April 25 launch for junior baseball league

MANILA, Philippines – Baseball Philippines is taking another step in developing the sport in the country by launching a league for youth ballplayers. Officials of the Baseball Philippines announced during Tuesday’s PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue that their new tournament – Junior Baseball Philippines – will be launched three months from today. Chito Loyzaga of Community Sports Inc. said that a league for 15 to 17 year olds will be launched during the Baseball Philippines Series V at the Rizal Memorial baseball stadium on April 12. Loyzaga added that matches will begin on April 25. Loyzaga said that the league is being organized with the help of the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA), Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and will have community-based teams from Cagayan Valley, Alabang, Quezon City and Pampanga. “This is our way of nurturing the youth to play the game, and at the same time, for them to have a feel of what it likes to play like real pros and for them to have a feel of what it likes to play at a historic field such as the Rizal Memorial baseball stadium," said Loyzaga. Loyzaga said that players eligible to play in the Junior Baseball Philippines are players 15 years of age as of January 1st this year and those who will not turn 18 years old by December 31 of 2009. In order to gain momentum, three-part tryouts will be organized on January 24 at the Rizal Memorial baseball stadium, January 31 at the Alabang Country Club and back at the Rizal Memorial baseball field on February 7. All the matches shall be seven-game innings and will be played every Saturday and Sunday. Loyazaga added that matches will part of the regular schedule of Baseball Philippines Series V. All four teams will play a double elimination round format with the top two squads facing off in the best-of-three finals. Loyzaga revealed that all four teams want to play in the senior division but he said that the league has yet to decide regarding the addition of new teams. “Una talaga gusto nilang sumali sa Baseball Philippines. Pero it’s difficult to expand out today dahil very shallow `yung players’ pool natin. Very ideal talaga para sa amin right now yung six-team field (At first they wanted to join the Baseball Philippines series. But it’s difficult to expand out today since the players’ pool is very shallow. The six-team format is very ideal for us right now)," said Loyzaga. – GMANews.TV