A summary of the Spring 2022 season and look ahead to what’s to come!
I’d like to congratulate the Makena Royals on winning the Spring 2022 championship to cap off a truly impressive season. Additional congratulations to the league award winners and everyone who was selected to represent their squads in the All-Star Game and HR Derby on June 19.
For a lot of reasons this season was an exciting one! All told 12 new players joined the league this season, including a few former MLB-affiliated guys and some pitching that was a real treat to watch and compete against. We played night games in Maehara Stadium again for the first time since 2019. Beyond the games, the league took some major strides in realizing numerous community outreach efforts this season. Several MABL players served on umpire crews for Kihei Little League on a weekly basis this spring. After being put on hold for a couple years, the 1st ever MABL Youth Clinic was a huge success with over 160 kids registered and more than 30 members of the league lending their time and knowledge to help give back to the community.
For the third consecutive season, the league hosted an “All-Star Food Drive” for the Maui Food Bank, in conjunction with the MABL All-Star Game and HR Derby in Makawao. These events have raised approximately 750 lbs of food and $325 in monetary donations.
Looking ahead towards next season, which is slated to start Sunday, August 7, there are a couple ways we hope to continue to expand upon what the MABL has to offer. We are awaiting the processing of 501(c)(3) non-profit paperwork with the intent to continue to grow our efforts in the community, and to pursue additional opportunities to help offset the cost of running the league. In addition, all members of the MABL are invited to attend weekly open workouts held on Tuesday evenings (at rotating locations, see here for details). Organized by John Lamb, these are ongoing, and are planned for the duration of the Summer 2022 season.
In closing, I’d like to thank every member of the league who plays a part in making the MABL such a special community. None of the things touched on above would be possible without the efforts of many people, and I’m truly grateful for the time and commitment of each of those individuals. Special thanks to Rich Doster, Ryan Swindle, Matthew Reidy, Roy Smith, Elias Steadman, and Tim Lyons – all members of the MABL Board. These guys do not receive nearly the recognition they deserve for the work they put in behind the scenes to make the league happen every single week.
Thank you for reading and for being a part of the Maui Adult Baseball League. I look forward to sharing the field with you all again in a few weeks!
–Mike Abercrombie