The 2019 World Port Tournament 2019 in Rotterdam, Netherlands started on Friday with the Netherlands defeating Japan 6-5 in the opener. Japan took a 3-1 lead after four innings, but the Dutch came back to tie the contest with runs in the sixth and eighth. In the tenth inning the extra inning tie breaker rule was used and the Netherlands answered Japan’s two runs in the top of the frame with three in the bottom.
Gilmer Lampe had the game-winning hit with a walk-off RBI single. Yurendell De Caster hit a solo home run. Dwayne Kemp scored three runs. Lars Huijer pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits, three runs and two walks to start the game. Tom Stuifbergen earned the win in relief. Ryuma Seki had three hits and three RBI for Japan. Koki Kajiwara scored twice. Takumi Matsukawa got charged with the loss.
All information about the World Port Tournament can be found at www.worldporttournament.nl
Netherlands beat Japan must be more encouragement for European Baseball. Yes it was only one run and in extra innings but the Netherlands can compete with the best and must represent the standard to which European Baseball,as a whole,must strive to achieve. baseball is a volatile sport,in that games can change very quickly but the Dutch have been competing at World level for many years now.
Europe needs a major league equivalent,maybe as as part of the Major League farm system,to begin with. It would need rules that guarantee that a minimum numbers of players were born in Europe and that a minimum number must be on the field at any one time, thus providing encouragement to the European players of the future. In time the Americans players and administrators would withdraw leaving a European league that could look after and sustain itself. Using the above format, baseball could be spread all across Europe (both West and East) and the interest and development would make it easier for the east to catch up with their western neighbours,which would benefit everybody.