The MediaMonks RCH have signed three international players for the upcoming season. Pitcher Al MORALES and outfielder Hector Iglesias DUARTE are coming from the Mexican League. Pitching prospect Mihai BURLEA will join the club after completing the college season at the in May.
The Mexican MORALES is 29 years old. He already was on the roster of RCH in 2005 and 2006, throwing a no-hitter against the Amsterdam Pirates in 2006. He will also serve as the pitching coach of the team. In the past he had pitched for the Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz in the Mexican League. Now he will be reunited with a former teammate from there.
The Cuban outfielder DUARTE met MORALES at Rojos in the past. He is 41 years old and a former member of a Cuban national team. After his depart from the Caribbean island he was on the roster of several Independent League teams in the United States. He moved to the Netherlands last year and found a new club in Heemstede.
The third and most interesting signing is the case of the Rumanian BURLEA. He is currently playing for the Northwestern College Red Raiders. He features a fastball of about 92 miles per hour. He had a 12-1 record with an ERA of 3.06 in 16 games last season, striking out 113 (37 walks) in 97 innings pitched. After four starts this year he has a 2-2 record with an ERA of 6.87. He struck out 23 (13 walks) in 18.1 innings pitched. However they have to wait to use him until the End of May.
They also confirmed that their other European imports return in 2008. Marek DESKA from Poland had a 3-6 record with an ERA of 3.70 in 2007. And their Czech shortstop Petr BAROCH hit .336 with 19 runs scored and 16 RBI. They also extend the Czech group in Holland signing the outfielders Jakub MALIK and Tomas CASA, who had played in the Czech Extraliga last season.
RCH opens the new season against DOOR Neptunus on April 12.
Burlea is the only Romanian player in American colleges and the biggest prospect of the country. I really hope this Dutch adventure is nothing but a step towards pro ball.