WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is known as the premier sports capital of the Pacific whose mild climate allows for year-round sporting activities including football, baseball, basketball, soccer, and a host of water sports; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has a rich history and tradition in the sport of baseball which includes the formation of renowned baseball leagues by the Americans of Japanese Ancestry, and serving as the home of the minor league Hawaii Islanders, and home of the Rainbows of the University of Hawaii, perennial college baseball championship contenders; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's history in baseball also includes hosting some of the game's premier players, managers, and sportscasters, including Bobby Valentine, Barry Bonds, Tony Gwynn, Jose DeLeon, Harry Kalas, Hank Greenwald, and Al Michaels, to name a few; and

WHEREAS, in 1987, due to declining attendance and revenue, the Hawaii Islanders ended an era by moving from Honolulu to Colorado Springs, essentially cutting Hawaii's ties to major league baseball; and

WHEREAS, in 1992, attempts were made to revitalize minor league baseball in Hawaii through the creation of a baseball league known as Hawaii Winter Baseball, which consisted of four teams established throughout the State and included players from leagues in the United States and Asia; and

WHEREAS, sanctioned by Major League Baseball, the Hawaii Winter Baseball League operated as an instructional league during the winter for top minor league prospects, providing a setting for these top young professional ball players to develop their skills while playing against top-notch competition; and

WHEREAS, from 1993 until 1997, the people of Hawaii once again were able to enjoy minor league baseball and witness the development of more than 100 major leaguers from Japan, Korea, and the United States, including Jason Giambi, Brad Fullmer, Nam Choi (Star of the Korean League), and Ichiro Suzuki; and

WHEREAS, although enjoying initial success, the Hawaii Winter Baseball League faced financial difficulties that forced the demise of minor league baseball in the islands; and

WHEREAS, there is renewed interest in baseball in Japan and the United States that may make minor league baseball economically viable and an economic driving force in Hawaii, and the idea of re-establishing an international winter baseball league in Hawaii has resurfaced, attracting the attention of Major League Baseball; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) is requested to:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DBEDT is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations regarding the establishment of an international winter baseball league to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Report Title:

Hawaii Winter Baseball