Sunday, May 20, 2001
[ RAINBOW BASEBALL ]
Memories The thoughts and reminiscences of former University of Hawaii baseball players offer great insight into Les Murakami, the person.
Murakami made winners
Some 400 young men played for
Murakami. Many offered their
thoughts and reminiscences about
the time spent under his guidance.>>Colleagues recall career
>>SEE ALSO: ALOHA LESBy Al Chase
Star-BulletinMurakami was more than just a coach who won 1,079 games. He often counseled players, helping them with life's choices away from the baseball field. And, in his 30 years there were a number of humorous incidents involving the head coach.
Many players responded with memories of their days playing for Coach Les. Here are the ones it was not possible to include in the Star-Bulletin's Commemorative Edition.
Joey Estrella (1972-74): "I remember one time myself and another player were in charge of watering the field (the on-campus field before the original Rainbow Stadium was built). One day we turned the water on and went back to the dorm. We fell asleep. When we got back to the field, it was under water.
"We spent half the night mopping the field. We even threw gas on the dirt part and lit it. The fire department came thinking there was a fire in the dorm. I don't know if Les ever knew about that, but the field was in playing shape the next day."
Rich Olsen (1976-78): "Les is not a man of many words. He gets right to the point. When we started to have good teams and started playing the big boys like Arizona State, he would say, 'If you're afraid to play these guys, you're going to lose, so just forget it and go out there and win.' We all believed in that."
Derek Tatsuno (1977-79): "I appreciate him giving me the opportunity to stay home and play here. Not only for myself, but for all the local players who would not have played Division I baseball anywhere else.
With Coach Les it was basic. If you didn't perform, you didn't play."
Kimo Perkins (1978-81): "In 1979, Coach Les implemented a system of measuring at-bats using criteria such as moving runners up who were on base, successful sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, hitting behind runners, driving runners in who were in scoring position, putting the ball in play as opposed to striking out, things that stressed benefits for the team rather than the individual.
"Throughout that year, the team's focus became 'making the charts'. During an at-bat, it didn't matter if you didn't get a hit, if you moved the runners up by hitting the ball to the right side, put down a successful sacrifice bunt, scored a runner from third with a sacrifice fly, drove in runners in scoring position, or just put the ball in play instead of striking out to put pressure on the defense to make a play with runners on base.
"These all were rewarded with points on the charts. After the games, Coach Les would review the charts with the entire team and recognize the guys who did well on the charts. Home runs and batting average, an individual's statistics, were not emphasized. The team had great success that year, we broke or came close to breaking the NCAA record for wins with 60-something."
Thad Reece (1978-81): "I remember a side of Coach Les that changed my life forever. It was early in 1980. I had just come off of one the best years of my life, hitting .395 and leading the nation in doubles.
"But, the beginning of 1980 was not quite the same. I was kicking balls around, throwing balls into the old snack bar (not on purpose), struggling at the plate and extremely frustrated. I'll never forget Coach Les sitting me down after a practice and talking with me. He said that he was thinking about moving me from shortstop to the outfield to get my mind off defense for awhile.
"However, he actually allowed me to make the choice. He was considerate and sensitive, which you don't see a whole lot of in this crazy, competitive game. Emotionally I was a wreck, and I believe Coach Les saved me from further disaster. I chose to take his suggestion.
"That year became my greatest (not as a baseball player), but through a series of events ... I found the true meaning of life. I will never forget what Coach Les and Hawaii did for me. I salute my college coach today, and congratulate him on an outstanding career."
Eric Tokunaga (1978-81): "He always treated us like adults. I was never forced to do anything. He didn't force us to lift weights or force us to run. I didn't think he made us hit or field a certain way. He let us be individuals and play the game. He never over-coached us. He took what he had, molded everyone together, made a lineup and that's why he was successful."
