Rizal baseball stadium renovation targets November finish ahead of East Asia Cup
The Manila venue is due to be inaugurated on December 6, with its first tournament game scheduled for the following day.
Renovation of the baseball stadium at Manila’s Rizal Memorial Sports Complex is expected to finish by November 30, ahead of the 15th Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) East Asia Cup on December 7-13. Work is proceeding around the clock.
PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio said the stadium’s inauguration is scheduled for December 6. The tournament’s opening game is set for December 7, while the championship game is scheduled for December 12.
PABA secretary-general Mike Asuncion said the project includes artificial turf suitable for all weather conditions and compliant with BFA recommendations. The centre-field home-run fence has been extended to 400 feet. Planned additions include lighting for night games, protective wall padding and seating for 5,000 spectators.
An electronic LED scoreboard, approximately 12 feet tall, is already in Manila and awaiting installation, Asuncion said. It will leave the stadium’s old scoreboard untouched. Locker rooms are also being refurbished, and the home-run markers are to be replaced with a redesigned Hall of Fame tribute.
The stadium opened in 1934 with an exhibition game in which Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hit home runs. Its walls carry markers recording the distances of their hits.
