Na Koa Ikaika Maui of the Independent Golden Baseball League has finally unveiled their look, giving their fans something to look forward to when the club begins league play in May 2010.
Rick Berry the COO of XnE Inc. has been a huge part of this process from the beginning(click here). So it wasn’t a surprise to hear that Berry had a hand in the design of the logo and uniforms,
”Since that is kind of under my umbrella, I better be excited about it and I am probably a little bit biased, but I think it is unbelievable,” Berry said. ”I think not only from the color schemes, but the design and application that we have come up with, I am very excited about it. I have shown it around to a few people…
”My kids are my own best critics – they don’t hesitate to tell you if it is good or bad. I have a 14-year-old boy who just thinks he is Mr. Fashion Guru and he has given both thumbs up and said, ‘Dad, you are right on there.’ So I think, to me, it is going to be something that will appeal not only to the locals, and I think the locals are going to be very excited about it, but it will also tie in with the tourists. 
Hawaii does have a long and great history of baseball such as the AAA Pacific Coast League Hawaii Islanders (defunct, 1987) and the Hawaiian Winter League, which draws its players from Nippon Professional Baseball, the Korean Baseball Organization, the Independent Leagues and finally Major League Baseball.
Unfortunately, it has been a while since Hawaii has had a team to call its own.
The Hawaii Islanders were a part of the Pacific Coast League from 1961 up until 1987 when the club relocated to Colorado Springs.
The Maui Stingrays were a dominant force in the Hawaiian Winter League winning two league and two division titles while leading the league in attendance in each of their five years in the league (1993 – 1997).
Maui is very lucky to have a team back in the mix.
In my opinion, it is very difficult to find anything more entertaining and fulfilling than going to the ballpark on a warm summer evening.
At the beginning of any new adventure, second thoughts about success will always enter your mind, however the COO and team president has taken a different approach!
‘We are excited to be here, we love being here in Maui, we definitely appreciate the willingness, the enthusiasm and the excitement that has been here and the hospitality,” Berry said. ”We are just happy to be here and excited to get everything rolling.”
Devon Teeple is an author for the Business of Sports Network, which includes the Biz of Baseball, the Biz of Football, the Biz of Basketball and the Biz of Hockey. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies. Devon is also available for hire or freelance opportunities.
Devon is a former student within Sports Management Worldwide’s Baseball General Manager Class. Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective and is a intern with The Football Outsiders and contributor with the Plymouth River Eels.
Currently, Devon is a Branch Manager at a financial institution in Southern Ontario Canada. He can be reached at devon@thegmsperspective.com or devon@businessofsportsnetwork.com
Follow The GM’s Perspective on facebook , YardBarker, and Bleacher Report
Leave a Reply