(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
IN MEMORIAM
...Hans Slaap...
(1947 - 2023) |
 Former big league-player Hans Slaap (ABC) passed away
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
Hans Slaap, who played in the Dutch big league primarily as an infielder for Amsterdam-based ABC in six seasons, passed away on Monday, October 30 at age 76.
Besides being a solid defensive infielder, he also regularly was inserted as pitcher in the team of ABC, for whom he played his entire career.
Johan Lucas (Hans) Slaap was born on September 1, 1947 in Amsterdam.
In 1957, Hans Slaap started playing soccer at AFC, one of the leading soccer-clubs in Amsterdam, where his brother Ben also played soccer.
Their father Ben Sr. already was active for the club since the early fifties.
Later, Hans also went on to play baseball for ABC, which was the baseball-section of multi-sports club AFC.
In the sixties, ABC was one of the many baseball-clubs in Amsterdam.
Other clubs in the capital in those years included Ajax, AMVJ, Blauw-Wit, DCG, Energia, De Geuzen, HCTIW, HVA, KNSM, De Meteoor, NDSM, OVVO, Quick, Rap, Shell, De Spartaan, Thor-Twins, TWM, De Volewijckers, VVGA and Watergraafsmeer.
ABC was amongst the leading clubs at that moment and played in the second highest league.
As a solid infielder, Hans Slaap immediately showed that he was talented.
And so, during the 1964 season, when he was only 16 years old, Slaap was added to the main-squad of ABC, which then played in the First Division.
After the 1963 season, some experienced players, who had played for big league-teams, had transfered to ABC, including Dick Ausma, Nol Houtkamp, Wil Meijer, Albert Peters and Hugo Walker (who would later become a very wellknown baseball/soccer-commentator).
In a construction that would not be possible anymore nowadays, Houtkamp already had been the coach of ABC in the 1963 season, while at the same time he played himself for big league-team EHS.
From 1964 on, Houtkamp would play for ABC, which then was coached by Henk Knol.
Other veteran players in the ABC-team in 1964 were Rob Elst, Ad Kraal and Doby Peters.
Despite his young age, Hans Slaap gets room to develop and plays in several games.
One of these games is a deciding one against HCK (Kinheim) from Haarlem, which had finished in first place in the B-Pool of the First Division.
ABC won the title in the A-Pool and so, the two teams met in one game to determine who would promote to the highest league.
On September 12, 1964, at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, hundreds of spectators saw ABC win 5-1.
The game remained scorelesss for five innings.
Thanks to fine defense by ABC and strong pitching by Doby Peters (who gave up only three hits), it was not before the fifth inning that HCK got its first baserunner.
Hans Slaap, who had just turned 17, was the third baseman for ABC and made some fine plays.
In the sixth inning, ABC broke open the scoreless game with a 4-run rally.
Wil Meijer scored the first run on a basehit by Rob Elst.
Hereafter, two runs were scored on successful bunts by Dick Ausma and Hans Slaap.
A basehit by Ad Kraal accounted for the fourth run.
ABC added a fifth run in the eighth on a basehit by Slaap.
HCK scored its lone run in the ninth on an error.
...The team of ABC in 1967...
...Hans Slaap is sitting at left in the front row...
...Other players include Arnoud Blom (back, 2nd from left), Ruud Zijlstra,...
...Hugo Walker, Peter van 't Klooster (back, 4th, 5th, 6th from left),...
...Doby Peters (back, 2nd from right), Nol Houtkamp (back, 1st from right)...
...Nol Beenders (front, 2nd from left), Hans Buiskool (front, 3rd from right)...
(Unknown Photographer) |
Because of the promotion by ABC, Amsterdam had five teams in the highest league (out of eight) in 1965.
The others were Ajax, HVA, OVVO and VVGA.
The non-Amsterdam teams were Haarlem Nicols and Schoten from Haarlem and Sparta from Rotterdam.
In the 1965 season, ABC immediately is one of the contenders in the highest league, as it trails only Haarlem Nicols and Sparta in the top of the ranking.
In July, ABC hands VVGA an 11-9 loss.
With that loss, VVGA's fate is sealed and the team relegates after having played in the highest league in 35 consecutive years.
Initially, VVGA leads 6-0 after four innings.
ABC scores three runs in the fifth on basehits by Jan Meijer and Ruud Zijlstra.
ABC takes an 8-6 lead in the seventh inning on a hit by Hugo Walker and a grand slam homerun by Doby Peters.
However, VVGA evens the score, thanks to hits by Martin Gaus (homerun) and Eef Treurniet.
But moments later, ABC re-takes the lead.
Hans Slaap, Hans Buiskool and Hugo Walker reach on a walk, then all score on a hit by Jan Meijer.
One of the teammates of Hans Slaap in the 1965 season is Jules de Pierre, who passed away three weeks ago.
De Pierre had joined ABC after the 1964 season when he had played for Haarlem Nicols.
After the 1965 season, De Pierre returned to Nicols.
In 1966, with Nol Houtkamp as coach, ABC has a novelty, as it is the first team that has the player-names on the back of the uniforms.
Still only 18 years old, Hans Slaap (who is one of the few bespectacled players) is the prime third baseman for ABC.
And during this season, he not only is a fine defensive player, he also shows some offensive power.
Halfway the month of May, ABC plays against Ajax, which plays a better game and leads 6-4 in the eighth inning.
With two outs and Dick Ausma on base, Slaap is the next batter and he hits his first big league-homerun to tie the score, 6-6.
In the top of the ninth inning, Ajax leaves three runners behind.