Chuck Crim (1980-82): "In more then thirty years of playing baseball, from a young boy to the Major Leagues, I count it an honor and a privilege to have played for Les Murakami. He is a man of incredible honor and integrity both on and off the field. Les was more than a coach to the team. He took care of us like family, even feeding us after games to make sure we ate well ... which meant more than you can imagine to the mainland boys on their own for the first time. But more importantly, he treated us with respect as men, and it made us deliver for him. I am thankful for the opportunity to have played for Coach Les, and proud to have been a part of some of his many baseball accomplishments."
Greg Oniate (1980-83): "I remember his confidence, his no fear attitude. That's how he built the program. That gave me the confidence when we faced the big boys. It made me more cocky than timid."
Brady Perreira (1989-92): "Just being part of one of Coach Les' milestones, his 800th victory. I don't remember much about the game, but celebrating something special with Coach Les, that felt good."
Joey Vierra (1986-87): "Coach Les always played percentages. One night, after I had pitched another bad game as a starter, he approached me and said, 'You've only pitched in three games and you have about 16 walks!' He stood there waiting for a reply and I told him, 'You're the one who says this game is about averages. So that must mean I won't be walking very many more,' He laughed and got me the next day in the newspaper."
Jamie Aloy (1997-2000): "I remember his 1,000th victory. I came in to close. I saw something in Coach Les' eyes, that determination that he had accomplished something. He finally got to 1,000 wins and maybe he was kind of relieved, yet happy."
In Friday's Les Murakami Commemorative Edition in the Star-Bulletin, three collegiate baseball coaches gave their insight into what Murakami has meant to University of Hawaii baseball. Colleagues recall
Les’ careerBy Al Chase
Star-BulletinToday, more collegiate coaches speak out:
Bill Kinneberg, former Wyoming head coach, now an assistant at Arizona: "There are many memorable weekends I have cherished during the last 20 or so years playing against coach Les and the Rainbows.
"One particular weekend, UH traveled to Laramie to play us and needed a couple of wins to get to the magic 40-win season to go to the postseason. In the third game of the series, a typical winter storm hit Laramie and the game was suspended in the top of the ninth all tied up.
"We came to the ballpark Sunday morning and it was freezing, 30 degrees and about 0 wind chill. Nobody wanted to play, except Les. He urged me to begin and I agreed, thinking that the players from Wyoming would be better suited for the game than the UH players. I was so wrong!
"UH scored 10 runs in the top of the ninth and we went one, two, three in the bottom of the ninth inning. Les walked right up to me at the end of the game and said, 'That's it, we're going home.'
"I wish you well and a great retirement, Les. I have always admired you and your program. It won't be the same without you, but your signature will be on the Hawaii program forever.
John Smith, Sacramento State: "Coach Les has been just a tremendous inspiration to me from the early days. When I was a high school coach, I had a summer team with some college players. I thought it would be nice to play some games in Hawaii. This was about 1973 or 1974. I didn't know him, I just called him out of the blue to see if he knew of any teams we could play if we came over.
"He said we could play his JV team. He did everything for us ... sent a bus to pick us up.
"He always made me feel special even though I wasn't. He encouraged me to take the job at Sacramento State and sent notes even when we were Division II.
"When we were in the WAC, we became really good friends. He's the reason I took up golf. One day he told me, 'You've got to unwind. You're going to have a heart attack'.
"So I started playing. For two years I was horrible. But, in my third year, he took me to Waialae. It was awesome. Each year I tried to learn more, to get better, so I wouldn't embarrass him when we were playing.
"When I visited him in the hospital this year, he said he would play golf with me again. I told him I needed strokes. He looked at me and said, 'No more strokes.' "
Gene Stephenson, Wichita State: "I've always looked forward to playing in Hawaii. Les and Dot are such great people.
"Les always wanted to play golf. He said I could use (Carl Furutani's) clubs, but Carl's clubs are crooked and Les never let me win at golf. I think he felt sorry for me and let me win a couple of baseball games.
"Les has always been a good friend. He may have felt he was an outsider, but I told him this year, 'Look who's in the Hall of Fame. Who's the insider now?' He is college baseball for Hawaii."
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
