BASEBALL great Orlando Binarao still remembers a question posed to him years ago in Taiwan: “Why doesn’t the Philippines have professional baseball players in Asia’s top-tier leagues?”
For a country with undeniable talent, the absence of Filipino players in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Korea’s KBO, or Taiwan’s CPBL has long been a surprise to many who are aware of Philippine baseball's glorious past.
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Binarao believes the answer lies not merely in the players’ skills, but in the facilities that nurture them.
“I believe the renovation of the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium will help us to finally see a Filipino baseball player compete professionally at the international level,” said Binarao. “We have very good players. If we have the facilities, equipment, support, and a good program, our team will be really successful.”
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is throwing its full support behind the national team with a full-scale renovation of the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium, set for completion by October 31.
It is the venue’s first major overhaul since opening its doors in 1934, marking a historic milestone for Philippine baseball.
“Our objective is to finish the facelift in 100 days and bring the stadium to global standards,’’ said PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio.
Emphasizing his vision of a reborn stadium, Gregorio said the grandstand will be retrofitted to seat 10,000, complemented by a digital scoreboard mounted on the historic outfield wall and an all-weather artificial turf built to international standards.
``This is about giving Filipino baseball a true home worthy of its history and future,” added Gregorio.
The timing couldn’t be more symbolic. Just weeks after completion, the stadium will host the East Asia Cup from November 26 to December 6, organized by the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA) and presented by the PSC.
“This renovation is a turning point for Philippine baseball. Hosting the East Asia Cup in a world-class stadium will inspire our athletes and show the region that we are serious about competing at the highest level,” said PABA secretary-general Mike Asuncion.
Asuncion emphasized that the efforts extend beyond the renovation of the RMBS, noting that additional baseball fields will be built in identified areas to provide more venues for young athletes to train and compete.
The Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium is steeped in history. In its inaugural exhibition game in December 1934, Lou Gehrig hit the stadium’s first-ever home run, followed by Babe Ruth with the second.
Jimmie Fox, another American League great, also played on its diamond. Their records remain etched on the stadium’s walls, reminders of the sport’s global heritage and Manila’s place in it.
For Binarao, who played for the national team in the 1990s and later coached the squad to victories in the 2018 East Asia Cup and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the renovation is more than cosmetic.
“Our previous games against Japan, Korea, and Taipei could have gone either way because the scores were very close. The goal now is to beat them,” Binarao said. “The renovation of the baseball stadium is a really big help for us to accomplish our goals.”
After the 24-man national squad clinched the gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games at the expense of host Thailand last year with team captain Romeo Jasmin at the helm, the team is already preparing for the Asian Games in September.
While Binarao tempers expectations, he is confident the team can challenge Asia’s baseball superpowers.
PH team going all in
Veteran standouts in the squad include catcher Mark Steven Manaig, leadoff hitter Jenald Pareja, and Mark Beronilla, one of the younger players who is also coaching DLSZ.
Batting coach Ricardo “Iking” Jimenez, whose name is etched on the stadium wall for his home run in past international competitions, is also lending his expertise to the team.
Joining them are UST coach Jeffrey Santiago, a future Hall of Famer and former star once recruited by Major League Baseball teams, and coach Vladimir Eguia, a former UP pitcher.
With the PSC and PABA’s full support, the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium’s rebirth represents more than infrastructure.
It is a declaration that Filipino baseball is ready to step onto the international stage, with the potential to systematically send players to Asia as we integrate into the Asian Circuit and perhaps even into Major League Baseball.
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