US ambassador pitches for baseball

MANILA, Philippines - Opening the doors to a new era of baseball diplomacy, US Ambassador Harry Thomas said the other day he will strive to widen the coverage of the field of dreams by bringing America’s game closer to Filipinos during a press briefing at the National Sports Grill in Makati.

Thomas said he hopes to regenerate interest in baseball in the country by partnering with the PSC, the Manila Jaycees, the PABA and Gawad Kalinga in promoting the sport. He recently coached, on an honorary basis, the Smokey Mountain team to a tie with the International Little League All-Stars of Manila on a Tondo diamond that was transformed into a “field of dreams” by the Manila Jaycees and Gawad Kalinga.

The field is located in Paradise Heights, Tondo, which Gawad Kalinga has transformed into a community development project from the ashes of the former dumpsite Smokey Mountain.

Thomas, 54, made a strong pitch for baseball before a responsive audience that included Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr., International Olympic Committee member Frank Elizalde, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioners Jolly Gomez, Chito Loyzaga and Akiko Thomson-Guevara, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA) president Hector Navasero, sports patron Mikee Romero who supports the local league’s back-to-back champion Manila Sharks, PRISAA president Dr. Manny Angeles, Nolan Bernardino, businessman Gerardo Borromeo who backs up the Alabang Tigers and baseball supporters Pepe Muñoz and Kathy Ong.

Thomas said he played Little and Pony league baseball as a boy and developed a passion for the game at an early age. Now, his goal is to share the excitement and thrill of baseball with Filipinos.

 “I’m hoping to institutionalize this partnership to promote baseball and create more fields of dreams,” said Thomas. “After a few years, I’ll be moving on to another post and I’d like to make sure we build a foundation for the future so that the program will go on regardless of who succeeds me.”

In a major step to stir awareness for baseball, Thomas announced the arrival of retired superstar Ken Griffey Jr. for a four-day visit to conduct clinics next month. He will be accompanied by former minor leaguers Joe Logan and Griffey’s younger brother Craig. Details are still being worked out as to the stops in the tour but Thomas said he expects the visitors to conduct clinics for coaches and players, including Little Leaguers.

Cojuangco said Thomas’ support will go a long way in bringing baseball back into the limelight here. He recalled in the 1940s, the New York Yankees visited Manila and were warmly embraced by fans. “I’ll never forget the Yankees’ visit,” said Cojuangco. “It was sponsored by Coca-Cola and I went to their dug-out to meet the players.”

On Dec. 2, 1934, two baseball legends Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth played an exhibition at the newly built Rizal Memorial stadium. Both cracked homers to the delight of a huge crowd. But in another exhibition game later in the tour, Ruth was struck out by Cavite pitcher Armando Oncinian.

Cojuangco said for baseball to prosper, the gap between the Little League and the semi-pro circuit Baseball Philippines must be narrowed. He said PABA must look into developing a program where players are able to hone their skills after graduating from the Little League in the critical adolescent years before moving to the semi-pros.

Thomas’ love for baseball is extraordinary as his background seems to be more linked to basketball. Thomas was born in Harlem, known for its playground basketball legends and the Rucker league where the likes of Connie Hawkins, Julius Erving, Tiny Archibald, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rafer Alston and Earl (The Goat) Manigault used to showcase their skills on the outdoor concrete courts.

He studied at Holy Cross College, the Jesuit School in Massachusetts where Boston Celtics legends Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn played. And the other school he attended, Columbia University of New York City, produced forward Jim McMillian who joined Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich and Jerry West on the Los Angeles Lakers’ fabled 1972 NBA title squad. Columbia also produced the venerable Gehrig, the Hall of Famer who suited up for the Yankees from 1921 to 1939, blasting 493 homers and batting .340 in a career that established the “Iron Man” record of 2,130 consecutive games played. Gehrig’s “Iron Man” record stood for 56 years.

No matter his historical links to basketball, baseball clearly has a special place in Thomas’ heart.

The coming visit of the baseball players is a project of the Sports Envoy Program of the Sports United Office of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The same program brought Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra over to Manila in 2009.

Logan, a pitcher, will be in Taiwan for a similar tour on Feb. 1-7.

Griffey Jr., 41, retired from the majors last June after a long career that began with the Seattle Mariners in 1989. The left-handed fan favorite wound up his pro career with a .284 batting average, 630 homers, 2,781 hits and 1,836 runs batted in. Griffey Jr. was the 1992 All-Star Game MVP, the 1997 American League MVP and the 2005 National League Comeback Player of the Year. Aside from the Mariners, he played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox.

Griffey Jr.’s brother Craig, 39, played in seven minor league seasons, batting .224 with 11 homers and 174 RBIs in 618 games from 1991 to 1997. Logan, 43, is a 6-3 hurler who played in four minor league seasons, collecting 248 strikeouts with a 21-22 record in 65 games, including 53 starts.