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This Day in PBA History: Toyota’s Andy Fields tallies record 13 blocks

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Rey Joble

For five seasons – down to the final year of Toyota’s participation in the PBA – Andrew Fields endeared fans because of his intense play on both ends of the court.The 6-foot-9 center was regarded as the anchor of Toyota’s defense and his style of play was tailor-fit for the brand of basketball of the Tamaraws, who later changed their monikers to Super Diesels, Super Corollas, and later on Silver Coronas.But whatever name he carried, Fields’ quality of play remained consistent. His role with Toyota was like a throwback to the 1960s Boston Celtics anchored on the great Bill Russell, winner of 11 championships, whose shot-blocking and rebounding would start the transition game of his team.In Toyota, Fields fit that role perfectly.“This is not to brag on myself, but I really thought I brought in a good dimension to the game because from my outlet passing from rebounding to outlet that would start the fast break, was I think no one else was doing,” Fields said in a previous interview with the author. “It became an advantage for us as a team. It paid off to the entire time I was there.” On this day, 41 years ago, on April 21, 1981, Fields registered a PBA record, blocking 13 shots in his team’s 97-94 loss to Crispa in the 1981 PBA Open Conference.Looking back, Fields was happy to be a part of the Toyota-Crispa rivalry.“It was so intense, the rivalry. You can see how intense the rivalry with the Filipino players and it carried to us American players. Each time our teams, it’s jam-packed. It’s 25,000-plus easily,” added Fields.Fields helped Toyota beat Crispa, then carried Walk Tall in the 1979 Third Conference 3-1, and led the Tamaraws anew in winning the 1981 Open Conference 3-2, where he played the hero’s role by completing a three-point play in the dying seconds of the match and propelling his team to a 103-97 victory in the series-clinching Game 5.He ended up as the hands down choice for the Best Import award.Fields returned in the 1982 Open Conference where he teamed up with Donnie Ray Koonce and led Toyota to a three-game sweep of the Gilbey’s Gin Tonics for his third championship with the franchise.He stayed on and played for the franchise in its last season in the PBA until the team disbanded.For Fields, Toyota wasn’t just one of the best teams he’d seen in the PBA, but a classy organization as well.“The organization as a whole was class act,” said Fields. “Obviously, it also showed in the hiring of local players – (Sonny) Jaworski, Ramon (Fernandez), (Francis) Arnaiz, (Arnie) Tuadles, and so many otjers. They’ve got good quality players. They’ve good people as well. They made the best of it. They’re a classy organization.”Even when Toyota folded, Fields hoped to play longer in the Philippines.“All good things come to an end, that’s normally the saying,” he said, reflecting on his five-season journey with Toyota.“For me, I was already looking elsewhere at that time and I’m sure, maybe other players as well. When the players started to break up, they’re looking at different organizations. For me, I was trying to find a place when I transferred to Europe, trying to have a longer season, so I wouldn’t have to wait longer in between seasons.” In 1985, during Jaworski’s first season as head coach, Fields received a call from The Big J, hoping to bring him in as Ginebra’s import, but by then, the former Toyota import already established himself in the European circuit.“What happened was when I was able to establish myself in Europe, I was going on in between Holland and France at that time and I was expecting a son to come out,” Fields recalled “Then, he (Jaworski) contacted me. But it wasn’t just feasible for me. I would have defeated my purpose of going back to the Philippines and have those short seasons and have so many months without playing where in Europe, I have my seasons at least for nine, 10 months.“It was a bad time for me to make that decision. I really enjoyed playing with him, we know he was a great player. I would love to go to have another title with him, but it just never worked out.”But in all those five seasons playing in the PBA, for only one team that is Toyota, Fields had endeared himself to basketball fans.Those outlet passes. Those monster rebounds and those shot blocks. They were definitely missed by PBA fans.Surely, old-time followers were certainly entertained the exploits of the man known as “Andres Bukid.”