Mike Lum’s Topps baseball card in 1969, the year he became the first player from Hawai’i and first Asian-American to play in a Major League postseason game.
As the World Series moved to Atlanta this weekend, it brought to mind the first Major League Baseball player from Hawai’i to appear in a postseason game.
On Oct. 4, 1969, former Roosevelt High School quarterback and 1963 ILH Back of the Year Mike Lum made history by trotting out to left field for the Atlanta Braves against the visiting New York Mets in Game 1 of the first-ever National League Championship Series.
In front of 50,122 fans at Atlanta Stadium (later renamed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium) and with the Braves clinging to a precarious 5-4 lead, Lum replaced future NL All-Star Rico Carty to start the eighth inning and was immediately forced into action when the Mets’ Wayne Garrett led off wth a double into left field. That ignited a big inning for New York, which scored five runs on four hits and two errors to grab a 9-5 lead.
That’s how the score remained when Lum came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, immediately following future MLB home run king Hank Aaron’s fly out to left field and with Felix Millan at first base. This would be the first ever MLB postseason plate appearance by a player from Hawai’i, and Lum made the most of it by promptly going oppo for a double to left off reliever Ron Taylor, advancing Millan to third base.
Alas, the game would end soon after when Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando Cepeda popped up a fly ball to second for the third out.
Things did not get better in Game 2, as the Mets continued their hot hitting and rolled past the Braves, 11-6, for a commanding 2-0 series lead as the NLCS moved to Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
Lum did not play in Game 2, most likely because with New York ahead by five runs late, the Braves needed to keep Carty’s bat in the lineup. Carty hit .342 that season, with 16 home runs — compared to Lum, who batted a modest .268 with only one round-tripper.
Interesting to note, there was no “travel day” back then, even as the series moved 880 miles from Atlanta to Queens. So despite Game 2 ending past 7 p.m. EDT on that Sunday, both teams apparently hopped on a plane for the two-hour plus flight to New York the same night and got whatever rest they could for a scheduled 1 p.m. first pitch at Shea Stadium the next day.
It did not appear to bother the Braves, who jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Hank Aaron’s two-run homer with one out in the top of the first inning. Atlanta clung to a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth, when the Mets exploded for three runs on four hits to jump ahead 6-4. New York added a run in the sixth to make it 7-4, and then Lum was inserted as a pinch hitter for catcher Bob Didier facing future legendary Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan with two outs and Carty at first base in the top of the eighth inning.
Lum again came through, again going oppo with a single to left, advancing Carty to second base. Felipe Alou then stepped in as a pinch-hitter for Gil Garrido, representing the tying run at home plate.
But Alou lined out to shortstop Bud Harrelson to end the rally, and Ryan went on to close out his seventh (!) and final inning of relief to earn his first-ever postseason victory.
For Lum, his appearances were brief, but certainly productive: He can honestly say he led the series in batting average (1.000; 2-for-2) and slugging percentage (1.500; one double, one single in 2 AB).
And again, it wasn’t against Tom Tomatocan. Ron Taylor went a career-best 9-4 that season with a 2.72 ERA, and Nolan Ryan was a 22-year-old stud in the early stages of a phenomenal career that eventually produced 324 wins and an MLB record 5,714 strikeouts.
Most significantly, Lum broke a significant barrier as the first player from Hawai’i and the first Asian American to reach Major League Baseball’s postseason.
And he did it in a big way.
So as we watch Atlanta chase its first World Series championship since 1995 this weekend, let us stop for a moment and tip our hat to a great all-around athlete from Roosevelt who made MLB history and helped the Braves reach their first-ever postseason appearance back in 1969.
Alvin Harrington was an ILH All-Star running back for Punahou in 1952 and 1953 and as a senior led the Puns to their first league football championship since 1924. (Honolulu Advertiser Photo from Newspapers.com)Al Harrington, the way I remember him, as Detective Ben Kokua on the original Hawai’i Five-0. (Photo from hawaiifiveofandom.com).
One day after former Hawai’i Islanders standout pitcher Fred Kuhaulua passed away last month, our great state lost another prominent Polynesian former athlete when Al Harrington died at age 85 on Sept. 21 after reportedly suffering a stroke.
