Gammons: Bring back winter league
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
On this night, the tables were turned on one of baseball's most respected journalist. Instead of asking the baseball players questions, they peppered ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons with questions of their own. And Gammons loved it.
"It's great fun for me," said Gammons, the guest speaker at the University of Hawai'i baseball program's fund-raiser Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. "I enjoy it a lot. I hope I meet some of these guys again in the big leagues."
Of course, the players speaking to him after the event hope that day will come, too.
Gammons said he met UH coach Mike Trapasso when he spoke at a Georgia Tech baseball banquet. Trapasso was the chief recruiter for the Yellow Jackets before becoming the Rainbows coach in 2002.
"Mike is one of the most respected guys in the game," said Gammons, who added he saw Trapasso pitch for Oklahoma State in the College World Series. "When he was at Georgia Tech, we would always say he was the best recruiter in America. I figured there has to be something here when he came and took this job."
Gammons said he would like to see Major League Baseball invest in player development, including at the collegiate level. He said he would like to see the Hawai'i Winter League return.
"I hope they come back," he said of the HWL. "I know a lot of people who played here loved it. I think the finances are the question. I think Major League Baseball doesn't think about development too much.
"To me, they should always develop college baseball. Invest in the wooden bats, invest in college baseball. Develop players that way and then they would spend less on their own development. But Major League Baseball is devoured in Medieval times."
Gammons also is impressed with Hawai'i's Jerome Williams, the third starter in the San Francisco Giants' rotation.
"After (Jason) Schmidt, he was (the Giants') money guy," Gammons said. "I know (Giants manager) Felipe Alou trusted him more than anybody but Jason Schmidt. He's a special guy. It's not like he's overpowering, but he can really pitch and he's got great heart."
As for Pete Rose, Gammons said he believes the all-time hits leader will not be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"The Hall of Fame has to be something special and he showed no respect for the game or the Hall of Fame," Gammons said of Rose's admission that he bet on baseball games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. "And he had his chance. (Commissioner) Bud Selig gave him a chance ... But then he had to go do it through a book and he had to try to sell it to make some more money and he wasn't forthcoming, so he eliminated any chance of being in the Hall of Fame."
Gammons said he will vacation on Maui before preparing for spring training. Of course, that doesn't mean baseball's most informed journalist will miss a beat on some hot scoop.
"I'll be on it," he said. "My cell phone works in Hawai'i."
Extra bases: Hawai'i Winter Baseball's Duane Kurisu said he is looking into possibly reviving the winter league here in 2005. The league, which had players from the U.S. minor leagues and players from the Asian leagues, produced a number of big leaguers, such as Ichiro Suzuki and Todd Helton ... Among those attending Friday's Grand Slam Celebration fund-raiser were retired UH coach Les Murakami and former major leaguers Sid Fernandez and Lenn Sakata. Sakata said he will be managing the Giants' High-Single-A club in San Jose.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
