Onan Masaoka
Professional Baseball Player
Class of 1995
By Sheldon Shishido
Onan Masaoka’s dream was
to play major league baseball. He
fulfilled his dream in 1995, becoming a professional baseball player four days
after graduating from Waiäkea High.
Onan pitched for the Los Angles Dodgers, and finished his career with
the Chicago White Sox in 2001. Many
people helped him throughout his career, but he gives credit to Stanley
Costales, Tommy Correa, and to his family for their support. Onan trained all over Hilo and played in the
Area Codes Baseball league in California while he was a junior. He played football and baseball for Waiäkea
High School.
He said that he wasn’t the smartest or the dumbest guy in his
class, but maintained a passing grade to play sports with a 2.8 GPA. His parents wanted him to do better in
school so they would ask for a progress report every Friday.
Playing Major League Baseball is a rare accomplishment and it
isn’t all fun and games. He and other
rookies had to wear an ugly suit as an initiation ritual at Florida’s stadium
until they were back in L.A. To make
it as a professional athlete he offers this advice, “Do the things that nobody
else wants to do: work hard, focus on
the goal, make sacrifices, don’t sell yourself out, don’t be afraid to try new
things, don’t take performance enhancement drugs, and follow your heart.” Onan is presently a student at the
University of Hawaii at Hilo.