He was cut from the University of Hawaii baseball team one season, demoted to the junior varsity squad another year and was a victim of a horrendous traffic accident that left him a quadriplegic four months after graduation.
But the determination, resilience and passion that Michael D. H. Chung demonstrated in pursuing life on and off the field made him one of the most admired players in the Rainbows’ history, even long after his final season of 1983.
Testimonials to his indomitable spirit and humor have been mounting on social media as former teammates recall the player they knew as “Chungie” following his death Thursday at age 59.
“He was always a fighter,” recalls Guy Ogawa, a former UH pitcher. “He was an inspiration to me and other walk-ons, telling us to keep going no matter what and showing us what hard work could do.”
Former teammate Wes Kimura said, “His strength was that he was very confident and super competitive. His confidence didn’t always match his talent on the field but he had a grittiness and competitiveness that carried him.”
When he did get on the mound as a rare spot starter and occasionally in relief, Chung was a fierce competitor that belied his 1-0 career record. When the ’Bows played against Team USA, which was using wooden bats, Chung and the other pitchers decided to have a contest to see who could cause their opponents to suffer more broken bats.
Chung won and also struck out John Elway in the process, both of which teammates found amazing given his fastball. “I found his weakness,” Chung told folks later, “He couldn’t hit a 70 mph fastball.”
After being cut from the Aiea JV team, Chung went on to become an All-OIA West selection and pitched a no-hitter against Moanalua in 1978. But his dream of earning a place on the growing UH program did not come easy.
He didn’t make the cut his first year. The second year he was the last man on the list when it was posted on the bulletin board. But a teammate carefully folded the list so that Chung’s name wasn’t visible.
After scanning the list several times, Chung walked away as teammates roared, one of the few times they were able to give him a dose of his own medicine.
“He would make you laugh, pull tricks on people, but on the field and in practice he was all about hard work,” former teammate Sam Kakazu said.
Chung was was relegated to the JV squad early in his junior year. After weeks of pitching batting practice, he was called up to the varsity. “He was a hard worker who never complained,” said fellow pitcher David Smith. “He didn’t play that much but just wanted to make the team and be with the guys.”
“Michael Chung had only so much talent, but worked hard. That’s why he was one of my favorites,” coach Les Murakami said in a 1999 interview. “When he got hurt, I was devastated. He had so much going for him in life.”
In 1985 Chung’s VW was smashed into by a tractor-trailer rig, resulting in severe spinal cord injuries that left him wheelchair bound.
After months in the hospital and in rehabilitation, Chung learned to operate a computer with a headset and went into business as a dealer for back support devices.
“After a while he was like he was as a player, a real character, telling jokes, trying to make you laugh, sometimes talking smack,” Kakazu said. “He was probably the most upbeat guy I’ve ever seen given the situation. Just an amazing guy.”
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