Harrington, who was a two-time ILH All-Star running back for Punahou and later played extensively at Stanford, is best remembered as a Polynesian show entertainer and for his role as Detective Ben Kokua on TV’s original Hawai’i Five-0. But he literally first made a name for himself on the gridiron at Honolulu Stadium in 1952 and 1953.
His life story really is as unique and amazing as his many talents.
According to the obituary written by the Star-Advertiser’s John Berger, Harrington was born as Tausau Ta’a in American Samoa and lived there until moving to Honolulu at age 3. He grew up in Halawa Housing and attended ‘Aiea Grammar School (later separated into ‘Aiea Elementary and ‘Aiea Intermediate) before being accepted to Punahou and changing his name to Alvin Harrington, in honor of his stepfather, Roy Harrington.
In his junior season at Punahou, Harrington led the ILH in rushing with 644 yards on 103 carries, for an average rush of 6.3 yards per carry and 92 yards per game. He also led the league in scoring with 71 points (11 touchdowns plus five extra point conversions) and threw for 127 yards and two TD’s.
Those regular season statistics do not include punt/kick returns or his standout performance in the annual Thanksgiving Day doubleheader feature game against previously unbeaten regular season champion Kamehameha. In that game, which was played before an overflow crowd of 26,000 at Honolulu Stadium, Harrington rushed for two touchdowns and kicked two PAT’s to help the Puns upset the Warriors, 22-14.
To put Harrington’s star status into perspective, that game also featured future Oregon State standout and Green Bay Packers quarterback Joe Francis (Kamehameha), and Warriors all-star end Alex Kane, who went on to start at Utah.
Despite being the only junior named to the ILH All-Star offense that season, Harrington earned the third-most votes submitted by league coaches selecting the team.
And for an encore, Harrington topped 1952 with an even more memorable senior season in 1953.
On Nov. 21, 1953, he rushed for 167 yards on 17 carries, including touchdown runs of 36 and 60 yards described as “back-breakers” by The Honolulu Advertiser in Punahou’s 25-2 victory over defending champion Kamehameha for the Puns’ first ILH title since 1924.
Harrington again led the league in scoring and in rushing with 618 yards on 86 carries for a 7.5 ypc average, caught six passes for 103 yards and one touchdown and threw for 73 more yards.
And for the second year in a row, he helped Punahou to a victory before an overflow crowd of 25,000-plus at Honolulu Stadium in the feature game of the legendary Turkey Day doubleheader, as the Puns rolled past St. Louis, 37-14.
Harrington rushed for 153 yards and two TD’s on 21 carries, adding a 28-yard kick return and 13-yard punt return.
He was one of only two unanimous selections on the ILH All-Star team, and by that standard was considered the league’s Back of the Year.
In addition to football, Harrington also was a standout in basketball (four-year letterman) and track (shot put record) at Punahou.
Harrington continued his football success at Stanford, where he played in the same backfield as consensus All-American and future San Francisco 49ers legendary quarterback John Brodie, and rushed for 419 yards on 90 carries (4.7 ypc) his senior year (1957) — good for seventh place among Pacific Coast Conference leaders. He also reportedly averaged 42 yards on seven punts, and made seven career receptions for 40 yards.
According to sports-reference.com, Harrington finished his college career with 531 yards rushing, still good for 62nd place today after 101 seasons of Stanford football.
Harrington graduated from Stanford with a history degree in 1958 and reportedly received interest from the Baltimore Colts, but instead served a Mormon mission in American Samoa and later returned to Punahou as a history teacher and football coach. Among the players he trained was future Michigan State, UH and Kansas City Chiefs running back Arnold Morgado.
Of course, Harrington later again made a name for himself in his role as Detective Ben Kokua on the original Hawai’i Five-0, and then as a legendary Polynesian entertainer in Waikiki. In 2018, he received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Hawai’i Association of Recording Artists, one of the highest honors in local entertainment.
I never met Al Harrington, and obviously am way too young to have seen him in action as an athlete. Unfortunately, I also never got to attend one of his Waikiki performances.
