Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen got shortlisted for the Dutch Sportsman of the Year by the National Olympic Committee * National Sports Federation in the Netherlands. He is on the list together with Tom Dumoulin, Dylan Groenewegen, Bauke Mollema, Michael van Gerwen, Sjinkie Knegt, Sven Kramer, Kjeld Nuis, Jan Smeekens, Max Verstappen and Ferry Weertman. With the opposition led Giro D’Italia winner Dumoulin his chances for winning the award are slim.
The Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) had lobbied with an open letter to add pro baseball players Jansen, Rick van den Hurk and Roger Bernadina to the list after successful seasons in the United States, Japan and Korea. The winners will be announced on December 3. Robert Eenhoorn and Brian Farley were named coach of the year in 2007 and 2011, while the Netherlands were named best team of the year following winning the Baseball World Cup in 2011.