Aloha Ka Punahou 2003.24
Five for three deal: Chavez greets champion players
McKinley Washington, Oscar Funke, Sam Jones, Ruben Venegas to Hawaii
Hawaii unloads $22 mil in "overpaid contracts" (Torres, Van Dongen)
August 1
Call Alan Hoot a money-tosser; you can also call him a belt-tightener.
Hoot tossed money at then 32-year-old Alphonso Torres ($38m guaranteed over 4 yrs) and at
34-year-old Dutch-import David van Dongen ($34.5m guaranteed over 3 years).
Now they're both out on their keesters. Torres, literally, as his inclusion in today's trade that
rattled the west coast and beyond was for "throw away" purposes.
Torres for Sad Sam Jones
"We're not even talking salary dump," said team treasurer Wainona Rai-der, back from her 4-
month honeymoon with OF Mark Paul Gosselaar. "Mr Hoot instructed me: Get me $9 mil in cash.
I need to get the team in the black." When Stitch Lilo said the league might raise eye brows at
such an amount passing hands, we—that is, Mr Hoot, Mr Schroeder [Gm, Cal], Mr Ho,
and Mr Lilo—decided to trade El Phonzo for Sad Sam. It was a brilliant work of, um-,
accounting," said Rai-der.
And a brilliant upgrade in defense and youth. Sam Jones, 4 years younger and $8m cheaper
than Torres brings legitimate, if unexceptional, tools to the left field position. Jones is also a
lifetime .300 hitter and hit .339 in California's post season drive last year. This season he was
reduced to a back up player for the Crusaders. In his first 9 games for Hawaii he is hitting .324.
DVD for McKinley Washington
Manager Alberto Chavez, still breathing the air of his 2002 Landis Championship, had
suggested to Mr Hoot before the All Star Game to pursue CL McKinley Washington, who had
come under the ire of Schroeder for vast under-performance. Hoot van dangled van Dongen to
Schroeder, who thought the idea intriguing but too costly. Until Vancouver refused to go away.
So far the trade of the powerhouse closers has worked out: neither has given up a run in 5
innings for his new club. Washington saved two games for Hawaii. "McWash", 32, is two years
younger than Van Dongen, won the 2002 MBBA JL Fireman of the Year Award, and collected
his 300th MBBA save. In last year's post season he was 2-0-5, 0.93. Washington inexplicably
imploded this season, although in July he seemed himself: 2-1, 1.54 in 9 games.
Washington is in a contract year, which gives Hoot options. The 6'3" San Diego closer has
indicated he will take a $2m contract cut, making him half as pricey as the Dutchman DVD.
"Or," said team spokesperson Stitch Lilo, "We can let him loose on the free agent market and
hope to get a Type-A comp pick." But with the EBA also in line to sign free agents, Hoot is
more likely to re-sign McWash, unless his career reverts to being a mcwash.
Funke-to-Funke?
Oscar Funke, who was on pace to win 15 games for the sixth season in a row for California, has
similar tools to the "other" Dutchman, William Van Landingham. Funke-to-Funke is also three
years younger (see the pattern yet?), yet in this case more expensive. Yet Chavez was
insistent on Funke's inclusion in the deal. "He's not greedy and we expect him to sign for less
when his contract is renewed in 2005." Meanwhile WVL's contract jumps to $6.7 m in 2006.
Mr Hoot, the belt-tightner, who last year sold two players to Chicago for $7 m to balance the
books, closes the 2003 team deficit to approx $1.2m with today's deal. "That's a $5m
improvement," chirped Wainona Rai-der.
Jim Oneill for a Ruben Sandwich?
Hoot was loth to trade Hooter SS Jim Oneill, especially after just trading back up INF Stowell,
but he insisted on receiving a prospect in turn.
"Stitch and I looked at the Califa prospects one by one and scratched them all off," said Hoot.
"By the time we got to number six or so, we gave up."
"We nitpicked and found problems with all of Califa's top prospects—usually involving fielding,"
Hoot said. "This could have been a 'deal-breaker' until Stitch spied Rubén Venegas, then we
approached [celebrity team crooner-owner] Don Ho and he gave us his sugar cane stump of
approval,...as did Al [Chavez]. Venegas brings exceptional first base skills, leadership
skills—and he can hit.
The acquisition of Venegas, along with the recent additions by trade of SP Daffy MacNeill and
SP Jeff Hartle, and this year's draft picks SP Phil Richter and CL (yes CL) Andres Amazing
Campos; and the development of last year's picks OF Ramos, C Tillman, and others in the farm
system...has vaulted Hawaii's minor league system to 3rd in the league. It was among the
worst when Hoot took over.
Stop and smell the roses
Have we overlooked Mack Davis? Er, Matt Davis? The 26-y-o righty will be the latest atempt
to bring consistency to Hawaii's lamentable 2003 middle relief squad. "He's another one that's
still developing and once he has his control, um, under control, he'll be a presence."
