Five years ago, Jordan Kurokawa enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Hilo with the expressed intent of doing whatever was required to put himself in position to receive a phone call just like the one he got Saturday. ADVERTISING
Five years ago, Jordan Kurokawa enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Hilo with the expressed intent of doing whatever was required to put himself in position to receive a phone call just like the one he got Saturday.
It was the Philadelphia Phillies on the line, specifically scout Demerius Pittman, who had been in the stands at Wong Stadium back in February when Kurokawa one-hit Hawaii-Manoa in a 1-0 shutout that showed off his mid-90s fastball and revealed the poise he displays on the mound.
Oddly enough, Pittman had been originally drafted in the 28th round as well but never actually played professional, instead moving into scouting.
Kurokawa isn’t interested in anything but pitching right now.
“It sounds cliche and all, but it really is a dream come true,” Kurokawa said Saturday morning. “I came to Hilo, you could say, as a steppingstone to the majors. My goal was to get some individualized teaching and see if I could get myself ready for the big leagues.
“It’s a great feeling to have gotten to this place,” he said. “Everybody I was involved with at the school, coach Kal (Kallen Miyataki), coach (Joey) Estrella (who retired an was replaced by Miyataki), all the trainers and the assistant coaches and everyone who helped me? I’ll never forget them.
“But I haven’t done anything yet, I just have the opportunity to do something and I intend to make the best of it.”
He’ll find out next week where his professional road will start, but a likely destination might be Williamsport, in the New York-Penn League, a short-season Class A league that begins play this coming weekend. They might decide to start him in a rookie league in Florida or even a long season Class A league where they have a franchise in Lakewood Township, New Jersey in the South Atlantic League.
“I don’t think he’s going to care where they send him,” said UH-Hilo coach Kallen Miyataki, “he just wants to get started.
“I’m ecstatic for Jordan and, to be honest, for our program,” he said. “I’ve always said this is an opportunity program, it’s not like the big programs. A lot of kids want to go to Arizona State, Arizona, Florida State, whatever, and that’s good to have those kind of ambitions, but at those places, what you find a lot of times is that if you have a stumble or a setback, you might be benched and when you’re not playing, you’re not getting better.
“We are a smaller program, obviously,” Miyataki said, “but we are a place where you’re going to get a second, third and fourth chance. Developing players is a process, it takes time, and Jordan is really a shining example of what can happen for you here.”
Kurokawa came into his own as a junior. He had grown to 6-foot-3, had learned efficient mechanics for his delivery and people were beginning to take notice.
It all came together for him this season despite an unglamorous 3-5 record on a 9-33 team. He pitched 67 innings, allowed 63 base hits, 34 runs and only 22 earned runs for an impressive 2.96 earned run average while striking out 67 and walking only 24. When a college pitcher who throws in the mid-90s has that kind of ERA a strikeout-to-walk ratio, he’s a prospect.
“It’s been a great thing, watching him develop like he has,” Miyataki said. “This is a kid who has a good head on his shoulders. After his junior season, everybody sort of wanted to be in his ear, wanted to be his friends, wanted to give him advice. He’s smart, he listened and took what he needed, but didn’t let it distract him.
“Right now, all of that’s changed,” he said. “All he has to listen to are his new coaches, wherever he goes. He has a career now, it’s going to be all business and I think he’s absolutely ready.”
Kurokawa said he was a little surprised by the Phillies phone call because he had more from Toronto, but none of that matters anymore.
“I have a chance,” he said. “Basically, that’s all I ever asked for, just let me see how I match up, see what I can do.”
That opportunity will likely occur later this week.
