LIHU‘E — Youngsters were juggling their personal schedules trying to get in some hands-on practice with Koloa native Kirby Yates and Wahiawa, O‘ahu native Troy Hanzawa, Saturday at Isenberg Park. With the two baseball players on Kaua‘i following the end
LIHU‘E — Youngsters were juggling their personal schedules trying to get in some hands-on practice with Koloa native Kirby Yates and Wahiawa, O‘ahu native Troy Hanzawa, Saturday at Isenberg Park.
With the two baseball players on Kaua‘i following the end of their seasons, Kaua‘i’s youth are scrambling to close their youth soccer and football seasons before getting into baseball.
“It kind of just happened,” said Godwin Esaki, whom people credited for making the practice happen. “Kirby is from Koloa, and Troy has a house in Kapa‘a where he is vacationing, so they’re just spending some time working with the kids. It’s about giving back.”
Sheri Amimoto, who had one son playing in the opening round of the Kiahuna Junior Classic in Po‘ipu, said there was no time to advertise it.
“It’s just through the phone and e-mail tree,” Amimoto said. “They’ll be here for a couple of hours and we have pizza ordered so the kids can have lunch with the players.”
Yates was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 26th round of the 2005 MLB June Amateur Draft, and according to baseball-reference.com, finished 2010 with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Florida State League, his most recent stop.
With Charlotte, Yates finished by pitching 5.1 innings in one game, giving up seven hits, three runs, walking two and striking out three.
Prior to that outing, he made 27 appearances for the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League, a single-A club, going 3-6 with a 3.30 ERA.
Hanzawa, who played with the Mid Pacific Institute Owls, the University of Hawai‘i, the San Diego State University and Yavapai College, was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 16th round of the 2008 Amateur Entry Draft.
He finished 2010 as a shortstop and pinch hitter for the Clearwater Threshers in the Florida State League, ending the year with 89 hits, 39 runs, 15 doubles, 36 RBI.
Amimoto said the kids were really lucky they could work on fielding, hitting, and pitching with these players, and getting the personalized coaching.
Esaki said it’s for the players as well because they were once in the shoes of the players they’re now coaching, and this is a great way for them to give back.
