by Pim van Nes
Hours after his first arrival as national team manager, Hensley Meulens made acquaintance with Mister-Baseball.com correspondent in the Netherlands, thanks to intervenience by national team press officer Duco Abspoel. Meulens had traveled from Curacao to Amsterdam in order to meet the present players group, when they started their regular work out in the provincial indoor sports facility next to Pim Mulier stadium in Haarlem.
First time since many years, Hensley Meulens saw the country, the city and the stadium covered by a clean layer of snow, conserved well by frost despite of sunshine as from last weekend. First time that Meulens will work as manager of the Netherlands national team and first time he represented his national team and coaches in a meeting with the press. As such he first spoke with former TV commentator and former KNBSB president Theo Reitsma, then took the time for his first real interview, granted to English language website Mister-Baseball.com.
Mister-Baseball: When were you asked about your availability as a coach with the national team during this three months campaign for World Baseball Classic?
Hensley Meulens: I think it was late August, when Robert Eenhoorn contacted me with the question if I were in for a temporary job with the national team. Of course I was interested in accepting this honorable invitation, but I had to check with the management of San Francisco Giants. Our team was in a race with Los Angeles Dodgers for a spot in the play-offs and they also want me to help a winter team in Venezuela. However, they agreed rather quickly with the Dutch invitation, so we then needed the approval by Major League Baseball.
Mister-Baseball: What do you need to get their OK for participation in World Baseball Classic?
Hensley Meulens: Well, they want to check my background, but they have known me since many years as a player with a few MLB clubs and as a coach for the Giants, but it took till after the World Series before we received the green light.
Mister-Baseball: You have just met the national team players here. What is your opinion about the selection?
Hensley Meulens: It is very nice to see new faces every time I come back with the national team since I was picked as a player by Robert Eenhoorn and later as an assisting coach, but it is fun to meet again with several long lasting players.
Mister-Baseball: How long will you stay here with this team of players from Hoofdklasse clubs?
Hensley Meulens: This time very briefly. I arrived this morning in Amsterdam, but on Saturday I will fly back to Curacao, because I have an earlier and serious commitment for Sunday on the island of Curacao.
Mister-Baseball: When will you join the team again?
Hensley Meulens: We will all meet again in USA for a spring stage of about ten days, including some friendly games we intend to play versus a USA college team and versus the national team of the People’s Republic of China. Close to ours, the latter team prepares for their first WBC round in Japan versus home team, Cuba and Brazil. The entire spring stage will last from February 10 till February 20.
Mister-Baseball: And then you will come back to the Netherlands?
Hensley Meulens: No, after those 10 days in USA we will fly to Chinese Taipei and arrive on February 22. We resume practice as soon as possible. Presently we try to reach arrangements about friendly games versus the same teams as we will have to compete with in the official first round games of this World Baseball Classic. Only a few days before those official games we will welcome the players arriving from their Major League clubs in the States. I reckon to add another 8 or 10 such players to our team. Within 24 hours from now MLB will publish our preliminary roster, together with those for all other national teams.
Mister-Baseball: Looking forward to the list of favorite players and enjoy your stay here and at home, lots of success in USA, Taichung, Tokyo and San Francisco!