Chad Cordero, a former major league relief pitcher and current ‘Iolani softball coach, will be the keynote speaker at today’s Enterprise Holdings/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Hawaii Hall of Honor induction.
The HOH banquet will be held at 5 p.m. at the Ala Moana Hotel.
Cordero was more than just a pitcher. He was an All-Star.
A batterymate of former Baldwin star Kurt Suzuki while at Cal State Fullerton in 2003, Cordero was a first-round pick (20th overall) by the Montreal Expos.
He pitched in the majors from 2003 to 2010 with the Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals and Seattle Mariners, all in relief. In 2005, he saved an MLB-leading 47 games and was named to the NL All-Star team while also being named on Cy Young Award and MVP ballots.
Some of his gear also got into the Hall of Fame.
“I was the last Expo to throw a pitch in Montreal. After the game our PR guy came up and asked for the glove and hat for the Hall of Fame. They displayed it for a few years, and they sent me a lifetime pass to the Hall of Fame,” Cordero told Star-Advertiser columnist Dave Reardon in April.
The All-Star Game the next year is among his favorite memories — and not just because he struck out the one batter he faced, eventual Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez.
“It was awesome,” Cordero told Reardon. “I was 23 years old and still acting like a little kid, having a chance to play a kids’ game for a living, in the same locker room as guys I watched as a kid. I was kind of awestruck. What do you even say to them? In the bullpen watching Roger Clemens warm up, I never imagined playing baseball alongside him, then next year with Team USA.”
Today, Cordero will usher in the Hall of Honor Class of 2023 that is composed of seven young women and five young men.
The student-athletes’ bios are on the inside pages and their extended bios are at staradvertiser.com.
Each inductee will receive a $2,000 college scholarship.
The class of ’23 not only prospered through consistent effort but had their high school years marred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For some, the lingering effects cost them one, even two state championship experiences. Yet, the dozen inductees found ways to make up for the lost time in official high school seasons.
Invigorated, not deprived. Milan Ah Yat thrived in volleyball and basketball, but softball became her ticket to college. The University/Pac-Five slugger came through with a momentous grand slam in the final inning to bring a Division II softball state title to the Wolfpack one month ago.
Kahuku stormed the castle with three inductees: Leonard Ah You, Brock Fonoimoana and Liona Lefau.
Prolific track and field standout Tatum Moku of Kamehameha joined the club, bringing her state-record mark in the pole vault.
Campbell ace Taryn Irimata sparked the Sabers to their first state crown since 2017, when Hall of Honor inductee Jocelyn Alo powered the program to a three-peat title.
Kamehameha-Hawaii football and soccer standout Elijah Dinkel propelled the Warriors to consecutive D-II soccer titles.
Solomone Malafu emerged as a force on the gridiron and hardwood for Kapaa, fueling the program’s path to its first D-II football state title.
Keala Montgomery’s three-sport talents brought Lanai to unprecedented heights.
Raya Nakao of Punahou won back-to-back girls golf state titles. Zola O’Donnell capped a super running career with individual titles in cross country and track and field.
—
Hall of Honor inductees
>> Milan Ah Yat of University Lab and Pac-Five
>> Leonard Ah You of Kahuku
>> Elijah Dinkel of Kamehameha-Hawaii
>> Brock Fonoimoana of Kahuku
>> Taryn Irimata of Campbell
>> Liona Lefau of Kahuku
>> Solomone Malafu of Kapaa
>> Tatum Moku of Kamehameha
>> Keala Montgomery of Lanai
>> Raya Nakao of Punahou
>> Zola O’Donnell of Mililani
>> Marley Roe of Kamehameha
