LIHU‘E — There are things which change, and there are things which don’t change. This was demonstrated Sunday as the Kaua‘i Americans of Japanese Ancestry Baseball League opened its 83rd year of baseball on Kaua‘i at Vidinha Stadium. Tom Shigemoto,
LIHU‘E — There are things which change, and there are things which don’t change.
This was demonstrated Sunday as the Kaua‘i Americans of Japanese Ancestry Baseball League opened its 83rd year of baseball on Kaua‘i at Vidinha Stadium.
Tom Shigemoto, president of the Kaua‘i AJA, is still at the helm of the league, as is Brian Yamase, who wears the first vice president’s hat.
But Mel Nishihara takes over from long-time Kaua‘i AJA leader Mamo Kaneshiro as the league’s second vice president. Shigemoto said the Kaneshiros are now involved with missionary work in Africa.
Gerald Ako is the league’s secretary and Russell Maeda is the league treasurer, arriving with help from a young girl with two championship trophies.
“This is the first time in a long time we’ve had co-champions,” Shigemoto said.
“The weather did not allow us to have a playoff, but the cooperation between all of the members in the league is just fantastic. We were able to get together and select an all star team and did not bad at the state tournament,” he said. “I am proud to be the president of a group like this.”
Earl Miyao is the league’s manager, coordinating the weekly schedule between six teams and three games.
“This year, if there is a rain-out, the games will be played the following Saturday,” Miyao said, alluding to how rains shortened the season last year. “On top of that, for Super Bowl Sunday, the games will be moved to Saturday so everyone can enjoy the Super Bowl.”
Prior to doing the honors of singing the national anthem for the opening, Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. witnessed a young man coming up and receiving his jersey from the Hanapepe Rivermen, one of six teams in the league and the 2011 co-champion with the Kalaheo Farmers.
“This league and others like it are important to this island,” Carvalho said, alluding to the feat of accepting the jersey by the young boy. “This island is such a diverse community which can come together at an event like this which is more than 80 years old, and it’s good to see the mix of people from Waimea to Kapa‘a getting along.”
Ethnic rivalries born out of plantation leagues fueled fan and player interest during the glory years of Hawai‘i baseball, states a 1998 story appearing in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
The roots have continued to flourish as generations of people participate in the traditional post-game parties and fellowship which are not limited to AJA baseball, but overflow to the Kaua‘i Senior Softball league.
“Baseball is a great sport and allows youth to build character, sportsmanship and team spirit,” the Rev. Kojun Hashimoto of the West Kaua‘i Hongwanji said during his invocation for the season.
Six teams form the Kaua‘i AJA league, including the co-champion Hanapepe Rivermen led by Leroy Nonaka, with the Kalaheo Farmers led by coach Peter Ishibashi, the Lihu‘e Builders led by Curtis Matsumura, Kapa‘a led by John Mundon, Waimea led by Ken Morikawa and Garrett Agena and the Makaweli Indians led by Royce Ijima and Bradley Chiba, a third-generation Chiba who is with the Indians.
“We’re turning the team over to the young ones,” said Lance Nakata, a long-time coach for Makaweli. “We’ll still be there helping them with a lot of the behind-the-scenes things, but they’ll concentrate on coaching. They will be the new coaches.”
Ichiro Chiba, a long-time Makaweli player, coach and fan, is the grandfather of Bradley Chiba and continues to visit the games, leading the team of fire starters for the traditional post-game party.
“It’s important to support this league because it’s part of the identity of the island,” Carvalho said.
“We’ll continue to support it because it’s for the betterment of our youth and our island.”
Admission is free to view the games, which are played on Sundays starting at 10 a.m. for double-headers.
