Titans Baseball Club - Philippines

Where do old baseball players go?

Baseball experienced two eras of popularity in the Philippines. The first was in the 1930's when the Rizal Memorial baseball diamond was still fresh and the grass still sparkled with dew. Baseball, the great mass sport of the Americans, was actually some sort of demarcation line between the rich and the poor. Affluent private schools played it; the less affluent took to the track. Baseball soon seeped down across all demographics in the country.

The renaissance came in the 1950's, when the world champion New York Yankees paid us a visit, and All-Stars Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig almost shut out all the Filipino teams they played against. A simple walk along the outfield wall of Rizal Memorial will prove it has been a mute witness to the golden age of sluggers who were larger than life. If only the walls could talk.

And today?

Thanks largely to private efforts, baseball is alive and well. Schools from both the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and National Colegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) play actively. The International Little League Association of Manila (ILLAM) has kept the flame blazing with its massive tournaments for children of all ages, playing in Pasig, Alabang, Manila Polo Club and other venues. Local clubs pitch and hit from as far as Baguio, Cavite and Laguna in Luzon, and all the way to the plantations in Mindanao. The fact is that baseball is a sport that continues to be popular. The only thing missing: a place for former players as well as adults to continue to express their passion for the game.

Enter the Titans.

The Titans are largely a group of former school players who have longed for a league of their own. After college, many of them turned their sights on raising families and building businesses. That having been done, these former fielders (many of them teetering on the south side of forty years of age) have longed to fulfill a childhood dream, much like Kevin Costner in the motion picture Field of Dreams. Harking back to the age when players walked like giants astride the mound and strode the field like heroes of myth, they christened themselves after the beings that weren't gods, but battled legends like Hercules on even terms. If you build it, they will come.

So they are building it: the first Titans League.

Last year, the Titans, made up of dedicated former players like Ricky Gumaru, Joey Ramos, Leslie Suntay and others, organized the Titans Tour, and found a warm reception not only in Metro Manila, but also in the provinces. Two teams of Titans traveled around the country to play exhibitions and challenge local club teams. This proved to them that the interest was there; it had just not been tapped.

"We want to know just how far we can go with this," Gumaru told The STAR. "It is a sport we have always loved, a sport wherein Filipinos can excel internationally, a sport with a rich history. Something we can really be proud of."

This year, the Titans League has pulled in entries from Antipolo City, Diliman, Loyola Heights,

Marikina, and Taguig, aside from the Titans Makati and Titans Alabang. Currently, the Titans are conducting morning baseball camps on Sundays at various venues. Starting in March, they will start the Titans League pre-season games, with the season opening set for late April. The season will run until the end of June. After a break to accommodate the rainy season, they resume their Sunday morning camps in August. The Titans Series takes place in September. In October and November, the Titans hit the road for the Titans Tour.

With all these activities, the Titans have also put together an attractive package for sponsors, including tournament title rights, team sponsorships, and other premiums. So far, some sponsors have already found themselves turning their heads in the Titans' direction.

The Titans' first pitch is a sure hit. Let's hope they hit a home run too.