Big leagues inspire big dreams
| • | Chart: Hawai'i athletes in pro baseball |
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
For Mid-Pacific Institute senior Kip Masuda, his field of dreams shows up in the daily major league box scores.
Like a number of high school and youth baseball players in the state, Masuda hopes to make it to the big leagues. Seeing the likes of Jerome Williams and Brandon League — players who once toiled on the same diamonds he does today — motivates him.
"It shows that we can make it," said Masuda, a catcher for the Owls' baseball team. "Anything can happen. It just keeps (our dreams) alive."
While you can count the number of current big leaguers who played high school baseball here on one hand, it should be noted that Hawai'i ranked 10th in the nation in major leaguers per capita last season, according to Baseball America, a national magazine devoted to coverage from the amateur to the big league ranks.
The report showed that during the 2004 season, there were five major leaguers who had attended Hawai'i high schools. All happen to be pitchers: League (Saint Louis '01) with the Toronto Blue Jays; Williams (Waipahu '99) with the San Francisco Giants; Mike Fetters (Iolani '83) with the Arizona Diamondbacks; Justin Wayne (Punahou '97) with the Florida Marlins; and Tyler Yates (Kaua'i '95) with the New York Mets.
Based on Hawai'i's population of about 1.2 million, the state had one player for every 242,400 residents. That trailed California, Nevada, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, Arizona, Kentucky, Alabama and Washington. (See accompanying graphic.) Hawai'i ranked above Texas, Illinois, New York, Georgia and Ohio. Those states ranked third through tied for sixth in the number of players in the big leagues, but their large populations lowered their per capita.
This season, only League and Williams remain on the active 25-man rosters. Fetters, 40, retired after 16 big-league seasons. Wayne, who turns 26 on April 16, was released by the Marlins on March 30; and Yates, 27, is on the disabled list with a torn rotator cuff.
"I've run out of bullets," Fetters said last week in a telephone interview from Arizona, where he resides. "I tried coming back, but my arm wasn't able to respond."
Three other players entered spring training on 40-man rosters. Catcher Dane Sardinha (Kamehameha '97) was optioned to Triple-A Louisville, the Cincinnati Reds' affiliate on March 23; Chris Truby (Damien '92) is on the disabled list with the Kansas City Royals; and Shane Victorino (St. Anthony '99), who was picked in the Rule 5 draft last winter, cleared waivers and was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
As a Rule 5 pick, Victorino was obligated to make the Phillies' 25-man roster this season. To send him to the minors, he had to clear waivers and be offered back to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who drafted him in the sixth round out of St. Anthony in 1999. The Dodgers declined and Victorino was optioned to the Triple-A club.
Victorino made his major league debut in 2003, when the San Diego Padres took him in the Rule 5 draft, but San Diego ended up offering him back to the Dodgers less than two months into the season. He had been with the Dodgers' organization since the Phillies picked him.
In addition, there are 17 players who attended Hawai'i high schools assigned to minor league teams ranging from low-A to Triple-A.
Strong talent base
Despite Hawai'i's population, which ranked 42nd in 2003, more pro scouts are covering the Islands than ever.
"Some of the better kids being drafted off the Islands are premium kids," said Dan Dixon, an area scout with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau.
One of those prime players is San Francisco's Williams, the 39th overall pick out of Waipahu in the 1999 draft. He made his major league debut in 2003. He is the fifth starter in the Giants rotation this season.
Other prime picks included Wayne, Dane Sardinha, Bronson Sardinha and League. Wayne was the fifth overall pick by the Montreal Expos in 2000 out of Stanford. Dane Sardinha was a second-round selection by the Cincinnati Reds out of Pepperdine. Bronson Sardinha was the 34th overall pick in the 2001 draft by the New York Yankees out of Kamehameha. League was taken in the second round in 2001 by Toronto out of Saint Louis School. All but Bronson Sardinha have made big league debuts.
Since 1999, 50 players who played high school ball in Hawai'i have been drafted. This does not include repeat picks, such as those drafted out of high school and again in college. The most active club has been the Royals, who have drafted 12 players since 1997, four last year alone. Royals area scout Eric Tokunaga credits Hawai'i's youth programs and high schools for developing talent.
"They get the kids started in the right direction," said Tokunaga, a former University of Hawai'i player. "There are solid programs all over (the state). Then they continue playing into the high school level."
He added that the former pro players, as well as present ones, help out youth players. Some of them help their high school alma maters in the offseason.
Chad Santos, drafted in the 22nd round by Kansas City out of Saint Louis School in 1999, credited Tokunaga for keeping his dream alive, as well as other Hawai'i players. Santos is a step away from the big leagues, playing at Triple-A Omaha of the Pacific Coast League.
"If it wasn't for him, a lot of guys wouldn't be known right now and (never would've gotten) drafted," Santos said. "He takes care of everybody."
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
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