by Pim van Nes
The first MLB Academies tournament in the new Park 21 stadium of Hoofddorp is halfway the 6 days schedule, which started on Monday, September 29. After three games each, the Dutch Caribbeans are still unbeaten, though all wins were as close as possible: 4-3 versus the continental Netherlands, 3-2 versus Italy and 7-6 versus Germany. This largest country was at first defeated 6-2 by both Italy and the Netherlands, but yesterday the Germans stayed ahead in the score versus the Dutch islanders till the bottom of the sixth inning. One walk too many in the eighth frame meant the third loss for the Mannschaft after almost three and a half hours: 7-6. Thanks to a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth versus Italy, hosting Netherlands won 2-1 and clinched second spot in present ranking:
1. Dutch Caribbeans 1.000 (3-0)
2. Netherlands .667 (2-1)
3. Italy .333 (1-2)
4. Germany .000 (0-3)
As from today the return games will be played according same schedule. Every day it is Play-ball at 11.00 and 14.30 hours. All games can be followed play-by-play: http://www.knbsbstats.nl/2014/HB/AAAteam/index.htm
Three out of 27 Italian players were born in 2000 and are the youngest of the four rosters. The other 24 players from Italy were born in 1999 (3), 1998 (10), 1997 (6) and in 1996 (5). The 23 players from Germany differ least in age with 7 players born in 1999, 8 in 1998 and 8 in 1997. Most of the 23 players from continental Netherlands were born in 1997: 12. The others were born in 1999 (3), 1998 (6) and 1996 (2). The highest age at average is for the Dutch Caribbeans with 12 players born in 1996, 7 in 1997, 2 in 1998 and 2 in 1999.
Best pitchers after three games each based on ERA 0.00 after at least two innings played:
Jayson Libert (DC) 4.0 inn, Angelo Wicklert (NL) 3.1 inn, Sascha Koch (GE) 3.1 inn, Matthais Zotti (IT) 3.0 inn, Ryan Huntington (DC) 3.0 inn, Darryl Jamoena (NL) 3.0 inn, Giovanni Tensen (NL) 3.0 inn, Tim Hartmann (GE) 2.1 inn, Siamani Boekhoudt (DC) 2.0 inn, Ludovico Coveri and Matteo Campanina (both IT) 2.0 inn, Martijn Cazemier (NL) 2.0 inn.
Photos by Lienke Prins
WHY is a Caribbean team even in this EUROPEAN tournament!?!
Maybe Spain should send a team from Mexico.
American coaches just laugh and shake our heads when we see this.
European baseball will never be respected until its member federations can stand on their own feet and compete with their own players. All Dutch players from Holland. All Italian players from Italy, etc.
Everyone still remembers the fiasco a couple of years ago at the “European” championships when England loaded up with U.S. college and minor leaguers, took second in the tournament and advanced….only to fail to finance or field a team at the next round and had to cede their position to Germany. Disgraceful.
A Carribbean team in a European tournament is just more of this king-who-has-no-clothes silliness.
fred4945,
I agree that European NT’s severally does some weird player recluiting to invite US “immigrants” and it seems to be too much, but I must tell you that the Caribbean team in this tournament is totally different from these cases. That’s because Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten etc. is truly a part of Kingdom of Netherlands.
It means that people from those islands are 100% Dutch, even though their heritage is NOT European and most of them fluently speaks English, Spanish and Papiamento besides Dutch. Therefore they are eligible for Dutch NT with no clue, and besides those Carribbean players have played so important role for Clubs in European part too. I agree again that Spain could be suitable for this tournament, why not, but there might be a conflict of schedule or stuff like that.
I’d like to say it’s hard to understand this situation for me because I’m Japanese, but anyway it’s their case and it shouldn’t be blamed. They already have worked together for decades. I think Curacao for Netherlands is just like Scotland, Wales and North Ireland for UK or Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam for US.
Hi, SYSTEM-R,
I’m sorry to say you missed the point.
The relationship within the “Kingdom of the Netherlands” is a vestige of Dutch colonialism. Curacao and Aruba are independent countries which only use the Dutch government for foreign affairs, I think. Their Portuguese patois is the first language by far; only 8% on Curacao consider Dutch their first language. To say they “are Dutch” is a complete fairy tale.
I have coached in Europe and traveled in Holland. I’ve met several players and people from Curacao and Aruba. Universally, they find Dutch baseball inferior. Being brought to Holland primarily to play baseball, they have difficulty succeeding in the Dutch economy and feel culturally alienated. They most assuredly are not Dutch.
