Titans Baseball Club - Philippines

For the first time in three years, Titans Baseball will be sending an All-Star line-up to compete in the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association circuit. Dubbed the 'Battle of Champions' by PABA president Hector Navasero, the intriguing series will also feature both A and B squads of the Philippine National Team as well as the Cebuana Lhuillier.

Unlike Metroball in 2002, this year's squad carries a resume with more competitive playing experience on the national level. Several members on the roster have played in each of the annual Titans League circuits on top of their respective scholastic track records. On the flip side of the coin, members from both A and B squads of the Philippine National Team have also gained from the competition afforded by the Titans League and/or the rival PABA Seniors League. Cebuana meanwhile will be stocked with an entirely different line-up than that which won the 2004 Titans League Championship. That said, there should be enough drama on the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium's diamond to make Filipinos weather this season's rainfall.

Whereas the unorthodox blue-jersey-clad Titans All-Stars that graced Metroball in 2002 provided an encore for an emerging Titans Baseball organization that sought to consolidate unwavering passion for the game, this season's orangemen are out to prove that the current string of success resulting from a well-founded adult baseball program and systematic retooling thereof are worth every peso invested in it.

Despite losing four of five games during Metroball 2002, the Titans didn't make it a cakewalk for the opposition, as they succumbed only in the late innings in each of their four losses. The return of RHP/OF Edito Justo (.400 BA in 2002 Metroball), Alabang Olympians P/IF Bacchus Ledesma (.385 BA, .654 SLG in TLB.05), C/IF Leslie Suntay (.500 BA, .636 OBP, .750 SLG in TLB.05), and Makati Trojans' C/IF Migs Zuluaga (.286 BA, .348 OBP, .619 SLG in TLB.04) -- the four
holdovers from the 2002 squad -- will lead a Titans line-up stacked from the organization's growing player pool, now pegged to be around 400 players nationwide. That's at least eight times more its pull from three years back.

This version's All-Star make-up will also feature the likes of former Costa Rican National Team outfielder Donnelly Edmonds (.417 BA, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1.083 SLG with Makati Trojans in TLB.05), Japanese hitting machine Kishii Koh and his collegiate baseball experience from Japan, Taguig Gems' Mike Gabriel (.538 BA, .600 OBP in TLB.03 were among top 3 in league), Alabang Olympians' RBI-machine Jeff Rodriguez (.588 BA, .882 SLG in TLB.05), and former Cebuana Lhuillier Jordan Orobia (.167 BA in TLB.05; .500 BA, .818 SLG in TLB.04).

The Marikina Golden Bears will be sending three representatives, including Arjay Santos, the 2005 Titans League MVP, who was just phenomenal this past summer (.458 BA, 3 HR, 1.042 SLG in TLB.05), Sky Rosales, who pound for pound may arguably be among the nation's premier power hitters despite a subpar TLB.05 (.292 BA, .417 SLG), and Arvin Cirunay (.444 BA, .667 SLG in TLB.05), upon whose arms DeLa Salle University's hopes rests upon in the 2006 University Athletics Association of Philippines baseball season.

Middle infielders Justin Austria (.360 BA, 13 SB with Alabang Olympians in TLB.05), Gabriel, Chad Garcia (.429 OBP, 7 SB with Loyola Heights in TLB.04), along with Justo and Cirunay should give the orange a group of table-setters with pesky baserunning ability that, if utilized properly, could disrupt opposing pitchers' rhythms.

On the hill, Titans pitching must keep the game close for the offense to generate some timely hitting and manufacture runs. The likely scenario would probably be a rotating-within-the-game committee effort anchored by Justo (11 IP, 1.64 ERA in 2002 Metroball), Ledesma (11.1 IP, 7.94 ERA in TLB.03), Cirunay (16 IP, 7.88 ERA in TLB.04), Alabang Olympian lefthander John Delos Santos and possibly Edmonds. This staff could be hard-pressed to find the right blend of consistency and stamina needed to go deep into the late innings. Given the relative pitching depth among the other three teams, this is easily the team's achilles heel.

Team fielding should at least benefit from the cumulative playing time accrued over the summer's Titans League. Alabang Olympians 1B Jobie Rabat brings his golden glove to anchor what could be an airtight infield. Backstopping chores could be a platoon between Korea Titan Tommy Song -- a former catcher for Major League pitcher Chan Ho Park in Korea -- Suntay, Zuluaga, and Golden Bear Patrick Hipol. With the exception of Justo and Edmonds, roaming the outfield could be an adventure inside Rizal Memorial Baseball
Stadium for the Titans outfielders. A blue-collar approach here will be necessary to run down all those balls served up into the gaps.

Outlook: The Titans should be able to win their share of games while serving as a litmus test for the pressured RP National Team. Strong performances by some players may land them a chance to represent the country in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. Regardless, what's at stake here is to provide a good showing on the field that should reflect Titans Baseball's efforts off the field.

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