His demeanor turns even grimmer when told Cuba and Japan are facing each other for the championship.

"It’s not surprising why Asians and the Latin Americans, like the Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans and the Dominican Republic, are dominating sports," said Codiñera, a member of the RP team that won the bronze medal in the 1966 World Amateur Baseball championship.

Athletic scholarships offered by American colleges and the eventual transfer of technology play big roles, Codiñera said.

"When these foreign students return home and represent their countries in the international competitions, hasang-hasa na sila. Pati mga Amerikano ay tinatalo na," he added.

From the time South Korea bowed to the Philippines in the battle for third place in the World Amateur Baseball Championship held in Honolulu 40 years ago, the Koreans have gone lightyears in the sport invented by the Americans.

Favorite whipping boys in the Asian baseball scene in the 50s, the Koreans, in the first World Baseball Classic this year contributed to the ouster of the Americans, made up of some of the highest-paid Major Leaguers in the US.

The Koreans’ 7-3 humbling of the Americans and a 1-2 loss to the Mexicans led to the Major Leaguers elimination from the semifinal round.

"Tayo sa Pilipinas, napag-iwanan na. First, we do not have an honest-to-goodness recruiting program to discover talents. Isa pa, masyado ang pulitika sa’tin. Iyan ang sumisira sa sports natin," Codiñera said.

Second only to Japan in the Asian Games during his time, being the only country to win an Olympic medal, Codiñera noted the Philippines has fallen from grace.

"Magaling lang tayo sa umpisa," he said.

The achievements of the Koreans and the Japanese in the World Baseball Classic should serve as an eye-opener to the sports leaders that the Filipinos can also excel in baseball if given the proper training and needed exposures, Codiñera said, adding not all is lost.

"Hindi pa naman huli. Remember, we were the first Asian champions in baseball. Puwede pa rin nating mabawi yan kung magkakaroon tayo ng magandang programa."