Sports Watch
It wasn't the best of times for his baseball team, especially with all the headline-grabbing success of that OTHER Rainbow team this spring.
But Murakami, who ended his 26th year as coach of the school's winningest program, remains upbeat and is already looking forward to next year.
"When it isn't fun anymore, then maybe I'll quit," Murakami said. "There's no such thing as being untouchable. And the bottom line is winning. When you don't win, you've just got to take it (criticism)."
But Murakami felt the program came close to turning it around this year. "Win four of the last six games and we would have had 33 wins," he said.
Despite the season's ups and downs, Murakami found the past season enjoyable.
Enjoyable? A 29-26 won-lost record, 12-18 in the Western Athletic Conference and a postseason no-show for the third straight year?
It led to a decline in attendance for the second year in a row. But the attendance figure is relative in the great collegiate scheme of things, according to Murakami. "We were still third in the nation after LSU and Texas," he said.
But a combination of factors - including injuries and bad bounces - led to the Rainbow baseball season ending in a whimper. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong for the baseball 'Bows.
"This was the unluckiest team I've ever had," Murakami said. "But nobody blamed anybody. The unity on this team was unbelievable. That's what I will always remember about this team."
THAT unity was reflected in the team's awards banquet last night at the Hawaii Prince Hotel. In a nice touch, senior co-captains Paul Ah Yat and Jamie Ahu shared the honors in introducing each teammate who won a letter.
In calling up Michael Dartt, Ah Yat acknowledged his one-time "sparring partner," referring to their scuffle during the season.
When calling up 6-foot-5 Jason Ross, Ahu said he was glad, that he wasn't a catcher on the opposing team or a "bat rack," a reference to the time Ross punched the bat rack in frustration, sidelining him for a month.
"We didn't get to go to the regionals, but I think we achieved some goals," Ah Yat said. "We became better people and better players."
"I regret nothing. I wish I could relive my five years here," added Ahu, who managed to give Murakami a little dig:
"When I first came here, I heard that Coach Les was a man of few words. I found that out first hand. What we have now could almost be called a conversation."
That the players could find humor and grace after a disappointing season showed a lot about their character and the team's togetherness.
And, off the field, their accomplishments were especially noteworthy. Twelve of Murakami's players were among the school's 36 scholar-athletes this academic year - the most of any team at UH-Manoa. Maybe the team's ERA wasn't impressive, but some of the players' GPA were, including a couple of 3.8's and a 3.75.
THE bottom line, though, is winning - on the baseball field. With that in mind, Murakami changed his recruiting philosophy two years ago to do something about it.
"The WAC has become a player's league. You no longer can outcoach somebody. I've come to the realization that you've got to go out and get quality players," Murakami said.
UH previously didn't go after blue-chip prospects, figuring they'd be drafted. Now it's making a concerted effort.
Murakami feels that with the number of quality underclassmen on the team and another good recruiting class, it should be better next season.
"Even if it's not, don't expect me to quit," he said.