It ended too soon. I mean, our expectations have (unfairly) grown as the Hawai`i Little League teams have done amazing things over the years in Williamsport, PA. So it was with sadness, but even greater pride, as we watched the Honolulu team bow out after three games this year.
And yet, these mini-ballers, led by manager Gerald Oda, demonstrated class, poise, and provided many clutch moments along the way; we’ve (unfairly) just kinda gotten used to rallies, big innings and amazing defensive plays alongside equally stellar pitching performances.
Pearl City (1988) was Hawai’i’s first team in the Little League World Series finals, losing to Taiwan. In 2005, the ‘Ewa Beach team eked out a seven-inning title game win over Curaçao. In 2008, Waipahu trounced Mexico in the finals. Waipahu fell to Tokyo in the 2010 finals. In 2018, Coach Oda’s team won its first title, shutting out Seoul, South Korea in the championship game. And in 2022, the Honolulu team (with different youngsters, of course) bested Curaçao in the final. Among all 50 states, only California (8) has claimed more Little League World Series titles than Hawai`i and three other state (with four titles heading into 2025).
This time around, the bats went flat after rousing rallies in the run-ups to Williamsport in state and regional play. But these 11- and 12-year old ambassadors of aloha displayed sportsmanship and sheer joy throughout the tournament… as we’ve seen before. To be on such a large, international stage at such a young age with cameras, thousands of fans, distractions, and even major leaguers strutting around- it’s a true testament to the coaches and parents of these wonderful whackers that they stayed strong throughout the long (and expensive) trek- from states through regionals and into the LLWS spotlight.
The TV announcers proclaimed the West regional (which Honolulu won) as “probably the toughest” in the nation, which seems to be an annual assessment. As we all (should) know, it’s not just about winning and losing (thought that’s tough to stomach at age 12). The new friendships, team bonding, overall experience, and passion for the game- those are lifetime treats, with sprinkles.
Other Hawai`i junior baseball teams also did well in various age groups again this year. We should be proud of “our kids” as they hit home runs in many categories on and off the field while representing Hawai`i superbly every summer.
Think about it…