $100,000 to play for Prince Hotel in Japan's non-professional league. At the time, the Japanese offer was worth more and offered more security, Tatsuno said.
By turning pro Tatsuno missed out on UH's only appearance in the College World Series when the Rainbows lost in the championship game to Arizona in 1980. He has no regrets.
"I was happy for Coach Les," Tatsuno said. "At least he had the opportunity. The main goal (in sports) is to win the championship. For some, it's just to get to the Big Dance. At least he can say he was in the driver's seat (at the World Series). It just wasn't meant to be."
On Monday, a number of former UH players turned out for KCCN's "Call The Coach" program at Murphy's Bar and Grill. The Rainbows are hoping they return Saturday night, when Murakami will be honored at the UH game against UH-Hilo.
"I'll make an all-out effort to be there," said Tatsuno. "He's been the man as far as the history of UH baseball. . . . I'll be there."
