Seigles set to sign juiciest deal

Whose hands handle the juiciest deal in the current PBA break?

Definitely not Mark Clemence Telan, whose P14-million offer sheet from Alaska Milk was matched by Talk N Text. Not Gerard Francisco who inked an P11-million three-year contract-extension with Sta. Lucia. Not even perhaps Dennis Espino of Sta. Lucia or Eric Menk of Barangay Ginebra, who signed P30 million, five-year pacts.

Holding the key to what could become the richest vault in this PBA off-season is no other than John Seigle, father of marquee Fil-Am players Danny and Andy who remain unsigned with only two weeks left before the 2002 PBA season comes off the wraps.

Incidentally, league newcomers Coca-Cola and Airfreight 2100/FedEx test each other’s mettle in the season’s opening game on Feb. 10 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Elaborate opening rites usher in the Coca Cola-AF/FedEx duel starting at 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, the PBA announced privilege membership cards for the season are now available. Inquiries may be ccoursed through Jerry Mesias at tel. no. 636-5320 to 21.

John Seigle was scheduled to plane in from Scranton, Pennsylvania yesterday, bringing with him his counter-proposals for his sons’ new contracts with Purefoods and San Miguel Beer. However, he apologized to the Purefoods and SMB managements for the delay as somebody in the family got ill.

Before the Seigles left the Philippines last December, Danny and Andy were each guaranteed an P18-million, three-year contract, both exclusive of lucrative bonus schemes. That makes it P36-million for the Seigles.

"In principle okay na kami ng tatay ni Andy, kasi maximum naman ang offer sa kanila. Ang pinag-uusapan na lang ay kung ilang taon ang kontrata. Kung five years ang gusto nila, walang problema sa amin dahil bata pa naman si Andy," said Purefoods team manager Rene Pardo.

"Actually, pabor kay Andy ang three-year contract dahil by 2005 malamang tumaas na ang individual salary cap. So after 2004, he may get higher than P500,000 a month," Pardo added.

The new salary cap rules, approved midway last year, disallow automatic increase in players’ pay when the league increases the salary cap. There’s word that the PBA board of governors is considering increasing its individual and team salary caps by year 2005.

John Seigle purposely designed the previous contracts of his two sons to end at the same time last Dec. 31 in hopes of getting them to play for one team starting this year.

But that is not feasible, at least this year, since sister ball clubs in the league are not allowed to enter into a direct trade deal. Andy and Danny now belong to two teams under the giant San Miguel Corp. umbrella.

However, the old Seigle’s dream may come true in the Philippine team competing in this year’s Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.

Both Danny and Andy are members of the national candidates pool.

which resumes training at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center this morning.