Champion Talaga: Junior in the Philippines

by BubbaFan on Mar 2, 2011 10:22 PM EST

Came across this video:

Baseball icon Griffey teaches young Pinoy players

"Pinoy" means "Filipino" (though be warned, some Filipinos consider it a derogatory term). The video shows Junior coaching some kids in Manila.

Apparently, Hillary sent him to the Philippines on a diplomatic mission.

Sports diplomacy envoys build on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of "smart power diplomacy," which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools – in this case baseball – to bring people together and foster greater understanding among people and cultures.

(Larkin was previously sent to South Korea under this program.)

There's a report on Griffey's visit from a Filipino newspaper here. Apparently, they were really struck by Griffey's height. The article says he could be mistaken for an NBA star.

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Griffey has long been considered a 5 diplomatic tools kind of ambassador

by ken on Mar 3, 2011 10:23 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Has he been injured yet?

"People don't kill people. Burning oreo packages kill people."

by crolfer on Mar 3, 2011 10:28 AM EST reply actions 2 recs

HAH!

Eighty-five percent of the f*ckin' world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here. A f*ckin' playground for the cocks*ckers.
-Lee Elia on Cubs fans

by Farneyismycopilot on Mar 3, 2011 10:58 AM EST up reply actions

I hereby nominate obc2 to be the RR ambassador to the Phillipines

"He’s like if Ron Gant and Eric Davis had a white baby." -- GlennBraggsSwingAndMissBrokenBat on Drew Stubbs

by jch24 on Mar 3, 2011 11:04 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Don't be ridiculous.

What does he know about rail roads?

"there no countrey called west xylophone" Youtube

by andromache on Mar 3, 2011 11:20 AM EST up reply actions

Ah yeah, sports diplomacy. I interned with the department of state back in 2005 (sadly, no sex stories here)

in the Outreach office of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. I spent nearly half my time researching Venezuelan baseball and US baseball camps as well as the damned MLB schedule. The idea was to bring a bunch of Venezuelan youth coaches here. Which they did and I’m assuming spearhead more US love in Chavez-led ville. I have no idea if that part happened.

The last I heard Sports United hit a rut late in the Bush years so it’s good it’s back up and running (thought the website still sucks). Also Barry Larkin was a recent ambassador for the program going to South Korea.

Eighty-five percent of the f*ckin' world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here. A f*ckin' playground for the cocks*ckers.
-Lee Elia on Cubs fans

by Farneyismycopilot on Mar 3, 2011 11:20 AM EST reply actions

I had no idea

there was any kind of interest or history of baseball in the Philippines.

My dad used to work there, and I remember a lot of interest in jai alai and soccer, but not baseball.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Mar 3, 2011 12:10 PM EST reply actions

soccer? they're the largest country to not even try to qualify for the World Cup

I was there this summer, it was weirdly non-athletic. Some basketball jerseys, a bunch of people real excited for Manny Pacquiao, but that’s about it.

Wikipedia says Filipinos love Lincecum, tohugh. Apparently Tim’s mom is Filipino.

"College actually kind of beat that out of me, making me more, well, of an asshole."

by Cy Schourek on Mar 4, 2011 8:45 AM EST up reply actions

I didn't know Lincecum was half Filipino

He does look kind of hapa.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Mar 4, 2011 12:06 PM EST up reply actions

Well if we invade the place

and win the war, forcing them to capitulate (work with me on this one), then we can annex the place, design our own Olympics uniforms and set up a mansion where we can appoint an ambassador.

Seriously, the interest in baseball in the Philippines dates back to post-war occupation when a lot of young sailors played the game in a relatively peaceful, if not dreadfully dull, environment. There wasn’t much corporate support, as occurred in Japan.

Red Reporter: A Cincinnati Reds' fan Community Compose of a Bunch of Profane Motherfuckers since February 9th, 2005.

by johnu1 on Mar 3, 2011 1:25 PM EST reply actions

Oh the humor. I just checked out the ad in the upper right-hand corner? Yeah, it's for FilipinoCupid.com.

Awesome.

Eighty-five percent of the f*ckin' world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here. A f*ckin' playground for the cocks*ckers.
-Lee Elia on Cubs fans

by Farneyismycopilot on Mar 3, 2011 1:40 PM EST reply actions