Following the 2010 season, Dutch infielder Jeroen Sluijter of Hoofdklasse champion DOOR Neptunus retired as a player. The 35-year-old began his Hoofdklasse career for the Twins in 1993, later joined ADO, before going to Neptunus in 1997, where he played since winning a bunch of championships. He also was a member of the Dutch National Team for several European and International Tournaments, his last being the European Championship in Germany this summer. We did a short interview with him:
Mister-Baseball: You have retired at the end of the 2010 season. You have played in the Hoofdklasse since 1993, but you’re still just 35 and the European Championship in the Netherlands is just two years away. Why are you hanging up your cleats?
Jeroen Sluijter: I just felt that it was time to end it. There will always be great games and tournaments to look forward to. I have a great job at Spark design & innovation, a very beautiful supporting wife, Moni and three kids; Faas (7), Teuntje (5) and Miek (3), The last 15 years baseball always came in first place. I felt that this priority had to change. My body was also protesting against the tough life of having a fulltime job as a designer, father and a baseball player.
MRBB: Looking back at your career, what would you consider as the highlights?
JS: It would be trivial to say it was one big highlight, but I loved everything about baseball: practicing, playing, diving, sliding, hitting, fielding, trips to various locations. The only things I hated were losing and rainouts. But a couple of things do stand out. Making the trip to the world championship in Monterrey, Mexico with the national youth team as a seventeen year old was great. Playing and winning Championships and European Cups for Neptunus, the team I watched with my dad when I was young. This has been very special. Competing at the Olympic Games in Beijing was unbelievable. Probably the game where it all came together for me individually was an exhibition game against Cuba in Rotterdam, just before the Olympics in 2008. I hit a linedrive homerun and had a tough at bat that resulted in a basehit. That was the game in which I had to make an impression to be considered for the Olympic Team. I guess it worked out.
MRBB: You’ve played college ball in Alabama, did you had other opportunities to play in the US? Ever thought about leaving the Hoofdklasse for the Italian Baseball League?
JS: The college team I played for went to the JUCO World Series that year, but I was there only for a couple of weeks. I was only 17 at that time and got homesick. After that I did not get any opportunity to play abroad. I guess I was not the type of player that gets a lot of attention. About Italy. My wife and I really like the Italian life. So if I would have been given the chance, we would have seriously considered moving there. Maybe as a coach in the future.
MRBB: How much has Baseball changed in Europe during your career?
JS: The really big thing that has changed in a negative way is the rules that have been implemented to speed up the game. I think the IBAF should look more to the MLB, where a tie-break rule would be out of the question.
MRBB: What are the main difficulties for European Baseball to get out of the shadow of other sports around here?
JS: This is a real tough one. I don’t think baseball will ever be such a big part of the European culture as it is in Japan, Korea, Latin America or the USA. I do think it can be a big as Field Hockey in Holland. First the level of play should be raised. More games need to be played to achieve this. At least 100 games. Maybe in a European League. Also we need more foreign players (at first). They will improve the quality. Better umpiring is also necessary. If this can be done, baseball games will attract more fans and television stations will be interested. Television means advertising revenues that makes it possible to improve the league even more.
MRBB: Even though you have stopped playing, will you remain in Baseball as a coach or in some other role?
JS: I love baseball so I don’t think I will ever walk away from it. Next year I will start coaching Neptunus’ 10-12 year olds. My ambition in coaching is more or less the same as it was playing: trying to compete at the highest level. I also would like to work with my friends Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen and Melfried Comenencia. I think we would form a real good staff together.
MRBB: What advice would you give a young Baseball player?
JS: Sell your videogames (except your baseball games for the rainy days) and go outside. Have fun, work hard and you can learn something every day. Make sure you listen to advice and find out if this can help you improve your game.
Mister-Baseball thanks Jeroen Sluijter for being so kind to answer our questions.
Photos: © Moni van Bruggen