by Pim van Nes
Just before play-off game 8 of his Hoofdklasse team Vaessen Pioniers on Monday night, acting president Ilja Schinkel of Hoofddorp Pioniers replied positively about realization and schedule of the construction of the new Pioniers stadium and complex south of Hoofddorp.
In March this year the municipality hosted a press conference about the newly to be built stadium and the ambition to open it ceremonially in 2014 with the first official MLB games in Europe. MLB delegate in Europe Clive Russell came from his office in London to the Netherlands, in order to describe the plans in cooperation between Amsterdam and Hoofddorp as “pole position for the Netherlands”.
Yesterday Mr Schinkel announced to Mister Baseball that the Dutch delegation is expected to leave in a week’s time to present the definite bidbook to MLB International. Several experts in American pro ball have helped with suggestions for the composition of the text.
On Tuesday morning Mister Baseball spoke on the phone with Technical Director Robert Eenhoorn of Dutch federation KNBSB. He confirmed that to the purpose of this bidbook presentation, he will fly to New York on Tuesday next week. He will accompany the delegation from the two cities Amsterdam and Hoofddorp, headed by their sports eldermen Eric van der Burg, respectively Michel Bezuijen.
Former Yankees and Mets player Eenhoorn to Mister Baseball: “We expect also the presency of Mr Clive Russell (MLB Director for Europa, Middle East and Africa, pvn) and yes of course we look forward to a positive response from New York. Next year we will celebrate 100 years of federal baseball in the Netherlands. Once again we will organize and host the European Championship tournament for national teams. Dutch baseball has always been a movement in motion, as you know with Haarlem Honkbal Weeks, World Port Tournaments and three IBAF World Cup tournaments (1986, 2005 and 2009, pvn). We are alway looking for new ideas, initiatives and developments. Among them we welcome this future stadium of Pioniers and the option to watch the first official MLB games there.”
by Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
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