by Pim van Nes
Last Whitsuntide weekend Mr Cocker HCAW in Bussum (Netherlands) hosted their 25th international baseball and softball tournament since 1990. On Sunday and Monday 35 teams played 6 games each on the 9 fields complex. Teams are rostered in 3 different age categories: under 13, under 16 and under 22 years of age. Maximum duration of the game varies from 65 to 70 and 75 minutes for those age categories.
Fourteen of the 35 participating teams in Bussum came from abroad: Team Australia, from France Cougars, Expos and PUC Paris, from Belgium Kangaroos Brussels, from Czech Republic Eagles Prague and from Germany Stuttgart Reds, Groebenzell Bandits, Ramstein Ambassadors and Stuttgart Select.
Directors of Mr Cocker HCAW got inspired to host their first international tournament, when attending the 4th edition of the Sala Baganza international tournament in 1988. Their teams had been invited to participate in the Italian event at 12 km distance from baseball city Parma. Theo Posthouwer was so much impressed by the Sala Baganza mix of sport, food and fun, that he discussed home feasibilities with his collegaue Harry Hartman.
The outcome was that with the support of Ron Jaarsma, owner of Dutch coffee and tea room chain Mr Cocker, their club HCAW organised its first international youth tournament in 1990. They managed to continue and made it a 25 years streak up to last weekend. Over 500 youngsters traveled down to Bussum Sport Valley and spend the nights in HCAW indoor practice hall, in the canteen of neighbouring soccer club Allen Weerbaar and as guests in HCAW players’ homes.
Mr Cocker HCAW will participate in the 30th edition of Sala Baganza international tournament, scheduled for August 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The first time the club from Bussum traveled to Italy for this purpose was in 1988 and their teams clinched category victories in 1989, 1992 and 1996. Other foreign victories in Sala Baganza went to Ramstein (1985), ABC (1988), Svoboda (1991), Antwerp (1995) and PUC Paris (2007).
Mr Cocker HCAW also received several individual awards for best pitchers in Sala Baganza: Bas Kitselaar (1989), Jasper Bronner and Jurriaan Lobbezoo (1992), Robert Kitselaar (1993), Bart van Raak (1997), Leon Elshof (2004) and Ti Kantaro (2005). Same applies to the best hitters in Sala Baganza: Jurriaan Lobbezoo (1992), Shane Philips (1996), Vincent Visser (2002) and Matthijs Everwijn (2005).