Is this heaven?
... seemed like somewhere in Iowa
... turned out to be HAWAII
KonaBaseball.com is the official web site for the adult baseball (hardball) league operating in Kona, Hawaii.
The 5-team league meets Sundays at Old Airport Field A (behind Kekuaokalani Gymnasium) for games at 10:00 a.m. and at 1:00 p.m.
Players of all ages from 18 to 88 are invited to participate at all levels of skill. By special invitation, players as young as age 15 may be included. This provision is established in order to foster father-son, uncle-nephew relationships and to provide certain serious youth players in West Hawaii an opportunity to play more baseball. Consequently, the KonaBaseball.com league is a multi-generational, all-community organization.
Unlike most mainland baseball teams (in leagues which are stratified by age group), each of Kona's teams includes a number of youth players as well as a few senior men. This keeps the old guys active and, at the same time, gives the Big Island's top youth players a needed place to get additional experience each summer. Where else can a high school player see how he stacks up against real men?
For more information, send us an email.
The 2012 baseball season will begin on June 3, 2012 with draft days scheduled for tomorrow, May 20, 2012, and for the following Sunday, May 27, 2012.
Despite what you may have read in the editorial section of West Hawaii Today, the KonaBaseball.com League is alive and well, and is definitely still in operation.
The 2012 season is proceeding, despite a two-week delay that was largely due to the rediness of Simmons Field (the subject of the aforementioned editorial).
Over the years, the KonaBaseball.com league members and other local citizens have joined forces with U.H. Hilo to groom the field each Spring. Because of the fact that
baseball players need a field that is maintained to a standard higher than the County of Hawaii Parks and Recreation Department provides,
everyone joins hands. That's right, we are more than just a bunch of guys knocking baseballs around on a Sunday afternoon. Our league helps
defray local government expenses.
Unfortunately, the condition of the field this year was worse than in the past. This was due to several reasons.
When the County Parks and Recreation Department made its decision to skin the infield for a 2011 statewide softball tournament, the KonaBaseball.com League's season had to be cut
short. Then, delays in the availability of county resources (in order to undo the conversion from a hardball diamond) forced our league to cancel the 2011 playoffs.
County work that was originally scheduled for July was deferred throughout the rest of the year and into early 2012 as well. All the while, Simmons Field deteriorated further.
Complicating matters, pursuant to new NCAA rules, the U.H. Hilo team can not have a second "home field".
With those players no longer participating in the annual work party, most of the responsibility now falls on
the shoulders of the players in this league. As such, the league held work parties on April 16th and on April 23rd.
However, the magnitude of the problem was beyond that which could be solved by a couple of Sundays of volunteers using rakes and shovels.
Upon issuance of this year's permit, county's representatives assured KonaBaseball.com League officials that, despite delays, the infield and the pitcher's
mound would be restored in time for the beginning of our season. As evidenced by the editorial in West Hawaii Today, passersby would
be skeptical that the field would be suitable for play anytime soon.
The good news is that, as of yesterday May 18, 2012, county offical confirmed that the work has now been performed and that the league has the use of Simmons Field
beginning this Sunday, as promised. Accordingly, free agent draft days are scheduled for May 20th and May 27, 2012.
