Netherlands – Cuba 2-1
CUB 000 100 000 1 5 0 NED 000 200 00X 2 6 1
The Netherlands have written European Baseball history and won the 2011 IBAF Baseball World Cup. The team of head coach Brian Farley stunned record title holder Cuba with a 2-1 in the championship game on Saturday evening at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City. It is not only the first world title, but also the first medal overall for the Dutch squad.
After Cuba had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a sac fly by Alfredo Despaigne, Bryan Engelhardt and Jonathan Schoop countered in the bottom half of the same frame with RBI singles to turn the deficit into a lead. They faced several critical scoring opportunities for Cuba afterwards, but either escaped with nice defensive plays or the Caribbean team trying to hit the long ball.
Rob Cordemans got the win, pitching a gem, allowing just two hits, a run and a walk in 7 1/3 impressive innings. Juan Carlos Sulbaran and David Bergman closed it out. Yulieski Gonzalez took the loss, getting charged with three hits, two runs and two baseball on balls in three-plus innings.
The start of the game was delayed for four hours due to rain, but after it got underway it wasn’t interrupted again. Curt Smith was named Most Valuable Player during the medal ceremony.
Earlier I thought that Robbie Cordemans is the best European pitcher. Now I think that he is one of the greatest pitchers of the world.
CONGRATULATIONS for the whole Dutch team!!!
Incredible news. To beat Cuba twice you deserve to win.Congratulations to the Dutch. Can you believe what this means for European Baseball. Not much can be done for 2012 season but surely people need to think ahead to 2013 and beyond, before the impetus is lost.
One more thing, it makes me really angry, that none of the World Cup was shown on most European TV, especially Sky and Eurosport. EurosportUK showed some games from the later stages of the last European Championships, after I contacted them. I have tried to get through to them, this time, but it seems more and more that media people do not want anything to do with their customers. How is that for hypocrisy on their part?
Make yourseleves heard or baseball will remain in the background. European Baseball has got to get on TV. I hope Dutch TV (also German,Italian and Greek TV) showed some live games,especiqlly the final. I know IBAF were showing games online,at a price.
We had a live broadcast “this morning”. Game started at 04:00 after a 4 hour rain-delay. What game, what a team!!
All points fall in the third inning and after that it was a real nailbiter. WE ARE THE CHAMPS!!!! What a great morning for Dutch and European Baseball.
to:straffan
It’s really a pity that there was just few showing of the WC on those European TV, and for the same reason, that the Czech squad wasn’t playing in Panama this time. You may know that Czech is one of the best European country about the baseball’s national broadcasting. Months ago I watched the Czech-France game at the Prague Baseball Week through the website of Ceskatelevize, and the quality of that programme was nothing but perfect; it was not so much different from those I now watch here in Japan. So they could have featured those games like that, if their NT was competing there.
Anyway, I think many European guys like you should convince those TV’s more to show your demand to them. I think some media-related people just don’t know about how it is spread all over the old continent, and if you can show it again like before, then all things can change. This Dutchmen’s victory is surely a historical one, and now it is chance to do it. Sorry for such long text.
As SYSTEM R has just mentioned Czech baseball I would like to congratulate them. It shows what can be done when people out their minds to it. The standard of Czech baseball has risen dramatically in the last few years and ,at this rate, it won’t be long before the are challenging the top club and national teams. The quality of their facilities is as good as any in Europe. If any thing does happen in the development of an All European League then the Czech republic deserves to have a team in it. There are others following close behind Croatia,Poland etc. Russia are making great progress. These are exciting timesfor European baseball and given a huge boost by the Dutch victory in Panama.
If a European League doe come about, you could make a case for allowing between 12 and 16 cities and it may be best to have a western and eastern division to cut down on travelling costs. The European Series could then be East v West and something to look forward to.
West Division something like London,French ity,Barcelona, two Dutch teams, Belgian city,German City
East Division Russian city,Two Italian cities, Prague,Greek city,Croatian city,Polish City.
This is only a rough idea. I know Austria, Latvia and Estonia,Sweden are all improving. All I am trying to do is to get a debate going. Feel free to object, if you think I have left out your country. Baseball needs supporters who will fight for the elevation of baseball into the sporting mindsetbof everyday European life.
http://nos.nl/video/304429-nederlandse-honkballers-wereldkampioen.html