Prince Oana

Prince Oana
1943 Grand Studio baseball card of Oana
Outfielder/Pitcher
Born: (1910-01-22)January 22, 1910 Waipahu, Hawaii
Died: June 19, 1976(1976-06-19) (aged 66) Austin, Texas, US
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 22, 1934, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last MLB appearance
September 18, 1945, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	3–2
Batting average	.308
Earned run average	3.77
Teams
Philadelphia Phillies (1934) Detroit Tigers (1943, 1945)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1945)

Henry "Hank" Kawaihoa "Prince" Oana Jr. (January 22, 1910 – June 19, 1976) was a professional baseball player for 23 years from 1929 to 1951. He played portions of three seasons in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1934, and as a pinch hitter and pitcher for Detroit Tigers in 1943 and 1945. When Oana debuted with the Phillies, he became the fourth Hawaiian player to appear in the major leagues. He compiled a .308 batting average and a 3.77 earned run average (ERA) in three major league seasons.

Born in Hawaii, Oana played five sports in high school, and took up baseball professionally after he was noticed by Ty Cobb. He spent a few seasons in the minor leagues before joining the Phillies, who sent him back to the minors after six games in 1934. For the next decade, he played for various minor league teams, where his Hawaiian heritage proved to be both a selling point for teams and a hindrance to him making the majors, until the outbreak of World War II. Facing a shortage of active players, the Tigers signed him, and Oana played parts of 1943 and 1945 with the team. After 1945, he was sold to the Dallas Rebels, and he finished his professional career in 1951. He later operated a lakeside fishing business until his death in 1976.