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.
In 2010, a new name (the "Sharks") and a new emblem had this squad decked out in yellow and black on the baseball diamond. With a mix of team veterans and rookies, the Island Tat Sharks fared well for most of the season, droppping into fifth place at season's end. However in the playoffs, the Sharks almost pulled the upset, eventually finishing a respectable third.
For 2011, the team seems to be well organized and postured to hit the road running. They are scheduled to host the league's reigning champion Black Sox in the this season's opener, and anything can happen. How will the Waikoloa Sharks fare this year? Come to Simmons Field dressed in the team's new blue & grey colors, and find out for yourself.
The Sharks thank these businesses for partial team sponsorships and/or other consideration:
Primary sponsor -
Banjy's Paradise Bar & GrillBuzz's Sand Trap
Roy's Waikoloa
Waikoloa Chevron
Sharks' 2011 Roster: Veterans: 2 - Ryan Landis 4 - Keegan Lerma 6 - Keefe Lerma 7 - MJ Lo 11 - Eric Hanano 12 - Elijah Smith 13 - Dustin Lapinid 16 - Kenny Benson 25 - Michael West 99 - Raymond Uribes - Manager Rookies: 00 - Bay Tran 01 - Shaun O'Callaghan 03 - Ridge Umeda 05 - James Ridzon 08 - Tony Komotas
