The situation of batted sports in Cebu

Monday, May 2, 2011

Richard William Guerrero
Cebu City

THIS is a reaction on the batted sports scene in Cebu. It was great that Major League Baseball Legend Ken Griffey Jr. came to Cebu to conduct a baseball clinic for the kids and coaches. What has amazed me and others is that if the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) was contacted by the US Embassy to allow the baseball clinic to be in Cebu City, why was it held in the Aboitiz Field in Mandaue City and not Cebu City?

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Cebu City has areas that would have been able to handle this baseball clinic. Aboitiz field is not even close to being a baseball field. Aboitiz Field is very far for the inner-city kids to attend. This was done in part by Jesse Bernad of Fastball Sports Ventures for his own interests. Why would the CCSC have to get the services of this baseball company when Cebu City has one of the best baseball and softball coaches in the Philippines, coach Dioniscio Bacarisas?

There are many baseball coaches in Cebu City who train in the Abellana sports field who have played in the national and international level and Jesse Bernad has never played at this level of competition. His claim to fame was playing in the intramurals during college. Jesse loves baseball, but at a price. What was paid to him by the Cebu City Sports Commission?

Why is his Fastball Sports Ventures using equipment that was donated to the CCSC? The donations are intended for non-profit baseball. There was even an American from Talisay City who was not allowed to join the coaching clinic because he wanted to sign up that day. The American had 12 little league baseball players who were sent back to Talisay City and they were not allowed to join the baseball clinic because of not pre-registering.

I actually never saw in the newspapers where to register, was it printed for many days or just one day? That, to me, is an embarrassment to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and the CCSC. This sports clinic is for the kids. I heard that the American has sent a letter to US Ambassador Henry Tomas and the US State Department in Washington DC for the way he and the kids were treated.

I hope this is not the end of help from the US Embassy in batted sports when we, as Cebuanos, become jealous of talent and competition. How can Filipinos be able to achieve in sports when jealousy and crab mentality are in the area of batted sports? When adults are behaving like this, we as Filipinos will never succeed. There should be a deep investigation into this tragedy.

Mosley vs. Pacquiao

Despite two mediocre performances: a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and a split draw with Sergio Mora, Shane Mosley is optimistic he will do things differently and will shock the world when he faces eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao on May 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In his 18 years as a pro, he has not been knocked out simply because of his iron jaw and he is one of the elite boxers in his division.

He is a tough guy but there have been instances in his latest fights that showed his reflexes are slowing. Four bigger trees—Oscar dela Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito—all became kindling. From the looks of it, Pacquiao will hand Mosely his first career knockout defeat come fight night. Glenn O. Bercede, Chairman on Sports and Development, Mandaue City Hall