When the Phillies’ Shane Victorino received a record 15.6 million fan votes last week, he beat out the Giants’ Pablo Sandoval for the last spot on the National League All-Star Team. (Recent tradition gives the last spot to the people. Though, to be fair, the people can vote as often as they like. For instance, three Phillies fans won a radio station promotion and sat in the press box lounge for 52 straight hours clicking nonstop for Victorino.)
By earning the spot, Victorino (aka The Flyin’ Hawaiian), became only the fourth Hawaiian ever to make the All-Star team. Here are some factoids about each Hawaiian, as you gear up for tomorrow night’s game (read: endless series of Taco Bell commercials).
1. Charlie Hough
Born: January 5, 1948, Honolulu, Hawaii
Position: Pitcher
Career highlight: Hough holds the distinction of being the oldest Major Leaguer born in Hawaii to eventually make the All-Star team, which he did in 1986 (a theme, you’ll discover shortly). He pitched his best years for the Texas Rangers and left Texas as the franchise leader in wins, strikeouts, complete games and losses.
What’s he doing now? Hough is the pitching coach for the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino, the AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
2. Ron Darling
Born: August 19, 1960, Honolulu, Hawaii
Position: Pitcher
Career highlight: Selected to the 1985 All-Star team when he played for the Mets, the team he’d help win the World Series in 1986.
What’s he doing now? Working as a color commentator on TBS, as well as for the Mets on both SNY and WPIX.
3. Sid Fernandez
Born: October 12, 1962, Honolulu, Hawaii
Position: Pitcher
Career highlight: Just like Darling, Fernandez helped the Mets win the ’86 World Series. He also went to the All-Star game that year, and repeated the following year, thanks to a strong first half of the year (he’d only go 3-3 after the break).
What’s he doing now? Living in Hawaii again. He and his wife run the Sid Fernandez Foundation, which awards college scholarships to seniors from the Fernandezes’ alma mater, Kaiser High School. He also plays a lot of golf.
4. Shane Victorino
Born: November 30, 1980, Wailuku, Hawaii (the only one of the four not born in Honolulu)
Position: Outfielder (the only one of the four who isn’t a pitcher)
Career highlight: Shane helped the Phillies win the World Series last season, and also won a Gold Glove Award last year. He blogged for the Phillies all through the playoffs, and has become known as one of MLB’s most upstanding players with a winning attitude/approach to the game.
What’s he doing now? Taking BP in St. Lou.
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Not to ding anyone but unless someone is ethnically Hawaiian, they shouldn’t be refered to as Hawaiian. It’s like calling anyone from North Dakota a member of the Dakota tribe.
We are either Hawaiian (as in Hawaiian ethnically) or Local (Someone born and raised in Hawai’i.
posted by wedschilde on 7-13-2009 at 9:41 am
@wedschilde – So the demonym for Hawaii is Local? Wow, I could see that being confusing.
@article – And how can Hough be the first Local selected in 1986 when Darling was selected in 1985? Or is there a distinction between ‘make’ and ‘selected’?
posted by case on 7-13-2009 at 10:17 am
So using wedschilde’s arrogant logic I can’t call myself a Floridian even though I was born, raised and live here?
But we can all be happy now. The Dear Leader is going to be in the booth for the all-star game! There just isn’t enough news of our Dear leader so I am thrilled to know He will grace us for this event.
posted by Hurricane on 7-13-2009 at 11:00 am
Um, how’d we get from old knuckleballer Charlie Hough to Obama bashing in three comments? Hurricane reminds me of my friends who suffered from ‘Bush Derangement Syndrome’ and turned every conversation into a criticism of Bush foreign policy. Leave the unfunny political comments for the political blog posts, please!
posted by Al on 7-13-2009 at 11:16 am
So, Shane the flyin Hawaiian Victorino is the only nonpitching Hawaiian to make the all star team. Wow, I wonder if there are other states with even less representation?
posted by Dan on 7-13-2009 at 11:31 am
Well, not so arrogant logic really. I’m native Hawaiian. It’s my ethnicity along with a few others. And you can call yourself a Floridan all you like… :D. It’s an cultural and ethnic differential. People in Hawai’i who aren’t native Hawaiian don’t call themselves Hawaiian. It’s like saying you’re Japanese if you’re born in Japan but you can be Nipon.
@case: people are either local or kamaai’ina…which kind of means from the land. Either’s an acceptable term.
I think Victorino might be hapa… part Hawaiian and part something else. I’m hapa.
posted by wedschilde on 7-13-2009 at 11:42 am
I am a fellow Kaiser Alumni with Sid. We also share the distinction of having the first ever American Grand Sumo Champ, Akebono who graduated a few years before me.
posted by Marty on 7-13-2009 at 12:45 pm
I know in Alaska, where I reside, you can be an Alaskan, but an Alaska Native is a federally recognized group. So though I was born here I’m not an Alaska Native. Is a Hawaiian a federally recognized group?
posted by aktraveller on 7-13-2009 at 2:05 pm
“they shouldn’t be refered to as Hawaiian” – is what you wrote wedschilde.
You are instructing us to treat you differently than we would citizens of the other 49 states (other 56 for Obama) becuase that is the way you all want it. I won’t play along with the dividing of ethnicities in the US.
As for the Obama comments. The Dear Leader encompasses all so once you all realize it the better you will be.
posted by Hurricane on 7-13-2009 at 4:01 pm
@aktraveller: Well, they’ve issued an apology for overthrowing the Hawaiian monarchy and there is the Akaka bill currently underway for equal status for Native Hawaiians that all other native people get under the Federal government. No gambling though. It’s mostly for tribal recognition and there are lands set aside for Native Hawaiians.
I’m by no means a monarchist. It’s just a cultural / ethnic distinction. And most locals born and raised in Hawai’i would tell you the same. Local custom. Local usage. It’s not offensive in anyway… just inaccurate to how the local society refers to someone.
As for Hurricane, I got nothing there. That seems to be a whole lot of crazy in a thimble.
I’m Hawaiian, Japanese, Irish and Portuguese. I’ve got touchstones in each culture but just consider myself human. :D
posted by wedschilde on 7-13-2009 at 7:09 pm
I’m European-American although I’ve never been to Europe. Or am I Caucasian even though I’ve never been to the Caucasus Mtns? Let’s lose the names and be one big happy family and have some fun on the ‘Net!!!!!!
posted by Doflitchit on 7-13-2009 at 8:22 pm