Baseball Series 3 lures 8 teams

Baseball Philippines launches its Series 3 tournament on March 30 with a bigger field of eight teams ensuring a stronger competition in the keenly awaited event at the Rizal baseball stadium.

Cebu, which trounced Manila to capture the Series 2 plum, has retained the core of its champion squad, making the Dolphins the team to beat in the tournament featuring the country’s top and upcoming clouters.

But Cebu team manager Isaac Bacarisas, who steered the Blu Boys to the softball gold medal in last year’s SEA Games in Thailand, has downplayed their chances for another title drive, citing the level playing field.

Leslie Suntay and Chito Loyzaga of the organizing Community Sports, Inc. (CSI) yesterday said the first two BP Series tournaments generated so much interest that the league has lured two more teams to bring the cast to eight teams.

Joining Cebu and Manila are Makati, Forward Taguig, Dumaguete, Antipolo, Batangas and Nueva Ecija.

“We have many new innovations in Series 3 that would make the games more competitive and exciting,” said Suntay, operations director of Baseball Philippines.

Meanwhile, several scouts are coming over to watch the games, including John Gilmore of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and two from the Saebu Lions of Japan and the Korean Baseball Organization.

“They’re going to watch the matches and see if we have some players here who have the potential to play in their leagues,” said Loyzaga, the league’s marketing director.

Harbour Centre, Industrial Enterprises, Inc, Phil. Trans Marine Carriers, Taguig, Heritage Park, Nueva Ecija, Antipolo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, PABA, Mizuno, Purefoods and Gatorade are sponsoring the event.

Aside from last year’s MVP Joseph Orillana of Cebu and fellow hotshots Ernesto Binarao of Taguig, Charlie Labrador and Romeo Jasmin of Manila and Jojo Robles of Makati, focus will also be on the 16-year-old rookies, a couple of Fil-foreign players and actor Richard Gomez.