HONOLULU — Upon his induction into the University of Hawaii Sports Circle of Honor in 2015, Don Robbs figured that was it. His time as the radio voice of UH baseball was winding down and he soon could head out to the ballpark to enjoy a beer and some popcorn in relative anonymity.
But when he looked up from the Les Murakami Stadium field near home plate on Thursday, he had another thing coming.
“Robbs Leahey Press Box” was emblazoned across the top.
“My God, I looked at that sign above the press box and I had tears in my eyes,” Robbs told Spectrum News following a christening ceremony to honor him and the late Jim Leahey, who likewise put in decades calling UH baseball games from that perch.
[Note: See below for more photos from the night.]
The sons of those legends, Kanoa Leahey and Scott Robbs, threw out the first pitch before UH’s game against No. 20 UC Irvine. The Anteaters got the win in the series opener, 6-3, thanks in large part to two mammoth home runs by first baseman Anthony Martinez.
That did little to diminish the power of the moment for Robbs. Besides the honorary pitch-throwers, he was joined on the field by legendary UH coach Les Murakami, Spectrum Sports analyst and Leahey’s old broadcast partner Pal Eldredge, current UH coach Rich Hill and UH Athletic Director Craig Angelos.
“Breathtaking,” said Robbs – who doffed his cap to the more than 2,000 UH fans – of the moment. “Jim and I never, ever broached this kind of thing thinking it would happen one day. And I can’t help but think of Jim tonight. I’m sorry that he’s not with us. But Kanoa will do okay.”
After occupying his father’s old seat in the press box for the night’s play-by-play call on Spectrum Sports, Leahey was wistful.
“The thing that’s going to strike me, I think, every time I walk in here is looking up at the sign, it’ll just give me yet another reason to think about my dad and the impact that he had,” he said. “It’s always something that’s going to fill me with pride and excitement and in my own little way, give me something to be motivated by when I attempt to live up to his amazing standard and call a game from this press box.”
He hoped that Eldredge, who spent 33 years calling games with his father and now supplies his wit to the broadcast from the more easily accessible field level, would someday be added to the fixture in some form.
Hill, who called the ceremony “awesome,” seconded that.
Hill took over as UH coach in summer 2021 and said shortly after his arrival that he wanted to prioritize honoring the program’s past. First up was the addition of a wall of legends in centerfield with images of Murakami, Derek Tatsuno, Kolten Wong, and the 1980 College World Series team.
The press box, for him, was another no-brainer.
“I know how important radio personalities, play-by-play, color guys, the TV guys are with connection to the fans,” Hill told Spectrum News. “Being a little kid in the Bay Area, I was listening to Lon Simmons and Monte Moore and Bill King. You can see the game through their voices, and Rainbow baseball has always been at the forefront as kind of a pro team here. There’s tons of fans, generations that have listened to these two icons.”
UH plans improvements to the aging press box to go with the dedication. Duane Kurisu, ex-UH athletic director David Matlin and his wife Dana have pledged gifts, while associate athletic director Kimo Kai is heading it up with the UH Foundation.
Angelos said in a message to Spectrum News, “We hope to spend no more than $10K” on refurbishments likely to include a new carpet, countertops and chairs, and possibly a paint job. UH said between donors and “in-kind gifts” it hopes to minimize the expenses and turn its focus on other areas of needed improvement at the Les.
“It probably hasn’t had a makeover since it was originally built,” Angelos said. “But we thought with the naming of it now, we would do (Robbs and Leahey) proud.”
Robbs was on the call for more than 2,000 UH games over 40 years, including all of the NCAA Tournament appearances in program history – most notably the 1980 team’s run to the College World Series. He completed his time behind the microphone with KKEA, 1420-AM in 2016, a year after he was inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor.
Leahey, “The Voice” of Hawaii athletics, was inducted with Robbs in the same class and called baseball games among several other sports for KGMB, KFVE and OCSports, but for a time also called games on the radio. He died on Jan. 30, 2023.
UH (15-8, 2-2 Big West) and UCI (20-3, 6-1) meet in Game 2 of the series at 6:35 p.m. Friday. Randy Abshier is set to get the start for the ‘Bows.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.