Distress call for Philippine softball
SO—IF there’s someone—who is this who honestly cares for Philippine softball?
“We can’t thank Jean Henri Lhuillier enough, the most avid supporter of softball here where the Philippines was once a winner and respected world contender,” explained Raul Saberon, a successful trader and national softball/baseball team mainstay during his prime.
The trim, bright-eyed Saberon, 73, came to a merienda appointment last Thursday with the hope of helping softball out of the rut where it has languished for over a decade.
* * *
Saberon, by the way, came with my long-time buddy, veteran sportswriter Eddie Alinea, with whom I have been teaming up since our rookie days in the old Manila Times of Don Chino Roces.
Explained Eddie: “The Blu Boys, Philippine men’s national softball team, once a respected powerhouse, didn’t win a single game, and ended up dead last in a world tournament earlier this year.”
This was the first time this had happened to Philippine softball.
* * *
Before this, there were many other forgettable foreign stints by both the Philippine men and women squads.
Needless to say, Raul, son of Emilio Saberon, a baseball great from Canlubang, and nephew of Mariano Saberon, national baseball legend, had groaned and suffered with each national team failure.
He wanted to do something and help, but was terribly helpless.
* * *
No, we definitely have the materials, Saberon explained, but these national teams were regularly bogged down by poor handling, hurried and improper training and preparations.
Said Alinea: “Team Manila was 2012 world champion in girls’ softball (aged 16-18), but it finished fifth this year, lowest by the Philippines in 14 years.”
Alinea also took time out to list several big names, big moments in Philippine softball:
* * *
“The Philippine Blu Girls, named as such by the late Rizal Gov. Isidro Rodriguez, then president of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asa-Phil) finished third in the 1970 World Championship in Osaka, Japan. Another Blu Girls team was fourth in the same tournament four years later in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the same finish fashioned out by the Blu Boys in Oklahoma in 1968.
“There was Darigold Tayo, adjudged best left-handed pitcher in the world for a decade during the Blu Girls’ brightest moments. What about Aleli Nabong, Carmencita Velasco, Mariquita Salazar, Doris Reynes, Emma Elnar, Letty Gempisao? There was Filomeno Codiñera Jr., who belted a grand slam home run with two outs against Mexico at the Marikina Sports Complex that lifted the Philippines to victory and fifth place in the 1972 World Softball Championship.
“And then the names of shortstop Jose Pinga, hurler “Kulafu” Posadas, left-fielder Raul Saberon, fielder-catcher Jimmy Sta. Rosa and coaches Santos Ret and Raul Sta. Rosa, among others, who took pride in being able to help Philippine softball to what it was before.”
* * *
Jean Henri Lhuillier, singled out by Raul Saberon as the most avid supporter of softball in the country, is the president of Asa-Phil.
Saberon sought help from the Inquirer to send his message, or distress call, to the head of Philppine softball.
Problem: Saberon, himself a tested coach, wanted very much to help cure the ills besetting softball in the country—but he would not seek any position.
* * *
Said Alinea the day after the merienda meeting: “You can quote Raul (Saberon) but don’t make it sound he wanted any position, he’s not after one.”
Alinea said Saberon’s main purpose was to let Lhuillier realize he has not been getting the proper advice.
That, in short, is the distress call.
