by Pim van Nes
National team manager Jim Stoeckel announced in a today press release his definite 24 men roster for the Inter Continental Cup tournament in Taiwan. Stoeckel himself is already leaving from Schiphol airport tonight at 20.45 h with a physiotherapist and two pitchers in order to acclimatize better for first warming up game planned in Taiwan.
Orlando Yntema and Tom Stuifbergen are the probable pitchers for the Netherlands versus Japan on Monday afternoon. They did not play any official game in the Netherlands, because Yntema (24 years) defended the Warriors from Catania in the Italian Baseball League and the younger Stuifbergen (22) played in US Minor Leagues for Minnesota Twins. Both Yntema and Stuifbergen debuted in Europe with a starting pitcher’s win in the very same Steno Borghese stadium in Nettuno, Italy: Yntema this year with Catania versus Nettuno and Stuifbergen at the age of 17 with Dutch national team versus Italy.
Orlando Yntema is the first debutant for the Netherlands. He was born in the Dominican Republic from a Dutch father and a local mother. At the age of 17 he was signed by San Francisco Giants. Till 2009 he worked for this organization in Minor Leagues, but at the end of last year he accepted an invitation from Catania Warriors. Italian clubs need non-Italian pitchers with an EU passport to complete their rosters for a three games per week season. Italian scouts recognized this tall pitcher as an EU national and offered him a contract for Italian Baseball League.
“I decided to accept that invitation because I had an old teammate playing in Catania and because I hoped to be discovered in Italy by scouts from my father’s country: the Netherlands. After an interview by Honkbalsite with me, Jim Stoeckel traveled from Amsterdam to Parma, where he saw me pitch a game versus later champion club Cariparma Parma. After the game we spoke together and after the season he invited me to join the frequent exercises of his national team in Amsterdam. I am staying there at my sister’s Danielle, who helped me the first time to find the Pirates ballpark”, he told Mister Baseball in Amsterdam a few weeks ago.
Pim van Nes: Since when did you know you had made it to the NT?
Orlando Yntema: Jim told me like two weeks ago
PvN: What was your first reaction on Jim’s news?
OY: My reaction was happiness, cuz, I got the chance I want to have to play for the NL.
PvN: How did you like to exercise with the pre-selection?
OY: It was nice and fun training with the guys I liked it a lot.
PvN: What did your Dutch father say when you told him?
OY: My dad was already happy when he saw the article you wrote about me and with the news that I made the team he was really proud of me…Thank you for let the NL know about me I appreciate that…
The second Dutch debutant is even three years younger than pitcher Yntema. Only 21 years old is catcher Shawn Zarraga, originating from the island of Aruba and this year active as a pro ball player for the Milwaukee Brewers at the Single A level (Brevard County Matanees). Zarraga will complete the catcher’s staff with experienced Sidney de Jong (L&D Amsterdam Pirates) and the younger Halman. Jason last month followed his brother Gregory through internet on his prosperous way to AAA Pacific League championship with Tacoma Rainiers and to his debut at the age of 23 for Seattle Mariners in the Major Leagues. In the Netherlands the Halman brothers are member of Corendon Kinheim in Haarlem.
Compared with the purely Hoofdklasse selection, representing the Netherlands in the European Championship in Stuttgart, Jim Stoeckel managed to add several more Dutch pro players having finished their Minor League season in the United States: pitchers Tom Stuifbergen (Minnesota Twins) and Dennis Neuman (Boston Red Sox), catcher Shawn Zarraga (Milwaukee Brewers) and infielders Sharlon Schoop (San Francisco Giants), Curt Smith (St Louis Cardinals) and Mariekson Gregorius (Cincinnati Reds).
Due to USA Major League restrictions seven Dutch players are out of reach for their national team selection: pitchers Jair Jurrjens (Atlanta Braves), Rick van den Hurk (Baltimore Orioles), Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Pedro Stroop (Texas Rangers and involved in present American League play-offs versus New York Yankees) and outfielders Roger Bernadina (Washington Nationals), Andruw Jones (Chicago White Sox) and Gregory Halman (Seattle Mariners). Also Dutch hitting coach Hensley Meulens has to regret for the national team due to MLB postseason obligations with his San Francisco Giants versus Philadelphia Phillies for National League title.
Tomorrow same time as today’s four pioneers the rest of the team will fly KLM for arrival on Sunday afternoon in Taipei. KNBSB has arranged for friendly warming-up games versus Japan (Monday), Taiwan (Tuesday) and Cuba (Wednesday). All three countries are every year’s guests of the Netherlands traditional tournaments in Haarlem (Honkbal Week) and Rotterdam (World Port Tournament). The first Intercontinental Cup game for the Netherlands will face them with eternal rivals from Europe, Italy. Their manager Marco Mazzieri combined in his roster nine one-passport players with 15 two-passport players. The other opponents in the preliminary round of the tournament are Nicaragua, Japan and Thailand.
The complete Dutch roster of 24 players:
Pitchers (11): Arshwin Asjes (Konica Minolta Pioniers, next season DOOR Neptunus), David Bergman (Corendon Kinheim), Leon Boyd (DOOR Neptunus), Rob Cordemans (L&D Amsterdam), Berry van Driel (DOOR Neptunus), Kevin Heijstek (DOOR Neptunus), Diegomar Markwell (DOOR Neptunus), Dennis Neuman (Boston Red Sox), Nick Stuifbergen (Corendon Kinheim), Tom Stuifbergen (Minnesota Twins), Orlando Yntema (Catania Warriors)
Catchers (3): Jason Halman (Corendon Kinhem), Sidney de Jong (L&D Amsterdam), Shawn Zarraga (Milwaukee Brewers)
Infielders (6): Mariekson Gregorius (Cincinnati Reds), Dwayne Kemp (DOOR Neptunus), Raily Legito (DOOR Neptunus), Bas de Jong (L&D Amsterdam), Sharlon Schoop (San Francisco Giants), Curt Smith (St. Louis Cardinals)
Outfielders (4): Shaldimar Daantji (DOOR Neptunus), Bryan Engelhardt (Corendon Kinheim), Eugene Kingsale (DOOR Neptunus), Danny Rombley (DOOR Neptunus, next season UVV Utrecht)
Technical staff: Jim Stoeckel (manager), Steve Janssen (coach), Wim Martinus (coach), Tjerk Smeets (coach), Ben Thijssen (coach), Martijn van Berkel (physio) and Tom Meiresonne (material)
by Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
www.honkbalsite.com
www.sporttribune.nl
www.baseball.it
Photo: FIBS
Nice article, but I can’t understand, why are the passports of the Italian players so important.
In IBL, those clubs can’t use foreign pitchers in game 2 and 3 in three consecutive series. Besides, players who has a passport of countries in EU (even if he’s not from Italy) is not considered as a foreigner. So, what kind of passports does the player have is really serious business for the IBL clubs.