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A video from a couple of months ago.
The new baseball-softball facility in Hoofddorp, Netherlands was officially opened on Thursday with a well-attended press conference. City officials, the Hoofddorp Pioniers, media, KNBSB and MLB were on hand for the ceremony.
Before receiving a full report by our correspondent in the Netherlands later today or on Friday, Mister-Baseball.com was able to talk on the phone to Jason Holowaty, MLB International’s director for game development in Europe and Africa. “The field is tremendously important for European Baseball. It changes the standard for all future facilities. It is like a Major League Spring Training site, not so big, but with the same functionality. You can see kids running to the batting cages and other kids practicing on the infield. It really helps to train players. “
MLB Europe is going to use Hoofddorp extensively in its first year of inauguration. One of the five annual tryouts, which will be held by Major League Baseball in Europe, is going to be at the stadium on May 7. The top hitting and pitching prospects then will gather for a minicamp in July. A premiere is going to be a fall tournament in September/October. It is going to be similar to the MLB Academies Spring Tournament. However MLB is trying to invite international teams to the tourney as well.
Speaking about possible MLB games in Hoofddorp, Holowaty didn’t have any news. “There is no real news. The guys here are obviously working on it. There is nothing to report. The facility needs to get going and then we’ll see.”