One year after celebrating their centennial anniversary as a franchise, the Pittsburgh Pirates officially began their partnership with the Hawaii Islanders.
Still managed by Tom Trebelhorn, the Pirates had shifted most of their Triple-A talent from the Portland Beavers, their previous affiliate. Over a dozen players who suited up for Portland in 1982 found themselves playing ball on the islands the following year, including an eventual major leaguer in Trench Davis, who led the Beavers with 141 games played.
José DeLeón, who threw 119 innings for Portland in 1982, would top that number with 127.1 innings for Hawaii the following year. He was one of the team’s best arms for the Islanders that season.
Stashing most of their best minor league talent in Honolulu, the Islanders fought and battled all season to stay above the .500 line. In the end, Hawaii finished just one game over at 72-71, good for third in the Pacific Coast League’s South Division and fifth in the entire ten-team league. It was the fourth straight winning season for the Islanders as a franchise, albeit by the thinnest of margins.
Subscribe to continue reading
Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.
Fifth Avenue Sports 