Crispa Redmanizers first Coach in Businessman's Athletic Association (BAA) 1956 before MICAA 1958

Crispa Florotex, 1956-57 Businessman's Athletic Association (BAA) champion team. Seated from left - Mike Littaua, Eddie Pacheco, Carlos Badion, Danny Floro, Bert Yburan, Mike Tanquintic and de Jesus. Standing from left- Dominador Lauron, Eduardo Topacio, Jimenez, coach Cesar Baldueza, Bautista and Nicdao.. decided to disband.

The vaunted Crispa Redmanizers of today was a nameless Crispa- Florotex of yesterday. 'They started to pick up their championship tempo late in the 1960's when American imports became in vogue. 'With Tom Cowart and Paul Scranton in their lineup, the Crispa quintet sewed fear in the MICAA; the Americans brought her a new revered name in the sport, but not the MICAA pennant, at least, not yet. 'Crispa started to absorb power when the strong Ysmael squad of the late fifties and early sixties  decided to disband. 'Danny Floro took this oppor- tunity to strengthen Crispa despite stiff opposition from his advisers; included in his new recruits were Danny Florencio and Jun Papa. 'Crispa's new mentor and Danny's kumpadre, Virgilio Dalu- pan, provided the team with a wide reservoir of fresh talent hailing from seven-time UAAP champions, UE Warriors. 'Danny Floro's efforts paid off when the Crispa quintet won the 1st All-Filipino MICAA champion- ship at the expense of the San Miguel Braves.'  This brief chronological narra- tion of Crispa's evolution came from a not-so-aging 53-year old coach who has been watching the metamorphosis of the Crispa-Floro Redmanizers with unsurpassed keenness. BALDUEZA: WHO HE? His name is Cesar Baldueza and chances are you'll ask 'who he?' He who is the Redmanizers' first coach; the first mentor on the Crispa bench to give Crisanta and Pablo Floro, parents of millionaire Danny Floro, the Red- manizers' first championship trophy in basketball. Baldueza, a contemporary of ex-hardcourt superstar-turned- politician, Ambrosio Padilla, or- ganized the first Crispa team in 1953 it was only a junior team though. In 1956, the ex-Letran star was given the go-signal by Danny Floro to form the senior team for parti- cipation in the Businessman's Athletic Association (BAA). The Crispa squad became the champion right on its maiden year of participation, until it pulled out from the league two years after to join the Manila Industrial- Commercial Athletics Association (MICAA). The champion Crispa quintet in the BAA was composed of Domi- nador Lauron, now in the Army; Eduardo Topacio, Jimenez, Bautis ta, Nicdao, Mike Littaua, Eddie Pacheco, Carlos Badion, Bert Yburan, Mike Tanquintic and de Jesus. Three members of the team Pacheco, Badion and Littaua became Olympians.  CRISPA JOINS MICAA In 1958, some quarters in the MICAA advised Floro to replace Baldueza in favor of an Olympic coach if Danny wished to join the MICAA. 'Danny wanted so much to join the MICAA he immdiately heeded their advice recalied Baldueza, who also counts among his most memcrabie experience his stint with Maurice Enterprises, the first MICAA champion. 'I wanted to protest but Danny was so kind to me I didn't have the heart to voice it.' Valerio Lopez and Gabriel Fajardo took turns in mentoring the Crispa Florotex until Virgilio Dalupan took over in the mid sixties. 'I have nothing to air against Danny, or the Crispa Redmanizers for that matter,' said Baldueza who is now the athletic director of the Philippine Christian College. 'I simply find satisfaction recalling the fact that I was once the moving spirit behind one of the most formidable basketball teams in the land today.'