:Hawaii Winter Baseball
{{short description|American professional baseball league}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title = Hawaii Winter Baseball
| logo = HawaiiWinterBaseball.PNG
| pixels = 150px
| caption = Hawaii Winter Baseball logo
| sport = Baseball
| founded ={{start date and years ago |1993}}
| motto =
| teams = 4
| country = {{USA}}
| champion = North Shore Honu
| folded = {{start date and years ago|2008}}
| website = [http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com ]
}}
Hawaii Winter Baseball (HWB), based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league in the Hawaiian islands. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB).
History
The HWB league first began play in 1993. Funded by Major League Baseball, the league drew players from the MLB, Nippon Professional Baseball, the Korea Baseball Organization, and independent leagues. Games were played in Hawaii from October to December. The HWB league first folded after the 1997 season as it was too heavily reliant on its limited funding from MLB.
In 2006, the league returned for its sixth season. It was the only winter league to feature both top Japanese and American talent. However, this new league folded following the 2008 season when the contract with MLB expired.{{cite web |last1=Goldstein |first1=Kevin |url=http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=1130 |website=Baseball Prospectus |title=Aloha, Hawaii Winter Baseball |access-date=March 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307173006/http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=1130 |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |date=December 16, 2008}}
=Alumni=
Todd Helton is the first Hawaii Winter Baseball alumni inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame (2024). Ichiro Suzuki will be the second in July 2025.{{cite news |last1=DeMello |first1=Rob |title=Ichiro's time in Hawaii Winter Baseball remembered |url=https://www.khon2.com/sports/ichiros-time-in-hawaii-winter-baseball-remembered/ |access-date=March 21, 2025 |publisher=KHON-TV |date=January 21, 2025}}
Source: {{cite web |last1=Galdeira |first1=Kyle |url=https://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/alumni/ |title=Alumni News and Information |website=Hawaii Winter Baseball |access-date=March 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118002540/https://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/alumni/ |archive-date=January 18, 2014 |date=March 13, 2007}}{{cite web |url=https://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/alumni/Major_League_Baseball |title=Hawaii Winter Baseball Alumni |website=Hawaii Winter Baseball |access-date=March 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827134236/https://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/alumni/Major_League_Baseball |archive-date=August 27, 2007}}
Former teams
- Hilo Stars
- Kauai Emeralds
- Kaneohe Bay Dawgs
- Kona Man O'Wars
- Kona Navigators
- Lahaina Whalers
- Maui Stingrays
The Kaneohe Bay Dawgs and Kona Man O'Wars were announced in August 1996 as expansions teams to begin play in 1997.{{cite news |last1=Luis |first1=Cindy |title=Hawaii Winter League unveils two new teams |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/08/08/sports/story4.html |access-date=March 6, 2020 |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |date=August 8, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514015812/http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/08/08/sports/story4.html |archive-date=May 14, 2021}} The Kaneohe announcement was rescinded in October 1996,{{cite news |last1=Luis |first1=Cindy |title=Keeping Score |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/10/22/sports/luis.html |access-date=March 6, 2020 |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |date=October 22, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514015813/http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/10/22/sports/luis.html |archive-date=May 14, 2021}} and Kona did not play in 1997.{{cite news |last1=Chase |first1=Al |title=Hawaii Winter Baseball opens season tomorrow |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/97/10/09/sports/story4.html |access-date=March 6, 2020 |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |date=October 9, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514015814/http://archives.starbulletin.com/97/10/09/sports/story4.html |archive-date=May 14, 2021}}
=2006{{endash}}2008 teams=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:green; text-align:center;" colspan="3"|East |
| Team
!City !Stadium |
|---|
| Honolulu Sharks
|rowspan="2"|Honolulu, Hawaii |rowspan="2"|Les Murakami Stadium |
| Waikiki BeachBoys |
| style="background:lightblue; text-align:center;" colspan="3"|West |
| Team
!City !Stadium |
| North Shore Honu
|rowspan="2"|Waipahu, Hawaii |rowspan="2"|Hans L'Orange Field |
| West Oahu CaneFires |
Champions
{{No sources|section|date=May 2023}}
- 1993 Hilo Stars (No play-off)
- 1994 Kauai Emeralds (No play-off)
- 1995 Maui Stingrays
- 1996 Maui Stingrays
- 1997 Honolulu Sharks
- 2006 North Shore Honu
- 2007 North Shore Honu (Play-off rained out)
- 2008 Waikiki BeachBoys
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com Official Website]
{{Hawaii Winter Baseball}}
{{Professional Baseball}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}
Category:Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States
Category:Winter baseball leagues
Category:2003 establishments in Hawaii
Category:Sports leagues established in 1993
Category:2008 disestablishments in Hawaii