Pinoy sportsman Tingzon gets spot in PONY baseball/softball Hall

Noted sportsman Rodolfo “Totoy" Tingzon, will be inducted into the PONY Baseball/Softball International Hall of Fame as part of the celebration of the worldwide organization’s 60th anniversary. Tingzon, considered as the father of the country and Asia’s youth baseball movement, will be enshrined in a ceremony that will coincide with the PONY Baseball/Softball Asia Pacific board meeting from Jan. 15 to 17 at the Manila Pavilion. No less than PONY Baseball/Softball International president and CEO Abrahm Key will be presiding over the Tingzon’s conferment ceremony. PONY International cited Tingzon’s contribution to the growth of baseball and softball not only in Asia as the merits for his induction to the Hall of Fame. Tingzon is also regarded as the one who introduced the Little League Baseball program in the Philippines in 1964 and helped establish PONY Baseball/Softball Asia in 1975. The former public school teacher also founded the Philippine tot Baseball Association in the same year he organized the Little League Baseball-Philippines. Tingzon, a former congressman and vice governor of Laguna, also managed the legendary Canlubang Sugar Barons baseball team to seven straight Manila Bay Baseball League titles and co-founded the World Boys Baseball Federation in 1982 which to date has 44 member nations. It was also Tingzon who laid the foundation of PONY tournaments in the Asian region. Tingzon is the first Filipino and one of only two Asians to be inducted in the PONY Hall of Fame. Besides Key, representatives of PONY Baseball/Softball Asia member nations Japan, Korea, China, Russia, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines will be attending the board meeting. The PONY board will be discussing the calendar of activities for the year and the future site of the first PONY Baseball training center in Asia. The occasion also coincides with the opening of the 15th Tot Baseball Metro Schools Baseball and Softball League. The PONY baseball movement, since its establishment, has produced many past and present baseball stars such as, Yumori Giants slugger Takahashi, Los Angeles Dodgers closing pitcher Ishii, MLB Hall of Famer Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees superstar and future Hall of Famer Alex Rodriguez, among others. – GMANews.TV