 Patrick Beljaards to coach RCH-Pinguïns
Nederlands
 HEEMSTEDE (Neth.) -
Former big league-player and National Team-pitcher Patrick Beljaards has agreed to be one of the coaches this season for RCH-Pinguïns, together with Australian Chris Mowday.
RCH-Pinguïns plays in the Overgangsklasse, one division below the Dutch big league.
Beljaards himself announced on Wednesday-evening that he will coach the team this year.
The lefthanded pitcher and first baseman played in the Dutch big league from 1996-2011.
In all his 16 seasons at the highest level, Beljaards played for Kinheim in Haarlem with whom he won the Dutch title in 2006 and 2007.
Beljaards played in the Dutch National Team from 1997-2005, appearing in 54 official international games.
With the Dutch squad, he participated in the Olympic Games of 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens), four World Championships, two Intercontinental Cup Tournaments, five European Championships, four Haarlem Baseball Weeks and four World Port Tournmaments.
In 1997, he won the Guus van der Heijden Memorial Trophy for best Dutch international player under 23.
With the Dutch Team, he won four European titles.
Patrick Beljaards played his last full season in 2011, then retired.
In 2011, he appeared in 26 games for Kinheim, all in relief and finished with a 7-2 record and one save.
Beljaards, who was a starting pitcher in the majority of his career, struckout 32 batters in 39 1/3 inning and finished with a 2.06 ERA.
(February 27)
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