By Hali Moore
Coconuts Staff Writer
The Bohol Coconuts Baseball & Softball Club’s vision of establishing a competitive island-wide league has hit a familiar, yet critical, hurdle: finding the right people to lead its member clubs.
Following the announcement of franchise opportunities, the organization received six formal applications. While encouraging, the pool revealed a significant gap in the type of ownership the Coconuts deem essential for long-term success. Four of the six applicants were expatriates already residing in Bohol, primarily viewing a franchise as a novel business venture.
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“I was intrigued by their desire to operate a youth sports business, and their presence here is a plus,” said Coach Merv Moore.
“But we are not selling ice cream stands. We are licensing the responsibility to develop elite teenage baseball prospects. At the end of the day, this entire dream fails unless we have well-run baseball academies operated by people with a passion for baseball and a relentless focus on talent development.”
The “No Dynasties” Development Model
Coach Merv’s standards are born from observing other emerging baseball markets. He points specifically to Europe, where the sport’s growth has often been stunted by non-competitive leagues dominated by one or two well-run clubs.
“I’ve seen it: one competent organization and five casual clubs makes for a terrible league. I don’t want any dynasties in Bohol because that’s bad for development,” he stated.
“I want a collection of strong, competitive baseball academies that all know how to identify and train players. To develop professional prospects, you need top-level, weekly competition. I want academies churning out talented ballplayers who force the others to elevate their game.”
A New Model for Ownership
Despite initial dismay over the baseball acumen of some applicants, Coach Merv expressed excitement about two potential academy owners who demonstrated the necessary blend of experience and vision. He also aims to clarify a major misconception about the commitment.
“Some people think they have to sell their home and relocate to Bohol full-time, and that’s not the case,” Coach Merv explained.
“A smart owner can be effective spending 2-3 months on the island during key evaluation and tournament periods, six months for a more hands-on approach, or they can relocate permanently.”
The model is built on a scalable infrastructure. The Coconuts franchise will oversee a network of affiliate clubs across all 17 villages (barangays) in Baclayon, creating a wide talent net. The coaching staff then identifies and intensively trains the top performers from that network.
The Incentive: Development as an Investment
The financial incentive for baseball academy owners is directly tied to their success in developing players. Beyond league operations, owners will earn a 5% agency fee for any player signed from their academy to a professional contract, aligning their profit with their core mission.
“The economics are compelling,” Coach Merv noted. “Low operational costs, year-round training weather, and athletes whose motivation extends beyond the field—they are hungry to build a future.”
Combine that with a growing market: the KBO just added new roster spots specifically for Asian foreign players, creating more opportunities alongside MLB, NPB, CPBL, and Baseball United.
“Our goal is to make Bohol a premier destination for Asian scouts looking for cost-effective, high-potential talent.”
The challenge of finding owners, therefore, is not a setback but a necessary filtration process. The Coconuts are not merely seeking investors; they are recruiting partners in a specific, high-stakes project.
The right academy owner, Coach Merv believes, will see not just a business, but a legacy-building opportunity at the intersection of sport and social impact.
“The inquiry from the NPB club showed that we are headed in the right direction,” he concluded. “Now we need the right people on the ground to build the system that will produce a pipeline of professional minor league prospects.”
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