IF new coach June Jones can impact the UH football team as much as playing with wooden bats has boosted the baseball 'Bows, we could have a heck of a won-loss record next season. If it’s January,
let’s play ball!For insurance reasons, Pac Ten schools and their opponents have to use wooden bats rather than the higher-power aluminum models this season. Swinging these splinters, the UH team swept UCLA last weekend and took a game from the Cal Bears between rain showers on Thursday for their best start in years.
Could wood -- despite its tendency to shatter -- conceivably be safer than metal? To this transplanted New Englander, if we're playing baseball in January, anything is possible.
Thursday evening at a social gathering, I suggested to Hugh Yoshida, UH athletic director, that the football team echo this retro success by adopting leather helmets. He topped that with ''Right, and no face masks, either.''
Yoshida accepted a compliment on the handsome new, dark green batting helmets with bold UH insignia the 'Bows are sporting this year.
''Yeah, but we've got to get rid of those orange uniforms,'' he said, beating me to it.
The UH volleyball teams have become the fashion plates of the NCAA with flowered shorts and other eye-catching garb, so why shouldn't the baseball team get with the program? Wouldn't unique and original Hawaiian-style uniforms be a great way to promote fan loyalty? Look good; play good.
John Flanagan is editor and publisher of the Star-Bulletin.
To reach him call 525-8612, fax to 523-8509, send
e-mail to publisher@starbulletin.com or write to
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802.