by Pim van Nes
Inspired by Dutch islanders simultaneously active in MLB post season, such as pitcher Kenley Jansen (27) saving a 3-2 score for his Los Angeles Dodgers versus St Louis Cardinals and infielder Jonathan Schoop (22) batting in two runs for his Baltimore Orioles versus Detroit Tigers, the Academy team from Dutch Caribbean won 5 out of 6 games in last week’s MLB Academies Fall tournament in Hoofddorp.
With famous family names on their roster such as Hensley Meulens (like the San Francisco Giants hitting coach), Shairon Martis, Randolph Oduber, Gianison Boekhoudt and Shaldimar Daantji, they may have impressed their opponents on beforehand, but they definitely knocked them out in the games on the brand new field of Park 21, home of Pioniers in Hoofddorp. In the second half of the tournament schedule, Dutch Caribbeans reached double digits in the score versus Italy (10-4) and Germany (10-1). Only home team of continental Netherlands managed to keep the score versus the islanders tied after nine innings: 4-4.
Their best talents appear in the top of the tournaments statistics in all categories. Highest batting average was recorded by Edmond Americaan and two other team mates are listed among the first ten: Edmar Tromp and Jowenrick Daantji. Same applies for slugging percentage and totals runs batted in. Also their pitching performance ranks best compared with the teams from Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Two of the Caribbean pitchers kept their ERA to the minimum during more innings than the best pitchers of the other teams: 9 innings for Gillian Wernet (11 strike-outs, 1 hit, no runs) and Claysandy Hariquez (5 strike-outs, 5 hits, 1 unearned run).
The top ten average batters are Edmond Americaan (DC) and Giulio Monello (IT) with .389, Nino Sacasa (GE) with .375, Simone Colasso (IT) with .364, Edmon Tromp (DC) with .333, Giorgio Massari (IT) with .316, Oliver van der Weijst (NL) with .316, Taylor Clemensia (NL) with .313, Jowenrick Daantji (DC) with .300 and Leo Colagrossi (IT) with .263. The first nine of these batters rank also as best sluggers with again Americaan as number one with .556, before Sacasa and Colasso with .500. A triple was hit by Paul Brands and Max Draijer (both NL), by Sacasa (GE) and by Caribbeans Americaan and Hariquez. The only batter with 2 doubles was Colasso from Italy and two Caribbeans went succesfully for 2 sacrifice flies: Renaigel Martis and Shadrach Meulens.
Most strike-outs were recorded by German pitcher Sascha Koch: 13, in ranking followed by Gillian Wernet (11), Caribbean Ryan Huntington (8), German Philipp Meyer (8) and Italian Michele Pomponi (8), Italian Diego Fabiani (7), Netherlanders Gijs Timmer and Angelo Wicklert (6) and German Daniel Mendelsohn (6). Two pitchers managed to save two wins for their team: Darryl Jamoena for the Netherlands and Ryan Huntington for the Caribbeans.
Absolute minimum 0.00 ERA pitchers with at least 4 innings played are Caribbeans Gillian Wernet and Claysandy Hariquez each during 9.0 innings and Jayson Libert during 5.0 innings, Netherlanders Gijs Timmer during 6.0 innings, Angelo Wicklert during 5.1 innings, Darryl Jamoena during 5.0 innings and Martijn Cazemier during 4.0 innings, Italians Matthais Zotti during 8.0 innings and Gabriele Quattrini during 5.0 innings and German pitcher Tim Hartmann during 6.1 innings.
Final ranking for teams: 1. Dutch Caribbeans 6 games, 5 wins, 1 tied, win average .833, 2. Netherlands 3 wins, 2 tied and 1 loss, average .500, 3. Italy 1 win, 2 tied and 3 losses, average .167, 4. Germany 1 tied and 5 losses, average .000.
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Photos by Erik Janssen/MLB