Sunday, June 3, 2001
[ PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL ]
HAVING BEEN BORN and raised in the islands, it is no wonder that being a pitching coach for a minor league team in a town with the smallest core population in all of professional baseball would cause a little culture shock. Hawaii contingent
brings islands to
IndianaHawaii Baseball Report
By Brendan Sagara
Special to the Star-Bulletin
Huntingburg, Ind., population 5,000, home of the Dubois County Dragons, is straight out of an episode of "Northern Exposure," or "The Andy Griffith Show."
Maybe even Michael J. Fox's early-'90s flick "Doc Hollywood."
It is a cozy town where everybody knows everybody and nothing goes unseen or unheard, and outsiders don't have a shot at going unnoticed.
It's the kind of place where the local bar owner/retired high school basketball coach/Dragons booster lets you take your glass home after you've finished your lunch, because he knows you'll bring it back the next day. It's the kind of place where the local sporting goods shop owner lets you take home your new shoes today, and pay him when the season starts and you get your first paycheck.
It's the kind of town where the lady at the barber shop, the guy at the weight room, the kid at the front desk of the local motel and the nice little old lady at the bank knew who I was before I even had a chance to introduce myself. I guess word gets around pretty quick when someone from Hawaii is coming to town.
Being from Wahiawa -- no major metropolis -- I have taken quickly to the people of Huntingburg. The people have all been hospitable. They always greet you with a smile, and they bend over backwards to make sure that all the Dragons are taken care of. Need a ride? They get you there. Got no money? Hey, pay later.
The local doctor, who doubles as a host parent for our backup shortstop from Japan, donated a pair of bikes to me and our team trainer when he found out we didn't have cars to get around.
To raise the comfort level even more this season, there is a contingent of people with Hawaii ties here in town.
With the help of the Star-Bulletin's Al Chase, we were able to bring pitchers Damon Yee and Ian Perio into our pre-season camp to compete with 19 pitchers for 11 slots.
After opening spring training with almost 40 players, the final Dragons roster has been set, and both Ian and Damon have earned spots on the pitching staff.
Both will be in our starting rotation in our season-opening series at home against the Evansville Otters.
Also adding to our slice of Hawaii in Huntingburg are our bullpen catcher, Todd Jinbo, who just completed his senior season at UH-Hilo, and trainer Michelle Landis, who is on loan from UH.
With the stage set, opening day is finally here this week. Playing for keeps now.
Editor's note: Former University of Hawaii-Hilo pitcher Brendan Saraga, in his first summer as a pitching coach, will file a weekly report on life in the bushes of baseball.
Statistics of players in professional baseball with Hawaii ties through Friday's games: Hawaii Baseball Report
Player
Team, League Class AB R H 2b 3b HR RBI Avg. Benny Agbayani N.Y. Mets, National ML 108 12 29 7 1 2 9 .269 Darren Blakely Tampa, Florida State A 126 21 36 8 3 4 16 .286 Brandon Chaves Hickory, South Atlantic A 120 11 27 7 2 1 16 .225 Rodney Choy Foo Columbus, South Atlantic A 40 2 10 0 0 0 5 .250 Keoni DeRenne Greenville, Southern AA 182 16 47 2 2 1 21 .258 Keith Luuloa Portland, Pacific Coast AAA 86 10 25 6 1 3 7 .291 Miles Luuloa West Michigan, Midwest AA 126 22 25 6 1 1 9 .198 Jason Ross Richmond, International AAA 92 12 22 5 1 3 4 .239 Chad Santos Burlington, Midwest A 176 25 42 15 0 6 31 .239 Dane Sardinha Mudville Nine, California A 161 17 40 12 0 2 21 .248 Patrick Scalabrini Quebec, Northern Ind 11 22 1 0 0 0 1 .091 Scott Suraci Evansville, Frontier Ind 10 5 3 0 1 1 3 .300 Mike Tejada Asheville, South Atlantic A 147 15 33 8 0 8 20 .224 Chris Truby New Orleans, Pacific Coast AAA 54 9 19 6 0 3 18 .352 Shane Victorino Wilmington, South Atlantic A 198 41 57 13 5 3 9 .288 Key Voshell Richmond, Frontier Ind 13 2 3 0 0 1 3 .231
Pitcher
Team, League Class G IP H ER BB SO W-L ERA Paul Ah Yat Nashville, Pacific Coast AAA 8 21-1/3 37 21 9 15 1-4 9.30 Dusty Bergman Arkansas, Texas AA 10 60-2/3/ 73 31 19 32 3-5 4.60 Mike Fetters Los Angeles, National ML 18 16- 13 8 8 16 1-0 4.50 Thomas Ford Frederick, California A 2 1-1/3 2 1 0 1 0-0 6.75 Mark Johnson Toledo, International AAA 10 65-2/3 54 25 13 36 5-4 3.43 Scott Karl Nashville, Pacific Coast AAA 9 58 42 19 14 42 2-3 2.95 Jeff Martin San Angelo, Tex-Louisiana Ind 3 20 16 7 7 19 1-1 3.15 Onan Masaoka Las Vegas, Pacific Coast AAA 14 37 51 33 15 30 6-3 8.03 Corey Miller Modesto, California A 15 25-1/3 20 11 13 30 2-3 3.91 Ian Perio Dubois County, Frontier Ind 1 3-2/3 6 4 3 5 0-1 9.82 Jay Spurgeon Rochester, International AAA 10 63-2/3 59 32 16 43 3-4 4.52 Brandon Villafuerte Oklahoma, Pacific Coast AAA 17 30-2/3 38 13 15 36 2-2 3.82 Hawkeye Wayne Wisconsin, Midwest A 12 28-1/3 24 12 22 22 2-1 3.81 Justin Wayne Jupiter, Florida State A 6 27-2/3 23 11 8 23 2-2 3.58 Jerome Williams Shreveport, Texas AA 8 36 27 21 15 22 3-1 5.25 Tyler Yates Midland, Texas AA 24 23-1/3 21 9 11 27 1-2 3.47 Damon Yee Dubois County, Frontier Ind 1 5 7 3 2 5 0-1 5.40 >> Shane Victorino has been on a tear the past three weeks, going 24 for 67 (.358) to raise his batting average 36 points to .288.