WAIPAHU — Three hours before game time yesterday, two men waited patiently in the parking lot at Hans L'Orange Park for a young player to finish packing an equipment bag nearby.

Koby Clemens obliged the autograph seekers by signing their wooden bats on opening day of Hawaii Winter Baseball at Hans L'Orange.

Professional baseball returned to Hawai'i yesterday with announced attendance of 1,531 at Hans L'Orange for the North Shore Honu's 11-5 win over the West Oahu CaneFires, and 1,671 at Les Murakami Stadium on the University of Hawai'i-Manoa campus for the Waikiki BeachBoys' 4-0 victory over the Honolulu Sharks.

Murakami Stadium, which serves as the home site for the BeachBoys and Sharks, has more seating than L'Orange and an artificial turf playing surface.

The cozy atmosphere of Hans L'Orange, home field for the CaneFires and Honu, allows fans to see future major-leaguers up close and personal.

Clemens, a third-base prospect for the Houston Astros and the son of future Major League Hall-of-Fame pitcher Roger Clemens, plays for the Honu and will be joined here by his parents shortly. "If you play winter baseball, this is the place to do it," said Clemens. "It's like playing baseball while on vacation."

Merv Yoshimoto, assistant general manager of Hawaii Winter Baseball West, said Roger Clemens and his wife have season tickets. According to Koby, the family comes to Hawai'i regularly to vacation on Maui.

Hans L'Orange features bleacher seating, a grass-playing surface second to none in Hawai'i, and a rich baseball tradition dating back to the plantation days of O'ahu Sugar Co. The old sugar mill's smoke stack beyond the left center-field fence adds to the flavor of this ballpark, which has never looked better.

Alice and Roger Ryder of Kunia showed their tickets to usher Jennifer AhSam and asked her where they were sitting. "Anywhere you want," AhSam said.

"I like this; it's our first time to this field and we'll be back," Alice Ryder said. "We're so close to the action and it's so family oriented."

A former local resident with long ties to pro baseball is enjoying a homecoming thanks to Hawaii Winter Baseball.

"I never played at Hans L'Orange but it's a nice park," said Roosevelt High grad and North Shore Honu batting coach Mike Lum, who is in his 44th year of professional baseball as a player and coach.

Lum, who was in the starting lineup for Atlanta when Henry Aaron hit his 715th home run to break Babe Ruth's record and was a member of the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine" championship team, is coaching in Hawai'i for the first time.

Winter league is different from instructional league, Lum said, because players here get extra at-bats and innings pitched that will benefit them in spring training. "And the international players being here, I think, exposes kids to another culture from the Mainland," Lum said.

Harry and Dawn Uchida of Pearl City, diehard Los Angles Dodgers fans, especially like the park.

"It reminds me of old Honolulu Stadium, you're so close to the action," Harry Uchida said. "And this is close to home for us, the price is right and the parking is free."

Timo Donahue, coach of the 2006 Waipi'o state Little League championship team who played at the University of Washington and in the Cleveland Indians organization, was also on hand. "I grew up watching the Hawaii Islanders but kids now only have college baseball," he said.

Donahue said coming early to watch batting practice up close gives young players a chance to see how pros go about their business in preparing for games.

Andrew Koishigawa, 18, of Mililani was doing just that yesterday.

"I'm watching their fielding techniques, work ethic," Koishigawa said. "You can learn a lot just by watching. And most of these guys are going to make the majors."

Edmundo Gordon and his wife, Briseida, of Mililani are Panamanians who have adopted the Honu as their team.

"Honu means turtle and turtle is slow but it's gonna win so we are for the Honu," Edmundo Gordon said. "Plus we're closer to the North Shore in Mililani so it's our only professional team."

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.