Pinoy baseball draws big boost

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA) hit the ground running at the start of the new year with a week-long training program involving Los Angeles coach Bill Picketts, PABA project director Oscar Marcelino and Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers hitting coach Bradley Marcelino at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium and Alabang Country Club and in Tanauan, Batangas.

“Bill and Oscar are doing clinics for coaches and players,” said PABA president Chito Loyzaga. “They’re also preparing for this year’s international competitions with the men’s and women’s teams.”

Picketts, a Major League Baseball (MLB) designate to advise PABA, is actively recruiting Fil-Am players and last week, discovered a 17-year-old girl in Canada with a Philippine passport who could play for the women’s team. Picketts, 53, has conducted clinics and tryouts for PABA in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Hawaii. Marcelino, 65, was an MLB coaching envoy who has traveled the world to set up camps.

PABA secretary-general Pepe Muñoz said this year’s schedule is loaded. In May, the Philippines will play in the Women’s Asian Cup where the top four finishers advance to the World Cup. In July, the Philippines is being asked to host the East Asia Men’s Cup where Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore will compete. In September, the men’s team will join the Asian Games. In October, it’s the Asian Men’s Championships where the top two from East Asia will play. In November, the first round of the Women’s World Cup qualifiers will be held with the top three from two groups to go to the 2024 finals.

Bradley Marcelino, 40, flew in to assist his father and Picketts in the PABA program. “I was told there are about 150,000 Filipino kids playing baseball,” said Marcelino, a British Baseball Hall of Famer born in London. “I think the Philippines is a sleeping giant. MLB has a program where teams adopt towns in the Dominican Republic and develop young players. That can also be done in the Philippines. We build from the youth.” Marcelino played for the British team from 1999 to 2012 and later coached the national squad. He was the University of San Diego hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for seven years. Marcelino was a private hitting coach for over 100 MLB players, including Manny Ramirez and Bryce Harper.