I remember him mostly through his role as Ben Kokua on Hawai’i Five-0, and although he was acting, I couldn’t help but think his character somehow related to him in real life: Humble, loyal, intelligent but soft-spoken, hard-working, diligent and extremely valuable to the team, although never intentionally drawing attention or recognition to himself. And as the name “Kokua” suggests, always willing to help others.
That is how I prefer to remember Al Harrington, as well as him being one of the greatest football players in Punahou and ILH history.
My condolences go out to the Harrington ‘ohana, and mahalo for sharing Al with us and allowing him to share his aloha for Hawai’i with kama’aina and malihini alike. He was one of our islands’ treasures, for sure.
Fred Kuhaulua’s 1980 baseball card, and how I remember him at Aloha Stadium.
Before I first learned about college basketball legend “Coach K,” and long before I ever heard of music legend Willie K, I was drawn to and quickly became a big fan of a Hawai’i Islanders pitcher from Wai’anae affectionately known as “Freddie K.”
Now that I think about it, Fred Kuhaulua, who sadly passed away on Sept. 20 at age 68, really was the first baseball player whom I paid close attention to as far as his statistics, career path and anticipation in watching him play.
I am so thankful that my dad was a huge baseball fan and gladly obliged whenever I asked him to take me to Islanders games at Aloha Stadium in the late 1970’s and early-to-mid 1980’s. Usually there was some kind of promotion involved: “Helmet Night,” or “Jacket Night,” or “Bat Night,” “Baseball Cards Night,” etc., and I collected them all (wish I kept them; I think I might still have the cherry wood-colored bat somewhere). “Fireworks Night” was another great reason to visit Halawa on a warm summer night.
Of course, beyond the promotions and free giveaways, the great baseball was always a treat. Hard to imagine these days that we once actually had a Triple-A franchise to call our own and watch in person less than 20 minutes away. What I wouldn’t give for that now!
Anyway, I had gone to a game or two in 1977 or ’78, but I really became an Islanders fan in the summer of 1979. Ironically, that turned out to be the last year I actually played baseball, for the Manoa (Mustang) Giants. So at the tender age of 11, I transitioned from baseball player to baseball fan. Huge baseball fan.
On one of those promotional giveaway nights, I first saw a left-handed starting pitcher named Fred Kuhaulua.
Not a physically imposing guy — he was listed at 5 feet 11, 175 pounds, and not at all overpowering with his fastball, which probably clocked in the mid or high 80 mph range, tops. But he had a beautiful, slow and graceful windup, so effortless … high leg kick, but not overly dramatic like Dontrelle Willis or Juan Marichal. Just the right height and tempo.
He also had an equally smooth and graceful delivery, and his best pitch was what announcers called a great “sweeping curve ball.” Not a “12-6” curve, but a horizontally wide-arc curve that would start outside the strike zone but somehow find its way over the plate in the final 10 to 15 feet or so.
Freddie K. obviously had great location and command, as well, because again, he did not blow fastballs past a lot of batters and was not physically imposing.
In fact, he garnered only “Honorable Mention” honors on the OIA West All-Star Team in 1971, his senior year at Wai’anae, and went undrafted that June.
After a year at Santa Ana (Calif.) College, Kuhaulua again went undrafted but signed a free agent contract with the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 1, 1972 and was assigned to their Pioneer (Rookie) League team in Great Falls, Montana.
He was promoted to the Single-A Decatur (Ga.) Commodores in 1973, then played A-ball for the Fresno Giants in 1974 and — after being traded to the California Angels organization — the Salinas (Calif.) Packers in ’75 before being promoted to the AA El Paso Diablos in 1976. He started 1977 with the Triple-A Salt Lake City Gulls of the Pacific Coast League and then, on Aug. 1, was called up to the Angels.
The very next night, Aug. 2, 1977, the visiting New York Yankees chased Angels starter Paul Hartzell with two outs in the top of the fourth inning and in front of 30,298 fans at Anaheim Stadium, 24-year-old Fred Kuhaulua of Wai’anae, HI, made his Major League Baseball debut.
