WAIPAHU—As a developmental league, Hawaii Winter Baseball is made up of young players. Early 20s mostly.

But they don't get any younger than Waikiki BeachBoys pitcher Kento Tsujimoto. At 18 years old, he's barely legal, and, of course, the youngest in the league.

"It's kind of overwhelming, but I feel the coaches are giving me the opportunity to learn," said the 5-foot-11, 165-pound right-hander from Japan.

He is one of the more intriguing players in the league. Despite his age, Tsujimoto has been in pro ball for two seasons already. He made history in 2004 when the Hanshin Tigers drafted him when he was 15, making him the youngest draft pick since Nippon Professional Baseball started its draft in 1965. In Japan, junior high school graduates are eligible for the draft, said Nobuhisa Ito, director of baseball operations of NPB. Ito was in Hawai'i during the orientation week for the players.

Ironically, Tsujimoto wasn't drafted out of Japanese school. When he was 12, he did a home stay in California, where he attended middle school and then Mater Dei High in Santa Ana for his freshman year, when he played on the JV and varsity. His reason for coming to America?

"To play baseball," said Tsujimoto, who is fluent in English from his three years in the states. "I learned a lot, like mechanic-wise and mentally."

Tsujimoto got a signing bonus of 10 million yen (about $86,000), according to an article in The Japan Times in 2004.

Because of injuries, he has logged only about 20 innings in minor league ball in Japan, he said. Like the American minor leaguers, he wants to expand his repertoire.

"My problem has always been with the breaking pitches, the off-speed pitches, so I want to learn a new pitch or get better location for every pitch," he said.

BeachBoys pitching coach Ross Grimsley (Giants Low-A Augusta) said Tsujimoto has a lot of time to develop.

"He's shown he has some life on his fastball, he's thrown some good breaking balls," said the former Cincinnati pitcher of the Big Red Machine era. "It's just a matter of repeating pitches, getting confidence and just learning what it takes to be successful."

Had Tsujimoto continued high school, this would've been his graduation year. He turns 19 Jan. 6.

"At 18 years old, he's pitching here, that's a big compliment to him to get an opportunity to see what it's like," Grimsley said. "He fits in well."

KIND GESTURE

West Oahu CaneFires hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh left the team temporarily to take part in Saturday's ceremonial pitch festivities in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Colorado.

Coolbaugh's brother is Mike Coolbaugh, the base coach for the Colorado Rockies' Double-A affiliate in Tulsa who died after being struck by a foul ball during a game July 22. Mike Coolbaugh's sons, Jake and Joey, threw out the ceremonial first pitches accompanied by their uncle Scott. Their mother, Mandy, was not in attendance because she is due to deliver her third child soon, according to The Associated Press.

Moreover, the Rockies have voted Mandy Coolbaugh a full share of their postseason winnings. The Rockies have advanced to the NLCS.

"They've been nothing but supportive of my family since that happened and I can't thank them enough," Scott Coolbaugh said before he left the islands. "What they're trying to do to get my brother's boys involved and keep his family within their thoughts, I couldn't be happier."

HIGH ON MAUI

The league completed its Maui swing for the season last night. All four teams played before appreciative fans, who were strong supporters of the Maui Stingrays of the original HWB.

Besides playing ball, the players took tours of Lahaina and of Haleakala National Park.

"One thing I didn't realize was how cold it was on top of the volcano," Honolulu Sharks catcher Matt Wieters said of Haleakala. "We all went in shorts (and it was) 38-degree weather."

He'll get to visit an active volcano when the Sharks play on the Big Island Nov. 2 to 4.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.