by Pim van Nes
The Olympic selection for the Netherlands national team preparing for the Beijing Olympics, today appreciates why it is left missing some of the best players of the country. Righthanded pitcher Rick van den Hurk will appear on the mound for the Florida Marlins again. Tonight at 00.30h Brussels time, the ex-PSV and Twins-player will make another comeback in the Major League to replace rotation pitchers recovering in Miami. Van den Hurk will face the Atlanta Braves in the local Dolphin Stadium.
The national team is still awaiting the outcome of its manager’s attempts to take Roger Bernadina with him to Amsterdam. Robert Eenhoorn is still in the USA since he was attending the last All Star Game at Yankee Stadium in New York. Late tomorrow he will learn from Washington Nationals management if the young Major League debutant will be free to join his national team, heading for the Olympic Games and adding some more power in the box. His present teammates with the Columbus Clippers (Triple A) Yurendel de Caster and Shairon Martis were already OK’d by the Nationals organization.
On the other hand, relief pitcher Loek van Mil (Minnesota Twins) has already arrived in the Netherlands this week and will be in practice with the Hoofdklasse players selected for the Olympic Games. The other pro players from the United States will travel from there straight to Seoul (Korea) in order to join the Olympic selection, which is booked to fly from Amsterdam on Saturday July 26.
In the air right now is the Netherlands Juniors team flying to Edmonton, Canada, in order to participate in this category’s World Championship tournament (July 25 thru August 3). Also this team contains several players which have signed for a professional club in the USA: Seattle Mariners (Jeroen de Haas), Boston Red Sox (Swen Huijer) and Houston Astros (Jan Baldee). Long lasting followers of baseball in the Netherlands will recognize family names among the youngsters as sons of famous fathers, such as Ronnenbergh, Koot, Urbanus and Flanegin.
The full roster of the Juniors national team:
Pitchers:
- Robin van Eis (Kinheim)
- Jeroen de Haas (AZL Mariners)
- Niels Harteveld (Rotterdam Unicorns)
- Swen Huijer (GCL Red Sox)
- Jim Ploeger (Almere ’90)
- Scott Ronnenbergh (Amsterdam Pirates)
- Remi Flanegin (Caribe)
Catchers:
- Erik van Dorp (Rotterdam Unicorns)
- Bjorn Hato (Kinheim)
Infielders:
- Arjan Elshof (HCAW)
- Roeland Henrique (Amsterdam Pirates)
- Norbert Jongerius (EBS/UVV)
- Mitchel Koot (Amsterdam Pirates)
- Nick Urbanus (Amsterdam Pirates)
- Kevin Weijgertse (Hoofddorp Pioniers)
Outfielders:
- Ashwin Rokx (Rotterdam Unicorns)
- Jan Baldee (VSL Astros)
- Tjerk Hogervorst (Hoofddorp Pioniers)
Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
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