Previous Story
TASA wants ‘automatic slots’ for Tinian, Rota baseball players
From left, Tinian baseball players Esteban K. Sablan, Dustin K. Sablan, Bradley P. Lizama, and Peter C. Cepeda were among the 20 players cut from the CNMI National Baseball Team tryouts last Dec. 15. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
The Tinian Amateur Sports Association wants Tinian and Rota to be each granted an automatic slot in the CNMI National Baseball Team for next year’s Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games.
TASA president Jose Kiyoshi said for the sake of development the Saipan Baseball League should consider including a player each from its two sister islands in the national team.
“This is one of the disadvantages Tinian and Rota face every time we have the opportunity to try out for the national team. My thoughts are they should give two automatic slots for Tinian and Rota in the national team,” he told Saipan Tribune.
Kiyoshi’s suggestion came after CNMI national baseball team manager Manny Sablan and coaches Deron Flores and Gary Cruz made their first cut last Dec. 15.
Of the 56 original players trying out to represent the islands in the quadrennial meet next year, only 36 remain.
Tinian players Dustin Sablan, Peter Cepeda, Bradley Lizama, and Bing Sablan and Rota players Luis Hocog and Daniel Rangamar didn’t make it in the first cut.
Kiyoshi said the biggest issue for Tinian players was attendance, as the two Sablans, Cepeda, and Lizama weren’t able to come back to the tryouts after flights from Tinian to Saipan were suspended following Thanksgiving.
“They got cut I believe because of attendance. Star Marianas Air suspending flights was a huge factor,” he said.
The TASA head said in his humble opinion it was never a question of talent when it comes to the players from Tinian.
“Seeing this guys play they are all quality players in my opinion, but the coaches and manager didn’t put into account.”
Kiyoshi also wants TASA and its counterpart on Rota to become members of the Northern Marianas Sports Association board.
“I have brought this attention up to my local leadership but until now no feedback yet. It’s frustrating when we try to do something right for the betterment of our community. But that would not stop me from pushing my opinions or thoughts about the disadvantages we face as a sports organization from Tinian and Rota.”
A former U.S. Marine, Kiyoshi returned to Tinian in 1995 and since then has become an active volunteer in youth sports as well as in the island’s Boys Scout and Cub Scout programs.
