by Pim van Nes
A few days after their colleagues in the Major Leagues, also the Dutch players in the Minor Leagues opened the 2008 season in their Leagues varying from Single A via Double A to Triple A level. Some of them performed already on the European platform in Barcelona last year, where Robert Eenhoorn’s national team of the Netherlands obtained the continental ticket for the Olympic Games 2008. Last Saturday for the first time ever three Dutch NT-ers played together in one team in the Minor Leagues. The WASHINGTON NATIONALS affiliate in HARRISBURG sent to the SENATORS mound starter Shairon Martis and behind him Yurendell de Caster to the infield and Roger Bernadina to the outfield. All three participated in last September’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Barcelona.
Shairon Martis got a no-decision in his first AA-game since his promotion from POTOMAC. In three out of his four innings he kept home plate clean, but in one of them two back-to-back homeruns from AKRON AEROS bats contributed to four earned runs. Yurendell de Caster, however, repaired the SENATORS lead in the game by his two-out one-run homerun in the fifth inning: 6-4, opening the way to the second final 8-5 victory over the AEROS. In the first same meeting with the same final result Roger Bernadina played a significant role by opening the SENATORS season as leadoff hitter immediately with the first hit from the first at bat and with the first run two batters later. He repeated this when the game had to be re-started after nine innings and tied at 5-5. Bernadina opened the tenth inning for the SENATORS with a single and he scored the winning point upon Venezuelan Luis Jimenez first homerun: 8-5.
Gregory Halman after Barcelona and Taiwan was promoted by SEATTLE MARINERS from Single A short season to Single A advanced and will try to help the HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS in the new season. They beat LANCASTER 9-8 and 7-5 but were defeated 8-14 in game three. In this last game Halman reached twice in five at bats including a double and a run. The double was hit with two outs and drove in one teammates. His batting average after these three games rose to .214.
Shortstop Hainley Statia impressed especially in defense for the Netherlands in international fall season in Barcelona and Taiwan. Back in the USA the LOS ANGELES ANGELS kept him in their Cactus spring season for Major League teams until the last game. ANGELS management promoted Statia from Single A to Double A. On this level he has played already two games for the ARKANSAS TRAVELERS, each lost versus the MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS 6-5 by a homerun in the tenth and 2-1 despite of Statia’s two for four including a double. Statia has a batting average of .167 at the moment.
Two Dutch sluggers, having performed on Triple A level for at least two years, have produced contrasting stats at bat so far. Outfielder Wladimir Balentien was the best attacking outfielder for SEATTLE MARINERS in their pre-season preparation, but had to go back to TACOMA for AAA games with his last season’s teammates with the RAINIERS. So far Balentien’s production at bat is still at zero after two games, but he opened the TACOMA score in game one with his sacrifice fly in the fourth inning versus SACRAMENTO. Game one was for TACOMA (2-0), but the second got lost 1-5. Balentien’s batting remained at 0-for-7, but his RBI stat is positive with one. On the other hand Sharnol Adriana, one of Eenhoorn’s favorite players for his national team, used the first 16 games with MINATITLAN in of the Mexican League (similar to Triple A) to build up an average of .323. In his latest game Adriana contributed to the 8-1 victory versus CHIHUAHUA by his 3-for-5 including a double, two runs batted in, a stolen base and two runs scored.
Two new Eenhoorn prospects and picked for his Olympic pre-selection of 42 are catcher Kenley Jansen (30-9-1987) and second baseman Sharlon Schoop (15-4-1987). Jansen has won all his Single A games so far with GREAT LAKES LOONS with his batting at .286 thanks to two hits including a homerun. Schoop is doing even better with an average of .300 at the Single A advanced level with the SAN JOSE GIANTS. After three games and ten at bats Schoop totalized three hits including a double and two sacrifices.
Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
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