Hawaii Winter Baseball Says A Hui Hou

Hawaii Winter Baseball league owner Duane Kurisu, announced the termination of the league’s three-year contract with Major League Baseball.

During last week’s Winter Meetings in Las Vegas last week, general managers elected to consolidate MLB’s minor league fall and winter off-season developmental leagues to the six-team Arizona Fall League and its Instructional League.

The four former Hawaii Winter Baseball league teams, which field A-level and AA-level players, will be incorporated into a second fall league.

The HWB league opened in 1993 and ran through the 1997 campaign. After an eight-year hiatus, HWB re-launched under a new three-year contract in 2006. The 2008 season saw participation from 23 of the 30 MLB clubs, six of 12 teams from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, and the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization.

“We have some opportunities to remain involved with pro baseball at various levels,” added league president Hervy Kurisu. “But for now we’re sacking up the equipment, and continuing work on developing future opportunities.”