Alaska teems with Fil-Ams; Rico signs for P8.1-M

Alaska Milk team officials swore it’s not meant to be, but by closing deals with three players yesterday, the Uytengsu ballclub enhanced its image as a Fil-foreign team.

Alaska signed up Mike Cortez to an P8.7-million contract in three years, Rob Duat to a P6.6-million pact in two years and Jon Ordonio to a P1.8 million deal for this year.

At Red Bull, team manager Tony Chua has struck deals with Enrico Villanueva and Rysal Castro. Villanueva is to get P8.1 million in three years while Castro P2.4 million in two years.

FedEx, meanwhile, signed up Roger Yap to a P6.1-million pact in three years.

Cortez, Duat and Ordonio are all Fil-Ams, joining four other Fil-Ams – Ali Peek, John Arigo, Don Allado and Migs Noble – in the ballclub which incidentally has an American mentor in Tim Cone.

The team has three other Fil-Am draftees in Brando Cablay, Eugene Tejada and Sonny Boy Margate. Cablay will likely be signed up today while Tejada needs to show his wares in practice first.

With Alaska deciding not to re-sign Rodney Santos, the team left only one pure Filipino player in its lineup in Don Camaso – an acquisition from Talk N Text. Old mainstay EJ Feihl is known to have a German blood.

"It’s merely coincidence. Saka lahat naman sila except Peek, Ordonio and Arigo have Filipino father and Filipino mother. They’re Pinoys either born there in the US or left for abroad after being born here," said Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo.

Finding himself in curious situation is Jojo Lastimosa – now Alaska assistant coach who has been spearheading moves to have the papers of Fil-foreign players scrutinized by the Senate.

"Ako rin naguguluhan. Noong una ayaw nila sa Fil-Ams pero ngayon puro Fil-Ams na ang team. Parang sinasabi nilang mas may talent ang Fil-Ams," said Lastimosa.

"But I have to stress na hindi namin kinakalaban ang Fil-Ams. Kung legal sila, walang problema. Ang kinakalaban namin ay yung mga peke," he added.

Talk N Text is another team which has pictured itself with an image of a Fil-foreign team, having chosen four Fil-Ams in Sunday’s draft.

The Pangilinan ballclub, bannered by Fil-Tongan Asi Taulava and mentored by American coach Paul Woolpert, picked Harvey Carey, Jimmy Alapag, William Villa and Richard Hardine.

Sta. Lucia team manager Buddy Encarnado takes pride in having a team with a pure Filipino lineup. – Nelson Beltran