Ginebra, Coke, Air21 okay 7-player trade

A big trade involving big players from three teams was consummated just the other day in the PBA.

Involved in the trade that had seven players changing uniforms were crowd-favorite Ginebra, its sister-team Coca-Cola and Air21, which was also part of a multi-player, three-team trade last May.

From the negotiation table, Ginebra got 6-foot-6 Billy Mamaril and 6-foot-7 Raffy Reavies; Coca-Cola took in 6-foot-6 Manny Ramos, 6-foot-5 Ryan Bernardo and 6-foot-1 Kalani Ferreria; and Air21 landed 6-foot-6 Erwin Sotto and 5-foot-10 Aries Dimaunahan.

Mamaril and Reavies used to play for Coca-Cola, Ramos, Ferreria, Dimaunahan and Sotto for Ginebra, and Bernardo for Air21.

Under PBA rules, sister-teams like Ginebra and Coca-Cola cannot be involved in direct trade. This explains the involvement of Air21 which could have first acquired Mamaril and Reavies from Coca-Cola before these players eventually landed with Ginebra.

Aside from Ginebra and Coca-Cola, the two under teams under the San Miguel Corp. umbrella and therefore cannot be involved in direct trades are San Miguel Beer and Purefoods.

Ginebra, which renewed the contracts of Rodney Santos and Andy Seigle earlier this week, also wound up with the rights on Fil-American Rudy Hatfield, formerly of Coca-Cola.

Hatfield is one of the dozens of Fil-Americans who were questioned on their true nationalities. Hatfield has left for the US but may soon return to action after having cleared his citizenship papers.

Once Hatfield returns, the 6-foot-3 power-forward may play for Ginebra which already has big men in Erik Menk, Rommel Adducul, Mike Holper and Seigle.

As part of the trade, Coca-Cola also landed with one first-round and two second-round future picks. From where these picks were acquired is uncertain.

Mamaril, who grew up in the US, has followed his father’s footsteps. The elder Mamaril, Romulo or Mama as he’s fondly called, played 12 seasons in the PBA from 1980 to 1991.

A gangling 6-foot-6, the elder Mamaril suited up for Crispa, Manhattan. Tanduay, Anejo Rum (which later on became Ginebra) and Shell. His son Billy, more muscular and agile, has already played for four teams in less than three years — Purefoods, Shell, Coca-Cola and now Ginebra.

According to his resume, the 28-year-old, 220-lb Billy took up Liberal Arts at the Bakersfield College in California. He once described Ginebra as his "favorite rival team."

Air21 was also happy with the deal, particularly with Sotto who gets reunited with his college buddies Yancy and Ranidel de Ocampo. Then playing for St. Francis of Assisi, they were better known as the "Triple Towers."

Dimaunahan will ably serve as back-up for Wayne Arboleda.

Air21 was involved in a similar three-team trade that was sealed last May 8. It involved players like RenRen Ritualo and Don Allado who ended up with Talk N Text, Willie Miller and John Ferriols with Alaska and Avenido with Air21.