The dream of seeing a Filipino baseball player break into Asia’s top professional leagues may finally be within reach as the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium undergoes its first major renovation in more than 90 years.

For national baseball coach Orlando Binarao, the missing piece has never been talent.

He recalled being asked years ago in Taiwan why the Philippines had yet to produce a player in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Korea’s KBO League or Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League despite having gifted athletes.

“I believe the renovation of the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium will help us finally see a Filipino baseball player compete professionally at the international level. We have very good players. If we have the facilities, equipment, support and a good program, our team will be really successful,” Binarao said.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has started a full-scale rehabilitation of the historic venue, with completion targeted on 31 October.

PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio said the century-old facility will be transformed into an international-standard baseball stadium while preserving its heritage.

The project includes a retrofitted 10,000-seat grandstand, an international-grade artificial turf and a digital scoreboard installed on the iconic outfield wall.

“Our objective is to finish the facelift in 100 days and bring the stadium to global standards,” Gregorio said.

“This is about giving Filipino baseball a true home worthy of its history and future.”

The renovated stadium will immediately take center stage by hosting the East Asia Cup from 26 November to 6 December with the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA) organizing the tournament in partnership with the PSC.

PABA secretary-general Mike Asuncion described the project as a major step toward rebuilding the sport in the country.

“This renovation is a turning point for Philippine baseball. Hosting the East Asia Cup in a world-class stadium will inspire our athletes and show the region that we are serious about competing at the highest level,” Asuncion said.

He added that the initiative goes beyond Rizal Memorial, with more baseball fields planned in key areas to expand opportunities for young players.

Opened in 1934, the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium remains one of Philippine sports’ most historic venues.

Its inaugural exhibition featured baseball legends Lou Gehrig, who blasted the first home run in the stadium, followed by Babe Ruth with the second. American League star Jimmie Fox also played on the same field, with their achievements permanently commemorated on the stadium walls.

For Binarao, who represented the country in the 1990s before steering the national team to the 2018 East Asia Cup crown and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medal, the renovation is part of a long-term plan to elevate Philippine baseball.

“Our previous games against Japan, Korea and Taipei could have gone either way because the scores were very close. The goal now is to beat them,” Binarao said. “The renovation of the baseball stadium is a really big help for us to accomplish our goals.”

Fresh from capturing the Southeast Asian Games title over host Thailand last year behind team captain Romeo Jasmin, the national squad has shifted its focus to the Asian Games in September.

Binarao is not promising a medal, but he believes the Philippines has the talent to compete against the continent’s traditional baseball powers.

Leading the squad are veterans Mark Steven Manaig, Jenald Pareja and Mark Beronilla, while batting coach Ricardo “Iking” Jimenez, whose name is immortalized on the stadium wall, continues to mentor the next generation.

They are joined by University of Santo Tomas coach Jeffrey Santiago, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) prospect, and former University of the Philippines pitcher Vladimir Eguia.

More than a facelift, the rebirth of Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium signals the country’s renewed ambition to become a force in Asian baseball and eventually produce homegrown professionals capable of reaching the region’s elite leagues — and perhaps one day, the MLB.