Lori Nickel
The Brewers’ Keston Hiura is aiming to be an all-star for kids, family and even local restaurants.
Stuck at home instead of circling the bases, Keston Hiura is still trying to do good things.
While we all wait for a reliable pandemic treatment plan and herd immunity to allow for professional sports to return, Hiura has launched a fundraising campaign to help the local restaurant community get back on its feet.
And then there’s another mission – more subtle, much less publicized – once we finally get back to baseball.
Both tell us a little bit more about the 23-year-old up-and-coming Californian who last year was making a name for himself by hitting so well that the Brewers brought him up permanently in late June and put him in the middle of the order. He was very good at the plate with 19 homers and .570 slugging percentage.
Hiura is eager to build off that debut year and then, when possible,
make the most of his emerging baseball career to help others.
For one more week, Hiura is selling hoodies and T-shirtsthat feature a unique design with his name and initials. Hiura said that 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Milwaukee's small restaurants and businesses that have been hit hard during the two-month safer-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic.
“While I haven't been lucky enough to spend that much time in Milwaukee yet, I am so grateful for the city that has embraced me and I am proud to be a Brewer,” Hiura said in a note on the shirt sales page. “It's important to me to give back to the community in Milwaukee that has been sidelined by this pandemic and do everything I can to support the small businesses.”
Hiura, his family and closest loved ones are healthy, even if they live under different pandemic guidelines. Hiura now lives in Phoenix and his family is in California, which has extended stay-athome orders. Still, Hiura has never had a May like this. He can't remember a summer where he wasn't playing ball.
It's weird to be off the diamond. He's choosing to roll with it and enjoy the down time with his fiancé and new puppy.
“During the season, you only get to see them maybe a few hours a day,” Hiura said. “I know a lot of the players are really enjoying this time to spend their time with their kids and their wives and significant others because during the season, baseball takes us away from that.”
Hiura's family and closest loved ones will always remain a priority to him. Hiura is a third-generation American. His father, Kirk Hiura, is from Los Angeles, and his mother, Janice, was born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii.
He was also very close to his grandfather, Clarence Hiura, who hails from Watsonville and Glendale, California. Keston grew up in Santa Clarita and attended Valencia High School, not too far from Los Angeles.
The paternal side of his family comes from Japan, while his maternal side comes from China. While he doesn't know many of the details, Hiura's greatgrandparents emigrated from Asia to the U.S.
Hiura is believed to be the highest drafted Asian American in Major League Baseball history and while he doesn't bring that up in conversation every chance he gets, he's proud to represent a new demographic in the major leagues.
“I remember a few years ago was the first time I saw how many Asian Americans were in the league, or who have played professional baseball,” Hiura said. “When there's not many out there, you definitely want to set the example for other Asian Americans.”
When he hears that Asian American kids look up to him and are inspired by him, especially, he embraces that responsibility of being a role model.
“It's cool to hear those kinds of stories, that there are kids out there looking up to you,” Hiura said, “that definitely kind of look like you and come from the same background as you.
“You've really just got to be humbled by it and take it all in. I've enjoyed it so far.”
Hiura's first trip to Japan was 2016 when he played for Team USA's Collegiate National Team on a tour that also included stops in Taiwan and Cuba. He wanted to glimpse the Japanese culture, and “go back to your roots a little bit,” he said.
He saw the Tokyo Dome and baseball museum and bought a couple of Japanese baseball jerseys as souvenirs while he observed the fandom in Japan.
“It was loud for the games the whole time, the fans are just glued to their seats,” Hiura said.
That reminded him so much of his own family, or his “Day Ones” that he sometimes calls his mom, dad, sister and grandfather Clarence. All of them by his side, supporting him, since day one. As a five-sport athlete in his youth – baseball, football, soccer, golf and basketball – Hiura was greatly influenced by his family.
“I enjoyed competing,” Hiura said. “My dad's side of the family is pretty big on sports. They were involved playing sports, watching sports.”
Visits to Clarence Hiura's house, before he passed away six years ago, usually meant that an L.A. Dodgers, Lakers or USC Trojans game was on TV.
“He was a big reason for me getting into sports,” Hiura said. “He always tried to inspire his grandchildren. Even once he got cancer, he went to as many games as he could to support us as much as he can. He always liked to brag about his grandkids.”
Sometimes when Hiura hits a homer, he points to the sky in a gesture for his Christian religious faith, as well as his grandfather.
“Growing up, he was always at my games, and now he's still always at my games,” Hiura said. “They're both watching over me.”