| Hawaii Winter Baseball | |
| Pixels: | 150px |
| Sport: | Baseball |
| Teams: | 4 |
| Champion: | North Shore Honu |
| Website: | www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com |
Hawaii Winter Baseball (HWB), based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league in the Hawaiian islands. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB).
The HWB league first began play in 1993. Funded by Major League Baseball, the league drew players from the MLB, Nippon Professional Baseball, the Korea Baseball Organization, and independent leagues. Games were played in Hawaii from October to December. The HWB league first folded after the 1997 season as it was too heavily reliant on its limited funding from MLB.
In 2006, the league returned for its sixth season. It was the only winter league to feature both top Japanese and American talent. However, this new league folded following the 2008 season when the contract with MLB expired.[1]
| East | ||
| Team | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu Sharks | Honolulu, Hawaii | Les Murakami Stadium |
| Waikiki BeachBoys | ||
| West | ||
| Team | City | Stadium |
| North Shore Honu | Waipahu, Hawaii | Hans L'Orange Field |
| West Oahu CaneFires | ||
The Kaneohe Bay Dawgs and Kona Man O'Wars were announced in August 1996 as expansions teams to begin play in 1997.[4] The Kaneohe announcement was rescinded in October 1996,[5] and Kona did not play in 1997.[6]