Rivals Are Allies In Summer Play

Wednesday - July 05, 2006
By Jack Danilewicz
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Shortstop Andy Uehara takes a swing at the ball at Kaiser High School during practice with the ALL Falcon Baseball summer team. Photo by Nathalie Walker, staff photographer.
Shortstop Andy Uehara takes
a swing at the ball at Kaiser
High School during practice
with the ALL Falcon Baseball
summer team. Photo by
Nathalie Walker, staff
photographer.

Kalani and Kaiser high schools have always made it a point to know the other’s business on the athletic field.

So this summer, with players from both East Oahu school baseball programs combining to fill out the Falcon Baseball American Legion League roster, their annual meeting next spring should rate among the more interesting encounters on the Island.

“I don’t think there will be many secrets between us when we play each other,” mused Falcon Baseball manager Shannon Hirai, who is also Kalani’s coach. “It’s going to force the kids to improve on their weaknesses, which will be known.”

This summer, however, the Kalani and Kaiser students are teammates, along with members from a handful of other schools.

“It’s been really good so far,” Hirai said. “The kids get along well, and both teams are learning from each other. Peter and I have been learning from each other, too.” (Kaiser High School coach Peter Ho doubles as Hirai’s assistant for Falcon Baseball. )


Results support the arrangement. Heading into the weekend, Falcon Baseball had a 6-1 record, which left them tied for first in the American Legion League with Punahou and Diamond Head (also a combined team).

The American Legion League state tournament is set for the last week of this month. The winner will advance to the National Regionals in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in mid-August.

The best eight teams from Oahu qualify for the state tournament. Falcon Baseball was to reach the midway point of its regular season over the weekend, so Hirai’s club will almost certainly make the field of eight.

More complicated may be Hirai’s task of reducing his 25-man roster to 18, which is required by July 6.

“Eighteen of these kids started for their schools during the spring, and we have four college kids as well,” Hirai explained.

“We have so much talent on this team - it’s been great. We bring people off of the bench, and they continue what we’ve already been doing. Everyone gets to play a lot, and we’ve seen the younger guys play really well.”

From among their 25-man roster, three exceptional players -third baseman Colby Ho (Kaiser), pitcher Anthony Stovall (Kailua) and utility player Cameron Bayne (Saint Louis School) - were selected in last month’s Major League Baseball Draft and have been among the Falcons’ top performers through the first half of American Legion League play.

Ho, who was drafted by the Kansas City Royals, was the Oahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division Player of the Year this spring, “has been doing great,” Hirai said.

“He has a grand slam and a bases-loaded triple already,” he added. “He’s been hitting well in some clutch situations.”

Stovall is 6-feet-7 and 250 pounds and was also selected by the Royals.

“His presence is his strength,” Hirai said. “He makes everybody on the field look small.”


Bayne has been splitting his time between Falcon Baseball and the Island Movers team.

“We’ve been hitting the ball really well,” said Hirai.“We’re averaging about eight runs a game - we can score runs in bunches.”

One shift for the upcoming state tournament will see the return of aluminum bats, which are not allowed during the American Legion League’s regular season.

“I think it helps our hitters,” Hirai said of the wooden bats, “but I don’t know if it really helps us on defense. Balls are going to get to the infield and outfielder quicker (with aluminum bats) in the state tournament, so judgement will become a difficult thing.

“Also, pitchers have been shutting people down with that inside pitch.

“I don’t know if that will happen with the aluminum bats.

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