Business exec uses league to boost baseball in Hawai'i
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Baseball was Al Kam's vehicle into the corporate world.
As founder of the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League, his goal is to show the youth of Hawai'i and the collegiate players in the league how the game can lead them into the future.
"Baseball is a door-opener to get you ahead," Kam said.
Kam, 48, knows firsthand.
The sport he played at Kamehameha, where he graduated in 1975, earned him a baseball scholarship to the University of Denver. That was followed with a coaching job there that allowed him to attain his master's in business administration.
The MBA enabled him to rise through the ranks at C. Brewer & Co., a one-time "Big Five" company here. He then went on to become chief financial officer of Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp. and later CEO of Superior Coffee Co. Meanwhile, he was still connected to the game as an assistant at UH-Hilo from 1980 to 1983, then in youth leagues and more recently as an assistant to Vern Ramie at Kamehameha. Ramie serves as the HCBL's commissioner.
Now, Kam is chairman of the PLK Group, an agricultural development business through which he is able to have sole control of the two-year-old HCBL.
The league is similar to other summer wooden bat leagues around the country that allow college players to develop their skills.
The HCBL runs from mid-June to late July. The league increased its membership from four to six teams with three games a day at Aloha Stadium just about every night. (Most Mondays are off days.)
The bulk of the players are from the Pac-10, West Coast, Big West and Western Athletic conferences. Coaches of those member schools recommended the players, Kam said.
Through word of mouth, sprinkling of players from other conferences made their way here. There also are some junior college players, most of whom will be transferring to four-year programs, including four Hawai'i recruits.
There are a handful of recent high school graduates, but this is expected to be the last year of that practice. (Kam's son Stuart, a recent Kamehameha Schools graduate, is one of the few prep players in the league; he has signed with the University of San Diego.) When the league applies for NCAA certification next summer, all of the players have to be collegiate players, Kam said.
Kam's business is footing the bill for a league, which is owned and operated by a nonprofit organization called the Hawaii Youth Sports Foundation, and does not generate any revenue.
He prefers to pay for everything so there is no obligation to cater to any particular group. There is no marketing or advertising of the league.
Since there is no admission charge for the games, Aloha Stadium does not charge spectators for parking. (On swap meet days, entrants pay the 50-cent fee that swappers pay.)
Kam would not disclose costs to run the league, but among the expenses are:
"There's a greater purpose than just making money," Kam said of the venture. "Baseball is our route."
There are volunteers doing day-to-day work. Kam himself helps with the laundry each day.
The upstart league still faces challenges. Kam said some players asked him about poor attendance. He tells them to worry about the product on the field and the rest will take care of itself.
Except for some radio broadcasts, Kam admits marketing the league is not a priority yet. The league has a Web site (www.hawaii-cbl.com), but has yet to post scores or league statistics. The league has not reported scores to the media.
"We're still getting our feet wet," Kam said.
For Kam, the greater good is to encourage players do things "the right way" on the field and off it. The idea of having college players is to give Hawai'i's youth incentive to do well in the classroom so they can be eligible to play in college and eventually in the HCBL. That is why the league is tied in to AAU and American Legion. The two leagues, with high-school aged players, run concurrent to the HCBL.There is rhyme and reason to all this.
"These guys are role models," Kam said of the HCBL players. "(Hawai'i's youth) need something to aspire for. The bar we shoot for is too low. That is why we have this."
The players seem to enjoy the league. Some other summer leagues on the Mainland house players in host homes. But Kam knew Hawai'i's real estate situation is different; there aren't many homes here that have extra rooms.
"You go out and play against them and then it's fun to see them back at the apartments," said Waimea pitcher Josh Schneider, who will play for UH this coming season. "It's a good atmosphere. I'd recommend this league to anybody because they have a good thing going out here."
On Thursday, the league is holding what is called "scout day" when pro scouts can test and evaluate the players. The scouts can watch the players in game situations over a couple of days because all six teams play each day. To make the scouts' trips from the Mainland worthwhile, the league will hold a Major League Baseball combine for high school class of 2007 and 2008 players on Saturday. To cap the trip, the HCBL will hold an all-star game on July 4.
Kam said the events give the players more exposure. In addition, college coaches might show up to monitor their players in the HCBL and do some side trips to scout the American Legion games.
"We think Hawai'i can be a mecca for baseball," Kam said. "This will give Hawai'i kids more opportunities to play college and pro sports."
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.
