By BART WRIGHT
Hawaii Tribune Herald
On the one hand, it’s nothing all that new or different for Danny Ayala and his Pomaikai softball team, once more heading to the Hawaii kupuna state tournament, hunting another championship.
It was how Ayala started with Pomaikai in 2001 after a stint in Kona where he played with a C League team while working as a fire captain, prior to retirement and a move to Hilo.
He retired from the job, not the game. After winning two state titles, he became acquainted with Gary Jung who urged Ayala to join Pomaikai with him, saying they could win the state A title.
And that’s what happened. Pomaikai won in 2001, again the next year and a tradition had begun. Records aren’t great, even for the Hawaii Kupuna Softball organization that oversees the tournament. Records start in 2006, registering state championships in 2008 and 2012, so this attempt might be one for thumb, the fifth title since 2001.
Ayala may have already won five, lacking recollection of the missing years 2002-2007. “We might have got another one or two, I really don’t remember,” he said, but there is a new element to this year’s squad worthy of mention.
“It’s been a long time I’ve been doing this,” Ayala said, “but I think this is the best team we have had.”
Despite that strong statement, it appears Hawaii Kupuna Softball will still require Pomaikai to show up and play, starting Monday morning with the first two of three seeding games for the tournament proper, which is all Ayala’s group has ever asked for — give us a chance.
Pomaikai is one of the oldest teams in the state, besides being at the top of the ladder for success over the years.
“I don’t have all the rosters,” Ayala said, “but I’m pretty sure we are the oldest team. Everyone we play seems to talk about it, they say, ‘You guys know this game so well,’ or ‘How do you keep doing it?, those kinds of things. It’s a wonderful compliment.”
This league is for players over 60, with one under-60 allowed to play at a time. Most teams bulk up the roster with players 60-75, but not Pomaikai. Ayala’s squad lists three players — George Kodani, Mike Fontes and Mel Hirayama — all in their 80s. Kodani will be 84 in December and if you ever watch one of their games, he’s guy who seems to be on base at all times.
The older guys lead the way, but the engine room comes from guys a bit younger.
“We really have some sluggers,” Ayala said. “I call them Godzilla Don Ouderkirk, and Hammerin’ Pat Prieto. Those two guys? We couldn’t do without them, but we also have Peter Ngirngotel, and this guy, I’m telling you, he runs, he hits, he’s all over the bases causing problems.”
Off they go, and when they compete for a state championship, it is not okay if they finish without one.
“The worst,” Ayala said, “was in 2011. We beat Maui and two Oahu teams and we got to the semifinal — winner plays for the state championship — and they changed the rules on us. They said we had to play Maui again, but no, we should have played Kona Gold, we already beat Maui.”
There was a heated discussion — Ayala says other teams told him they’d never seen anything like it before — and the tournament directors held firm. Pomaikai would have to beat Maui a second time to get to the championship game.
Ayala gathered his team together, discussed the situation and the position they were in and they came to a quick, unanimous decision. They forfeited the game and went home rather than play under what they felt had been an abuse of the rules they had known for a decade.
“They gave us fourth place because we forfeited,” Ayala said, “but that is all in the past, we’re looking forward to this tournament. We think we can win another one.”
Pomaikai has games at 11:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday, then one more seeding game Tuesday before it all starts to take shape.
May the best team win.