The proper analogy is not like Scotland is to the United Kingdom. It is like Canada and Australia are to the British commonwealth. Every other country in such an arrangement has independent sports; for instance, Canadian and Australian baseball. And Puerto Rico baseball competes completely independently of the USA.
The problem here, SYSTEM-R, is that the Dutch KNBSB uses Coracao and Aruba to prop up its baseball program. Without those island players — who are most assuredly Caribbean, not Dutch — Holland’s baseball is mediocre. The Dutch’s only claim to excellence on the backs of the Caribbean players. The last vestige of colonialism.
None of which helps European baseball improve; become internationally competitive.
To your point about being Dutch, when is the last time anyone saw Andruw Jones or Andrelton Simmons in Holland?
fred4945,
Thanks for giving me a sincere responce. First of all I don’t have any experience to coach in Europe (I’m even not a coach actually), and maybe the next year would be my first trip to see “real” European baseball, so I must admit that’s my point which is inferior to you.
But I think that I still have something to point out. You should already know this indeed, but the only aim for every national teams at the grobal stage is to create the best team to compete and win the tournament. And I think neither European part nor Carribean part can succeed if they were totally devided when it comes to those Dutchmens.
European part has superb pitching talent and limited hitting. Carribean part has fantastic hitting talent and limited pitching. And both sides are eligible for the same team because at least they have the same nationality. Then why don’t you put them together? If they were not mixed up, the legendary two victories against Dominicans at 2009 WBC, The gold medal at 2011 BWC and reaching the final four at 2013 WBC wouldn’t have happened. All of those teams were half Europeans and half Carribeans.
Bringing up Carribean players to the European team is indeed a crop for KNBSB, but it’s also for the Carribean territories. If they compete and win together, then it’s a victory for both European side and Carribean side. Of course, it would be better if Oranije could compete and win with players only from Holland, but since the current rules admit Carribeans to join them, you can’t say no to them just because they are not European. And you should consider that every players has their own reasons to accept the call-up from the NT’s. If a Carribean players say “OK, I’ll wear the Orange and play with them to win,” then who can blame that decision?
Last but not least, I’m not sure if AJ or Andrelton has ever been in Holland, but still there are not few players who are deeply related to both sides. Mariekson Gregorius hails from Amsterdam but has Curacaoan father. Bryan Engelhardt was born in Curacao but his carrer in Hoofdklasse is much more longer than in Americas. So it’s hard to devide them each other. Player s from both sides compete each other equally ,and then coaches create their best team to win. That’s the wholesome style for them, I think.
Let me point out the error in your last post.
You would claim baseball in Curacao and Aruba benefit from their athletes playing for the Dutch. And you claim it’s an even trade because Holland has better pitchers and Curacao/Aruba have better position players (a stock KNBSB fable).
The idea that Caribbean players benefit from playing in European tournaments is laughable on its face. Would Japan benefit if its best players came to Europe?!? The idea is absurd.
Curacao and Aruba compete just fine without Holland. Look at Little League: Curacao has been a power all by itself — success far exceeding its relative population. On the other hand, when Dutch-only teams compete in international play (juniors, for example), they usually only win games against other European teams or undeveloped baseball federations like Thailand or Israel.
Players from Curacao and Aruba learn nothing from Dutch baseball. Absolutely nothing. Were they to compete on their own, they would soon be competitive with the Dominicans and Puerto Ricans and Cubans and Venezuelans — and immediately superior to Panama, Mexico, etc. They would quickly become a Caribbean power.
You should take a look at the box scores of those 2009, 2011, and 2013 tournaments you mentioned. The “Netherlands” teams on the field were 75-89% Caribbeans — including pitchers. Handly the even deal you represent it to be.
Given that these great victories you refer to were earned by Carribbean players, what are the chances the Caribbeans could earn that sort of success on their own? Very good, obviously.
What are the chances the Dutch could succeed on their own? Zero. None. Nada. ANY change at all? Geen!
So, yes, the colonials can bribe their old colonists to win their championships for them.
Does that make it right? No.
Is it good for baseball in Curacao? Absolutely not. They’d be far more successful on their own.
It it good for Dutch baseball? Only if they do not wish to ever stand on their own two feet.
You know, SYSTEM-R, you say you’re Japanese. But your use of English seems very Dutch and your arguments are exactly what the KNBSB would say.