It was not a winning debut, as he allowed five hits and three runs (all earned) with one strikeout and one walk in 2 and 1/3 innings, but most importantly the former Wai’anae pitcher apparently became only the third OIA athlete (after Kalani’s Ryan Kurosaki and Lenn Sakata) and the first from the OIA Western Division to reach the Major Leagues. Quite an achievement.
Ten days later, in front of 33,473 fans at Yankee Stadium, Kuhaulua made his first MLB start but lasted only 1 and 1/3 innings after allowing four hits, three runs (all earned) and walking one batter.
He pitched against the Yankees again two days later in mop-up relief, but that would be his final appearance of the season.
After being released by the Angels during the following Spring Training, Kuhaulua signed with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japan Central League and spent the 1978 season with that Nagoya-based franchise.
Then on March 1, 1979, Freddie K. got his second shot back in America, and signed with the San Diego Padres. He was assigned to the Padres’ Triple-A club, which happened to be the Hawai’i Islanders.
Reporting from camp in Yuma, Ariz., Honolulu Advertiser sports writer Ferd Borsch wrote that “southpaw Kuhaulua has impressed the Padre brass with his early spring stuff,” and noted that San Diego farm director Jim Weigel added, “I really like his arm. (Padres manager) Roger Craig also liked what he saw. When Roger saw him throwing, he wanted to know who he was.”
To my delight, Kuhaulua spent the next three summers pitching for the Islanders, winning 10 games each season.
When the Padres expanded their roster after the 1981 Islanders season, Kuhaulua got called up to San Diego and made his return to MLB with a relief appearance against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Jack Murphy Stadium on Sept. 6.
He then made four straight starts, the last of which was one for the ages, but curiously seldom since talked about.
On Oct. 1, 1981, in front of 38,267 fans at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Freddie K. took the mound against a 20-year-old rookie sensation named Fernando Valenzuela, who had swept up Southern California and the entire nation by storm that season. “Fernando Mania” was still in high gear, and Valenzuela entered the game with a 13-6 record in the strike-shortened schedule.
Kuhaulua, by contrast, was mostly a minor league journeyman from Wai’anae whom most of the baseball world had never heard of.
But on that Thursday night in Chavez Ravine, Freddie K. was Da’ Man:
He dazzled his way through a Dodgers lineup that featured future Rookie of the Year Steve Sax at leadoff, Ken Landreaux batting second, Dusty Baker third and Steve Garvey in cleanup, followed by Pedro Guerrero, Steve Yeager, Bill Russell, Derrel Thomas and then Valenzuela, who handled the bat pretty well for a pitcher.
Kuhaulua was brilliant, at one point retiring 13 batters in a row, and finished with allowing just five hits in eight shutout innings, with two strikeouts and two walks as the Padres beat Valenzuela and the Dodgers, 1-0.
Alas, it was Freddie K.’s first and last Major League victory, and his final MLB appearance. He played only one more season with the Islanders before retiring for good in 1982.
Kuhaulua’s professional playing days may have ended at age 29, but thankfully his life in baseball did not.
He later returned to Wai’anae High School and served as pitching coach, helping the Seariders win the 1990 OIA championship and to a runner-up finish in the HHSAA State Championship tournament that season.
In the years since, and even during his prime, to me Fred Kuhaulua always seemed to be under the public radar for whatever reason. There was barely a Honolulu newspaper mention of his first MLB appearance in 1977, and as alluded to earlier, his historic victory over National League Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year winner Valenzuela and the 1981 World Series Champion Dodgers seems largely forgotten. In conversations about great pitchers from Hawai’i, we always hear the popular names of Sid Fernandez, Derek Tatsuno, Mike Fetters, Shane Komine, Brandon League and, most recently, Kirby Yates.
We almost never hear the name of Fred Kuhaulua.
But for a kid like me watching him in person at Aloha Stadium as he took the mound and went through those graceful windups and deliveries, and then later listening on the radio as he suited up for the San Diego Padres … Freddie K. was Da’ Man.
Speaking of radio, KGU announcers Les Keiter or Alan Elconin would always introduce him this way: “… And the starting pitcher for the Islanders tonight, the Pride of Wai’anae, Fred Kuhaulua.”
