1988  

Season in Review: 1988

The 1988 season saw only six teams, the PBA's lowest number for a season. Purefoods replaced the Tanduay Rhummakers. The Hotdogs became the league's glamour team overnight, as it was consisted of the five-best amateurs and the core of the defunct Tanduay team. Rookies Alvin Patrimonio 6-3, Jerry Cordinera 6-6, with Ramon Fernandez, led Purefoods to runner-up finishers in its first two conferences. There was the question of whether or not Alvin Patrimonio could be signed up as a professional even while his contract with RFM-Swifts was still in effect. RFM was not willing to give up their most prized cager, most particularly not to the food conglomerate’s corporate archrival. This controversy nearly spawned a more wide spread one – that of the legality of amateur players’ contracts with their commercial ballclubs, which in effect makes them professionals and not amateur at all. Though such contracts usually do not directly control the players’ activities as players in that they are supposed to be contracted as promotional representatives or some such classification it is very obvious that what the firms are playing for are their services as players. A compromise, for all intents and purposes to Alvin’s great benefit, was worked out under which he would stay with RFM until his contract expired middle of the year and then move over to the PBA team of Purefoods.

David Thirdkill, the high-scoring import, who was averaging better than 43 points per game, turned out two disappointing performances, 16 and 18 points, the last in the final game of the best of seven series for the Open Conference title and the Hotdogs missed being the Cinderella squad by two points. Purefoods’ loss to San Miguel in the Open Finals after posting 3 – 2 lead. There was a strong hint of scandal involving Thirdkill and that may have completely and finally ended the former Celtic benchwarmer’s PBA career.

In the All-Filipino conference, the Hotdogs, now further strengthened by Alvin Patrimonio, breezed their way to the final while the rest of the field were killing each other for the last slot. It was an awesome show of might for them going into the finals. But Anejo surprisingly crashed into the finals after trouncing second favorite San Miguel in a knock-out game and the Hotdogs braced themselves for a bruising series with the rugged Anejo squad instead of the finesse war with the Beermen whom they have humiliated in all four encounters in the tournament as if exacting sweet revenge for the Open conference defeat which many people felt was a fluke. It was reported, and admitted by both Purefoods officials and Fernandez himself, that Fernandez’s personal nemesis, Anejo playing coach Robert Jaworski was Purefoods first choice for Fernandez ‘s coaching post. Fernandez was not even the second choice but Valenzona. Some feelings, mostly Fernadez’s and his fans’, were bruised with the exposure of these facts for public consumption. Fernandez and Purefoods management announced that the then three-time MVP was relinquishing his coaching post and assistant coach Cris Calilan was taking over. Anejo took the first game and Purefoods president Rene Buhain sacked Mon Fernandez. It was a controversial move but it seemed to pay off as the Hotdogs leveled the series while Fernandez was kept on the bench in the second game. Fernandez was not even on the bench in the third game which Anejo won. The fourth game saw the Hotdogs, again sans Fernandez, who watched form the lower level box, fight with fierce determination and dominate the Rum Masters, building up huge leads in the first three quarters, until what many feel were bad calls allowed Anejo to catch up and finally force an extension. The Hotdogs were demoralized by the turn of events and the inconsistency of the referees, and lost in overtime after their gallant efforts in regulation. Thus they missed a crown for the second consecutive time.

In the third conference, the Reinforced, Ramon Fernandez was traded to SMB for Abet Guidaben. Purefoods was with the wrong imports, then injuries to both imports and long-shooting guard Solis, and suffered the ignominy of being the only team to crash out of the double round elimination, winning only 1 of 10 games. Their import at that time is Kenny Travis.

Mon Fernandez went on to win the MVP while Jojo Lastimosa was named the Rookie of the Year. Alberto Guidaben, missed winning the Most Valauble Player award because of the early exit of the Purefoods team.

Roster:

Alvin Patrimonio (Rookie)
Jerry Codinera (Rookie)
Isabelo "Jojo" Lastimosa (Rookie)
Glenn Capacio (Rookie)
Edgar "Jack" Tanuan (Rookie)
Alfonso "Al" Solis
Wilfredo "Willie" Generalao
Jose Bernardo "JB" Yango
Manuel "Totoy" Marques
Federico "Padim" Israel
Alberto "Abet" Guidaben
Joshua "Jojo" Villapando

Departures:

Ramon Fernandez (traded in the 3rd conference to SMB)
Freddie Hubalde (traded in mid-season to Shell)
Ramon "Onchie" de la Cruz (traded in mid-season to Shell)

Imports:

David Thirdkill (1st conference)
Sugar Ray Hall (3rd conference)
Tim McCalister (3rd conference)
Kenny Travis (3rd conference)
Perry Young (3rd conference)

Open Conference Elimination Round:

March 20: 104-119 loss to San Miguel (0-1)
March 22: 119-107 win over Shell Helix (1-1)
March 27: 118-110 win over Great Taste milk (2-1)
April 5: 116-110 win over Ginebra (3-1)
April 10: 127-108 win over Alaska (4-1)
April 12: 112-115 loss to San Miguel (4-2)
April 17: 119-125 loss to Shell Helix (4-3)
April 19: 126-118 win over Great Taste milk (5-3) *Thirdkill 66 points
April 24: 122-127 loss to Ginebra (5-4)
April 26: 122-111 win over Alaska (6-4) *Thirdkill 63 points

Semifinal Round:

May 1: 131-117 win over Great Taste milk (7-4)
May 3: 123-120 win over San Miguel (8-4)
May 8: 120-119 win over Alaska (9-4) *Thirdkill buzzer beating shot
May 10: 115-124 loss to Ginebra (9-5)
May 12: 148-129 win over Importless-Great Taste (10-5)
May 15: 119-129 loss to San Miguel (10-6)
May 19: 125-118 win over Alaska (11-6)
May 22: 111-109 OT win over Ginebra (12-6) *Regulation at 104-all

Best of Seven Open Conference Finals vs San Miguel Beer

May 26/Game 1: San Miguel 129 Purefoods 116
May 29/Game 2: Purefoods 107 San Miguel 101
May 31/Game 3: Purefoods 96 San Miguel 88
June 2/Game 4: San Miguel 93 Purefoods 88
June 5/Game 5: Purefoods 103 San Miguel 97
June 7/Game 6: San Miguel 105 Purefoods 85
June 9/Game 7: San Miguel 94 Purefoods 92