Originally known as the Steelers, this was the KonaBaseball.com expansion team in 2002. Starting with a core of players from other teams in the 2001 league, this team showed the league its tenacity, finishing in third place overall in the Steelers inaugural season, then went on to the championship game in 2003, only to fall short of victory against the Mariners.
In 2004, the steady Steelers persisted and continued to nip at the heels of the Pirates, finishing the regular season just one game behind the skull-and-crossbones. In the championship game, the Steelers welded the door shut on their nemesis and claimed premiership of the league. The celebration was short-lived however, as manager-coach Randy Chatfield announced that he was stepping down, citing that his two sons had moved off island for college and military careers. He added that he and his wife had also decided to move to the mainland.
In 2005, the team faultered a bit, then recovered for a better finish in 2006. In 2007, under new sponsorship, manager Ray Uribes renamed the team the Dodgers. Starting that season with a an impressive victory over a strong Angels team, the Dodgers found the midseason to be challenging, tempers flaring in the dugout after disappointing close losses, not to mention blowouts. By season's end, the wheels had come off the proverbial cart.
In anticipation of 2008, Uribes aggressively recruited and took advantage of his team's first position in the draft. As such, they moved up the laddar, finishing the regular season in fifth place (out of seven teams). In the playoffs, they fared even better, knocking off the highly-favored Crush team. However, the Angels eliminated the Dodgers the next weeek, but by only the slimmest of margins. Nevertheless, the team's fourth-place finish in the playoffs still fell short of expectations.
In 2009, still under the moniker of the Dodgers, the blues came to an end when this group snagged the Makai Division trophy. No longer a diamond-in-the-rough team, Ray Uribes found a way to smoothe the Dodgers' ruffled feathers, taking the team to its first top finish under his leadership.
For 2010, a new name and a new emblem (a logo to be introduced soon) has this squad postured to be decked out in yellow and black on the baseball diamond. With a mix of team veterans and rookies, how will the Island Tat Sharks fare this year? Come to Simmons Field this season in order to find out.
The Sharks thank these businesses for partial team sponsorships and/or other consideration:
Island Tat
Waikoloa Chevron
Sharks' 2010 Roster: 2 - Ryan Landis 4 - Keegan Lerma 4 - Klifford Hawkins 6 - Keefe Lerma 7 - MJ Lo 10 - Lupe Palsis 11 - Eric Hanano 12 - Elijah Smith 13 - Dustin Lapinid 14 - Carl Kimura 15 - Evan Lakin 16 - Kenny Benson 17 - Alexander Akau 19 - Tanner Benbow 25 - Michael West 36 - Lanson Paolo 99 - Raymond Uribes - Manager
