For the second time within a decade, Hawaii Winter Baseball has struck out.

Major League Baseball teams voted not to renew their contract with Hawaii Winter Baseball after their three-year contract expired at the end of this past season, HWB announced.

Unlike the first time around from 1993 to 1997, when HWB walked away after Major League Baseball demanded the developmental league pay 100 percent of the players' and coaches' salaries, it is MLB that is leaving Hawai'i, apparently for greener pastures in Arizona.

"We were told it had nothing to do with what we didn't do," HWB President Hervy Kurisu said. "The logistics were the main part of the decision."

The league said the decision was made last week during MLB's winter meetings in Las Vegas, where general managers voted, "for logistical reasons," to consolidate minor league fall and winter off-season developmental leagues in one location: Arizona, current home of the Arizona Fall League and spring training's Cactus League.

"For us, we take the high road and say we did everything we could, the best way we could," HWB Chairman Duane Kurisu said. "Everything else was out of our control."

HWB was for lower-level minor leaguers about one to three seasons away from the majors. It was revived in 2006, when MLB teams that assigned players agreed to pick up 100 percent of the players' and coaches' salaries.

"This is sad. Too bad," said Scott Werkmeister, who attended about 30 games this past season with his 13-year-old daughter, Noela. "My daughter is going to be so sad. I started taking her three years ago."

Damien Memorial graduate Chris Truby has the distinction of not only playing in HWB, but coaching. As a player coming up through the Houston Astros organization, he played the 1995 season with the West Oahu CaneFires. This past season, he served as the CaneFires' hitting coach after completing his first season as a minor league coach for the High-A Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats of the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system. He was recently named manager of the Single-A Williamsport Crosscutters of the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

"Obviously, it's a disappointment for somebody who grew up in Hawai'i, knowing how important baseball is for the people out there," said Truby in a telephone call from Indianapolis, where he resides in the offseason. "Duane, Hervy and all those guys treated us awesome. Our experience from a coaching and playing standpoint was awesome. It's just unfortunate."

The MLB teams aren't the only ones affected. Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization — the two Asian pro leagues — also contributed players since the inception of HWB in 1993.

"Everybody's sad, everybody's disappointed," Duane Kurisu said. "But life goes on. Japan and even the Major League commissioner's office (are disappointed). (The commissioner's office doesn't) make the call. It's the teams that voted. People from the commissioner's office were with us from the beginning."

ASIA CONNECTION LOST

Duane Kurisu, who has interests in real estate, publishing and investing and is one of 27 principal partners of the San Francisco Giants, doesn't think HWB was a victim of the financial crisis.

"We were the only entity involved directly with Major League Baseball and the commissioner's office that was not owned by the 30 teams," he said. "I can understand by consolidating all of the interests together, it now enables them to build efficiency in what they're dong in Arizona. Maybe the economy has some effect on this, but this part (HWB) is small compared to the total Major League Baseball budget. It was about making things work better logistically. They're going to lose the connection with Asia. But they look at it that the logistical issue and the facilities issue would overcome losing the Asian players."

The other offseason developmental league is the Arizona Fall League, which is owned by MLB. It runs concurrent with HWB and is for minor leaguers who are close to major-league ready. By consolidating operations in the general vicinity, it would be easier to replace injured players or have players transfer between the two fall leagues. It also would make it easier for scouts to monitor players.

MOVE STILL NOT OFFICIAL

HWB had been seeking an extension since the 2007 season. Duane Kurisu said he had heard rumors of the departure to Arizona, which has developed new facilities that have attracted some big-league teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers, for example, will move from their longtime home in Vero Beach, Fla., to Glendale, Ariz., where they open spring training at Camelback Ranch in February.

"We heard rumblings," Kurisu said. "We never really heard from people until the league started, and when farm directors started to come here we started hearing it firsthand."

The move to Arizona is still not official.

"The operative word is 'possible,' " MLB's senior vice president for baseball operations Joe Garagiola Jr. told www.MLB.com. "The contract is up and there are some alternatives under discussion, including something in Arizona, but at this point I don't know if anything is 'final-final.' "

Added Kurisu: "We also heard they don't have a budget for it. (But) the owners will meet next month to approve this plan."

Like the last time HWB discontinued play, the HWB entity will remain. Back then, it provided other services, such as baseball clinics run by then-Giants manager Dusty Baker (now of the Cincinnati Reds) and Cal Ripken Jr.

"We have several projects we're working on," Kurisu said. "I cannot say (what they are), it's too premature, but they are baseball-related."

Kurisu was to meet with employees last night. He said the majority of the workers are seasonal and he does not know how many full-time staffers would be affected since the HWB entity is still operating.

After HWB ended in 1997, a similar league was started in the Mid-Atlantic area with another starting the following year in California. Both only played for one season each.

HWB has seen the likes of Ichiro Suzuki and Todd Helton hone their skills in the Islands. It also featured a number of Hawai'i-raised talents, such as Benny Agbayani and Kala Ka'aihue, as well as coaches such as Mike Lum and Lenn Sakata.

Despite the loss, Kurisu is not bitter.

"I'm going with the flow," Kurisu said. "We did a lot of good things for Major League Baseball and professional baseball in Asia. We all hope that the things that we've done are things that have helped and will help make the world a little bit better. That's the main thing for me."