The Honkbalweek Haarlem continued with another day of first-round action. Two games were on the schedule at Pim Mulier Stadium on Tuesday. Chinese Taipei shut out Curacao 7-0 for their first win in three games. The Netherlands downed Japan 7-3 to improve to 3-0.
On Tuesday Legends Day was scheduled in Haarlem. Over 100 former players (for a list of the invitees see below) got invited to the game day by KNBSB and sponsor Nihek. Before the evening game retired anchorman of national sports TV Mart Smeets – the father of former Dutch national team catcher Tjerk Smeets – presented a lineup across home plate of a selection of young and older Netherlands players, varying from current players like Danny Rombley to former pitchers Jan Smidt (87 years old) and Han Urbanus (89). As a representative for all those passed away, everybody’s eyes turned to the large screen in outfield, where a photo was shown of the great William B. Arce who died in USA on March 7, 2016. Instead of silence, the crowd at Pim Mulier applauded in respect.
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Chinese Taipei shut out Curacao 7-0 in the afternoon game on Tuesday at Pim Mulier Stadium. They took the lead in the first and added a pair of three-run frames in the second and sixth to seal the win. Tzu Peng Huang and two relievers conceded only seven hits and two walks in nine scoreless innings to keep Curacao off the board. Rodienne Albertus got charged with the loss, surrendering four hits, four runs (1 ER) and three base on balls in four innings.
Japan 001 001 100 3 5 2 Netherlands 000 201 22X 7 12 4
The Netherlands beat Japan 7-3 in a close game on Tuesday evening to remain undefeated in the Honkbalweek number 28. Two runs in the bottom of the seventh broke a 3-3 tie. Two more runs in the eighth added some insurance. Dwayne Kemp drove in two. Stijn van der Meer and Yurendell de Caster each scored twice. Berry van Driel earned the win in relief of starting pitcher Lars Huijer. Kazuya Ojima got charged with the loss. Current KNBSB managing director and former Hoofddklasse pitcher Bart Volkerijk threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
List of invitees: Beenders – Beidschat – Bergman – Berrevoets – Blacquiere – De Bruin senior – De Bruin junior – Callenbach – Cohen – Crouwel and Crouwel – Le Cuivre – Daal – Engelhardt – Faneyte – Fluonia – Giroldi – Van Gorkum – Van de Graaf – Haage – Heemskerk – Hickinson – Hudson John – Jonkers – Joost – Kemp senior – Koene – Koot senior – Koper – Kops senior – Kops junior – De Lange – Lemmink – Leurs – Boudewijn Maat – Martinus – Oosterbaan – Prins – Rasmijn – Renooij – Richardson – Rombley – Rooi – Jan Smidt – Arnold Smit – Paul Smit – Smith – Stoovelaar – Han Urbanus the grandfather – Charles Urbanus the father – Van der Vaart – Volkerijk the new director – Eric de Vries – Walsma – Wedman – Whitfield – Wilson – Wout – Zijlstra – King Zschuschen
Photo by Axel Scholze