For myself, and probably many other Islanders fans of that era, Freddie K. was much more than that: He was one of my childhood idols, and the Pride of ALL Hawai’i.
I would like to send my deepest condolences to the Kuhaulua ‘Ohana, and wish them comfort in this difficult time of grief. I mourn with you. Thanks for sharing and allowing him to be an inspiration to local kids like me.
Although this is my first public mahalo to Freddie K., it won’t be the last. He will be remembered and mentioned here again, and probably more than once.
A hui hou kakou. And Rest in Peace, Fred Kuhaulua.
‘Iolani left halfback Roy Chong slips a tackle at Alexander Field. (Photo courtesy Armand Chong)
The ‘Iolani Raiders will play host to Saint Louis (2) at 3:15 p.m. Friday in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu varsity football game at Eddie Hamada Field.
Almost exactly 85 years prior, at 3 p.m. on Sept. 25, 1936, ‘Iolani made its historic ILH varsity sports debut by stunning established powerhouse Saint Louis, 12-0, on a Friday afternoon at Punahou’s Alexander Field.
‘Iolani, which was founded in 1863 but never had an athletic program until Father Kenneth Bray arrived from Pennsylvania and started one from scratch in 1932, was so lightly regarded that Bray had to aggressively campaign to have the school gain admittance into the ILH in early 1936.
On the game’s eve, a Honolulu Star-Bulletin headline read, “FAVOR SAINTS OVER IOLANIS”. The article described Saint Louis as a “heavy favorite … because of superior material,” and stated about ‘Iolani: “It is no secret the upper Nuuanu school hasn’t the material of other schools … (and) where Iolani will also be handicapped is in weight. St. Louis will be at least nine pounds heavier per man. The Iolanis’ average 152 pounds on the line and 143 in the backfield.”
The next morning’s Honolulu Advertiser headline read, “ST. LOUIS FAVORED TO DEFEAT IOLANI TODAY”. But the un-bylined article quickly stated that “the Nuuanu school … should give the Saints a tough battle … The game will be close.”
The Advertser also predicted that “a good size crowd is expected to take in the game to give the Saints and the Iolanis a once over.”
The final score was close, but only because ‘Iolani squandered two touchdown opportunities near the goal line.
After a scoreless first half, Tomoji Tamura recovered a punt block by Alex Burso in the end zone to put ‘Iolani ahead, 6-0 (extra point failed) early, and then “a few minutes later Paul Newalu recovered a (Saints) fumble … on the fifteen-yard line,” The Advertiser reported.
Eight plays later, “husky Iolani fullback” Bill Sing plunged in from 1 yard out to make it 12-0 (conversion attempt failed again).
Advertiser sports writer Andrew Mitsukado led off his article, subheaded as “Big Upset Registered in Prep Loop,” by writing:
“Iolani High school (sic) is an infant member of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, but it has a football aggression that is the equal of any team in the conference,” adding that “the Nuuanu gridders … startled 2500 fans.”
“It was a big upset,” Mitsukado wrote, “and in scoring their spectacular victory, Father Kenneth Bray’s proteges uncorked a hard charging line which played no small part in deciding the outcome of the fray.
“Iolani dominated play all through the game except for isolated instances. The Nuuanu forwards were continually breaking through to harass the opposing ball carriers. Little Tomoji Tamura, right guard, and Alex Burso, left tackle, did plenty of the damage, the former time and again breaking up plays at their inception and Burso blocking several punts.”
Mitsukado later added, “The Nuuanuans showed the effects of good coaching and there was no trace of the ‘greenness’ they showed when they answered the first call for candidates by Father Bray and his assistants, Bill Among and Henry ‘Toots’ Harrison.
“They played good, hard football, and they deserved to win.
“Many of the 2,500 fans must have felt sorry for the Iolani gridders as they came onto the field all dressed up in a colorful uniform before the game and hoped that they would at least make a credible showing against the Saints who were favored to win.
“But what happened is something the spectators will not soon forget.”
Here is to the hope that future generations of Raiders won’t forget, either.
