San Miguel Beer

(also known as Royal Tru Orange, Magnolia, San Miguel Beer)



Team History:

The San Miguel franchise is a class act of its own. It is not only the league’s winningest team in history (17 PBA titles), it is also the lone remaining “original” which saw action in the league’s inaugural season in 1975. San Miguel is one of only three teams in history to have won a Grand Slam (a swept of all conference titles in a season), aside from Alaska and Crispa.

Led by stratospheric imports 6’7” Larry Pounds and 6’9” Otto Moore and coached by the legendary Ed Ocampo, Royal would cop its first championship in 1979, becoming the second team in the league’s first five years to break the Crispa-Toyota title stranglehold. Utex was the first team to do the feat a year before. Its first stars were rebounding demon Manny Panner, point guard Yoyong Martirez, and forward Estoy Estrada. Coached by another legendary coach in Tommy Manotoc, the team would make a return trip to the winner’s circle in 1982, winning the Invitationals over Crispa and a horde of foreign teams.

Majority of their championships were won in the 1980s, culminating with a rare grandslam in 1989, behind playing coach Norman Black. In that 10-year span, the Beermen won 8 titles to claim the bragging rights as the most dominant team in 1980s, challenged only by Crispa’s 1983 grandslam. The team would add 8 more titles in the next two decades behind Black and bench tactician Jong Uichico.

In 1985, San Miguel would disband their team in the league but after only two years, made their way back again, this time with the core of the national team, such as Samboy Lim, Hec Calma, Franz Pumaren, Elmer Reyes, Yves Dignadice, Alfie Almario, Franz Pumaren, and Pido Jarencio. Former Manila Beer stalwart Abet Guidaben anchored the young team and won MVP honors in 1987. He was close to having a back-to-back MVP plum in 1988, but at mid-season he was traded to Ramon Fernandez, the second both marquee big men were traded for each other straight up. Allan Caidic would later join the team to form the old Northern Consolidated core.

Olsen Racela was acquired from Purefoods and immediately rose to becoming one of the PBA’s best point guards in the 1990s. Along with 2-time MVP Danny Ildefonso they would lead the Beermen to greater heights leading the Beermen to four titles, the last in the 2004-05 season. After a dismal showing in the 2005-06 season, the team began retooling in the 2006-07 season, acquiring Lordy Tugade and Enrico Villanueva from Red Bull and drafted talented amateur players LA Tenorio and Gabby Espinas.

Review of the 2006-07 Season:

Philippine Cup: Given up for dead after starting 0-3, the Beermen packed up, repackaged initiating a three-way deal that netted them Rommel Adducul and Lordy Tugade. Suddenly, they were a different team, winning 13 of its next 15 games (including two 5-win spurts) to book an automatic semis slot. Danny Seigle was the man of the hour for the Beermen, engaging Mark Caguioa toe-for-toe in the scoring race. The Beermen survived a 4-3 scare against their nemesis Red Bull Barakos in their semi-finals duel to advance to the finals. They won the first two games against sister team Brgy. Ginebra in the championship but lost steam and allowed the Gin Kings to sweep the next four and steal the crown.

Fiesta Cup: The Beermen paraded Vidal Massiah and assigned Biboy Ravanes to take the head coaching cudgels for the team in lieu of national team coach Chot Reyes. Danny Seigle and Dondon Hontiveros also missed the conference after being named to the regular 12-man rotation of the RP team. Alas, Massiah proved to be a big lemon and had to be replaced by Paul McMillan after just two games. Coach Siot Tanquincen took the controls over Biboy Ravanes after the Beermen fell 0-3 in the standings. Former Alaska import Galen Young came back to replace Paul McMillan in the lineup and steered the recharged Beermen to 10 wins in the team’s next 12 games to book itself of a seat in the semis. In their semifinals showdown with Alaska, San Miguel came almost 2 wins short to oust the eventual champion but an endgame collapse in game 6 sealed their fate.

Biggest Blunders:

In the 1995 draft, coach Norman Black promised Jeffrey Cariaso that he would chose him if he’s still available by the time their turn to pick at number 5. Black was obsessed with Dennis Espino but there was no way the Realtors would release him even if the deal brings in Samboy Lim, Allan Caidic and Alvin Teng. Espino and Cariaso together with Kenneth Duremdes, Marlou Aquino, EJ Feilh and Bryant Punzalan were the top six amateurs previously considered in the pro-bannered RP team pool. Espino, Feilh, Duremdes and Fil-Am Chris Jackson went 1-4, leaving Cariaso to the Beermen’s laps at number 5. Black and the Beermen, apparently had a change of heart. The guard-heavy San Miguel Beer realized that they badly need a dependable frontliner instead of a budding swingman. They selected Bryant Punzalan and Alaska quickly pounced on the opportunity to grab the fleet-footed Fil-Am from Sonoma College. Cariaso, obviously hurt with Black’s decision, played to the best of his abilities, giving the Milkman an explosive sixth man who was a threat on both ends of the court. He would later be adjudged ROY after playing a pivotal role in Alaska’s successful title run. Punzalan never got to live to his potential and was branded a draft bust.