His prose resembled poetry

By Al S. Mendoza

PLEASE pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Recah Trinidad, who had passed on at 83 on Sept. 13 after a heart attack.

 My mentor, idol and glass mate for the longest time, Recah was one of the best sports writers and sports columnists—if not the best—this country has ever produced.

If America had Jim Murray, Red Smith or Jimmy Cannon as icons of sports writing, the Philippines has only Recah Trinidad to match their combined talents.

Recah’s “Bare Eye” columns appeared for decades at the Inquirer, chronicling, commentating on, sporting events and personalities in a unique manner that kept many readers mostly enthralled.

A rabid anti-cliché, Recah loved crafting original lines, embellishing his pieces with imagery rarely found among his peers.

His prose resembled poetry so that his brand of journalism bordered on literature.  Maybe because he was a Palanca awardee in poetry in 1978?

His two books were classic examples of how to write with exactness, churning out words, sentences and paragraphs without word wastage.

His first book was about the Pasig River—the beloved river of his youth in Mandaluyong City where he was born and raised.  His second book was about Manny Pacquiao’s epic rise from abject poverty to boxing stardom and unimaginable wealth.

We covered together Pacquiao’s conquest by knockout of Erik Morales in 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada, 21 years after our coverage of San Miguel Beer’s phenomenal stint in the World Club Basketball Championship in Girona, Spain, in 1985.

Our last overseas joust together was the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where Recah brought kambing adobo for pulutan at the Olympic Village.

But the one trait that amply put Recah to a pedestal was his love for what the American Indians call the “crazy water” aka alcohol.  His writing skill was matched only by his drinking prowess.   

 There were nights when fellow sportswriter Ding Marcelo and I tried to “out-drink” Recah.  It was all in vain.

Only once did I beat Recah, when he simply slumped on the table and fell asleep.  At maybe 4 in the morning. 

 Recah must have gulped all kinds of drinks the world had to offer: beer, wine, whiskey, brandy, cognac, rhum, gin, bourbon, champagne, sake, soju.  Sky was the limit.

Eventually,Torres brandy of Spain became his lifetime pal.

 It was through Recah that I had met and clinked glasses with literary giants like Nick Joaquin, Pete Lacaba, Greg Brilliantes, Wilfrido “Ding” Nolledo and Erwin Castillo. 

Danny Dalena, the quintessential painter, also became a very close friend of mine because he was friends with Recah.

Recah was tone-deaf but on drunken nights, he’d suddenly belt out Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight” with gusto.  A ca pella.

“Let It Be” was his favorite Beatles song.

There will never be another Recah Trinidad.  He was as original as Michael Jordan.

THAT’S IT  Tickets are sold out for my good friend Richard Reynoso’s historic concert  on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Teatrino, Promenade, Greenhills in San Juan City.  Historic because it will mark the balladeer’s 40th year in a singing journey punctuated by unparalleled excellence in a highly-competitive world of glitz and glamor.  Richard, also a distinguished Board Member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, has a high-impact cast of guest singers that include Chad Borja, Andrea Guttierez, VR Caballero, Jay-R Dizon and Rannie Raymundo, among others.  Show starts promptly at 8 p.m.  Cheers!