Titans Baseball Club - Philippines

"Nation-building has always been like the weather: Entertaining to discuss but nothing most people do anything about." -- Clifford May (former New York Times foreign correspondent)

Until not long ago when a new hope surfaced like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Every generation breeds new citizens. Among them, warriors determined to do something good, transforming chaos into order. Rome wasn't built in a day, let alone a few years. Behold the new era in Philippine sports. Living out a culmination of dreams, serious and recreational athletes fluorished once again on fields of gold as the 2004 Titans-Globe Platinum League engulfed the national sporting scene with the flurry of excitement and drama only baseball can provide.

Storied teams took the field for two and a half months of epic rivalries at the lush Alabang Country Club Fields in Muntinlupa City. New faces beckoned with hope and new heroes emerged amidst renewed camaraderie. Off-setting the departure of two charter members, the league welcomed three new teams into the fold. The Alabang Athletics, Cebuana Lhuillier, and Korea Titans echoed the demand for organized baseball and supplanted the loss of the Diliman Fighting Maroons and Taguig Gems. Build it and they will come.

Reminiscent of a generation ago, the international community graced Philippine baseball anew. It raised the analogy of an influx of foreign investments deemed essential to a nation's economy. Manifested by the likes of Korean John Kim, Cuban Misdel Rodriguez, and Fil-Am Edsel Atienza playing on the same turf as All-Filipino caliber players and novices alike, the league continued its pioneering vision for Philippine sports.

When the sun had set on a historic summer, the talent-laden Cebuana Lhuillier had dethroned the erstwhile defending champion Antipolo City ACG in a shocker that paralleled the prior season's Summer Classic.

Newcomers OF Joey Ponce, who led the league in both homeruns (9) and runs batted in (29), and OF Andrew Cuyugan teamed up with mainstays SS Tony Olayvar, P Melchor Palacol and 3B Roswald Palacol as Antipolo City soared to the regular season's best record. The ACG then survived a scare in their play-off rematch with Loyola Heights before eventually running out of steam against the Lhuillier when it mattered most.

Cebuana's C Marlon Caspillo hit at a phenomenal .718 clip to emerge the league's batting champion. Along with P/OF Oscar Bradshaw, SS Larry Icban, 1B Kiko Ramos, and a vintage IF Bubot Dizer, the fivesome paced a dangerous Cebuana offense that mustered a league record .492 team batting average. The Lhuillier's league leading 32 homeruns highlighted a league-wide fireworks show that saw teams combine for seven extra-base hits per game, abbreviated matches included.

The Marikina Golden Bears, bridesmaids the previous season, added 2003 Titans League MVP P/CF Joseph Orillana, 2004 University Athletics Association of the Philippines MVP P/CF Darwin Dela Calzada, and battery-mate Nino Tator to complement the potent bats of IF Arvin Cirunary, C Sky Rosales, and OF Arjay Santos. They weren't enough to earn the Golden Bears a return trip to the Classic, succumbing to the Lhuillier in the play-offs.

Loyola Heights' Blue Eagles, last year's overachievers, continued to buck the odds despite a sub-par year from captain 1B Em Fernandez. Behind veteran P/IF Chris Canlas, collegiate standout SS Paolo Padla and upstart C Stephano Baltao, the Blue Eagles wound up fourth and came within the tying run at the plate just short of the team's first ever championship appearance at any level.

Youthful promise meanwhile fueled the Alabang Athletics to a fifth place finish just two games below the .500 mark despite a lineup that essentially lacked the pop that comes with maturity. Featuring a teen-age core that included IF Carlo Banzon, IF Andres Borromeo, P/IF Nico Uichico, P/IF Justin Zialcita, and IF Migi Zuluaga, the Athletics are primed for several years of good baseball ahead of them. More importantly, they have paved the way for incorporating the products of the nation's grassroots programs into the adult game. Unlike in the past, kids can now look forward to playing baseball for as long as their heart desires.

Just across the fence, the Alabang Titans seemingly duplicated their second half swoon of 2003 to finish a miserable sixth. The Titans had hoped that the acquisitions of veteran SS Bacchus Ledesma, phenom 1B Miggy Corcuera, P Emmerson Atilano, and 3B Rodriguez would compensate for the team's lack of pitching depth and complement an offense led by All-Filipinos C Leslie Suntay and IF Ericsson Bellosa. A quite unfortunate thing happened along the way.

Certainly the best omen of things to come may well have been the Korea Titans. Inspired by former Makati Titan Bob Jang, the Koreans brought a full dose of international flavor to the league. Not surprisingly, they represent the largest tourist market in the Philippines to date. Despite a co-last place finish, the Koreans have embraced the Titans vision and should likely continue to give the league a boost in the future while being a force to reckon with.

For the second year in a row the beloved Makati Titans brought up the rear. Depleted of several key players, the Titans remained the fun-loving, happy-go-lucky bunch that will always have a place in the league. Among the bright spots were 3B Atienza, free-swinging newcomer C David Kahn, and veteran P Herbert Salvador. Whether team captain C/IF Migs Zuluaga, seemingly pressured into an off-year, returns next season should make for an interesting debate.

Nevertheless, 2004 shall be remembered as a season that opened several doors and put in concert the efforts of multi-polar interests geared towards a common vision. Beyond the team standings and individual performances, it shows the possibilities after all to achieve new heights when people, regardless of creed, race, and code unite for the benefit of all. It epitomizes nation-building on the expanse known as a baseball field. This is no make believe. This is a new reality. This is what makes the Titans experience.

You're in the game!