In the bottom of the ninth, Frank Bouman leads off for ABC with a basehit and with one out, Ruud Zijlstra reaches on an error, which could have been an inning-ending double play.
Doby Peters follows with a walk-off 3-run homerun and ABC wins, 9-6.
In the 1967 season, Slaap delivers another important homerun.
In a game against Storks, ABC trails 4-0, but comes alongside.
In the eighth, Slaap homers to put ABC ahead, 5-4, then another run is scored on a single by Rob Elst, which gave ABC a 6-4 win.
The next day, Slaap is unsuccessul as starting pitcher and leaves the mound early.
Storks wins 6-5 in eleven innings.
...As short stop of ABC, Hans Slaap covers a high...
...throw to 2nd baseman Peter van 't Klooster, while...
...Jan Dick Leurs (Haarlem Nicols) reaches 2nd base...
...in Amsterdam during the 1968 season...
(© Photo: ANP Photo/Flip Martens) |
Another deciding homerun and basehit by Slaap follow in the 1968 season when ABC meets HCK (Kinheim) twice in July in Amsterdam.
Both games are played at ABC's cozy home-site Sportpark 'Goed Genoeg', which unfortunately doesn't exist anymore.
In Saturday's game, HCK, which is led by Coach Arie van Driel Krol, has a 7-3 lead halfway the ninth inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, ABC gets two runs back when Peter van 't Klooster hits a homerun.
Van 't Klooster (who passed away in 2020) is the father of current Amsterdam Pirates-coach and all-time basehit-leader Dirk van 't Klooster.
Now trailing 7-5, Ruud Kramer and Franklin Lindesey (who passed away last year) reach base with two outs.
Hereafter, with a full count, Hans Slaap hits a walk-off, 3-run homerun and ABC wins 8-7.
On Sunday, HCK leads 3-1, thanks to a double by Bert Paalman and a homerun by Frank Breek.
In the sixth inning, ABC comes alongside.
First, a run is scored on a pinch-hit single by Henk Vissers, who then scores the tying run on a single by Hans Slaap.
ABC wins 5-3.
Hans Slaap remains an unpredictable hitter in the 1969 season when he plays as short stop and third baseman, as well as pitcher, for ABC.
In early June, ABC, which at that moment is in last place, meets league-leader Haarlem Nicols.
After the first game rains out, ABC takes an early 5-1 lead in Sunday's game off of starter Ton Terneuzen, who is relieved in the second inning by Jan Dick Leurs.
In the sixth inning, ABC-pitcher Nol Beenders gets the bases loaded (two walks, error by Slaap) and Leurs then hits a grand slam homerun to make it a 5-5 score.
However, ABC answers with three runs and wins 8-5.
A few weeks later, ABC also plays a good game against HCAW.
In the first game, HCAW wins 6-4 in Amsterdam.
The next day in Bussum, ABC scores seven runs in the third and fourth inning combined off of pitcher Ade Fijth.
After seven innings, ABC leads 7-3.
Hereafter, six homeruns are hit.
In the bottom of the eighth, HCAW narrows the deficit to 7-6 when Ade Fijth, Maurice Cranston and Peter de Grave all hit a homerun.
ABC answers with four runs in the top of the ninth, thanks to homeruns by Henk Vissers, Hans Slaap and Peter van 't Klooster.
ABC wins 11-6.
In 1970, ABC has a tough season, due to some injuries and working commitments of players.
Because of this, some players have to play on unfamiliar positions or players from lower teams have to be added.
Defensively, ABC makes too much errors.
In these years, wellknown umpire Bert Staller is the chairman and secretary of the Amsterdam-club.
ABC frequently shares last place with Terrasvogels, which makes its debut in the highest league.
At the end of the season, both teams relegate to the First Division.
In 1971, ABC, which is nicknamed 'Reds' and is coached by Dick Ausma, is a contender for first place with Rap (which is the current Amsterdam Pirates).
Hans Slaap is still a productive hitter.
For instance, he hits two homeruns in a game against Donar from Hilversum.
Despite being only 24, Hans Slaap retires after the season.
In 1972, ABC again plays in the First Division and is led by coach Frans Vrenegoor.
Its another tough season, as the team is in last place from the beginning.
In an attempt to avoid relegation, some former players are asked back and so, Hans Slaap, Frank Bouman, Ruud Kramer, Jan Meijer and Cas Tromp make their comeback.
And that proves to be successful.
...The board of AFC in 1982...
...Hans Slaap is standing in the back in the center...
...Left to right: Otto van Rijn (treasurer), Sal van Gelder (member),...
...Rein Akkerman (vice-chairman), Cor van Gastel (2nd secretary),...
...Jan van Dijk (chairman), Hans Slaap (2nd treasurer),...
...Dick van der Klaauw (member), Fred van Soomeren (secretary),...
...Hans de Wijs (member) and Marcel Koster (member)...
(© Photo: AFC Archive) |
On August 19 and 20, 1972, ABC meets Rap, which is in contention for first place with UVV.
ABC plays two strong games and wins 10-9 and 14-13.
Both games are played at Sportpark Jan van Galen, the former home-site of Amsterdam Pirates.
In Saturday's game, ABC scores the deciding run in the ninth inning, breaking a 9-9 tie.
On Sunday, ABC scores four runs in the first inning of a high-scoring game.
After Rap gets two runs back on a homerun by Marten Walsma in its first at bat, ABC adds two runs when Jan Adriaans hits a homerun in the second inning.
This time, Rap answers with a 5-run rally in the bottom of the second inning to take a 7-6 lead.
That is shortlived, as ABC scores four more runs in the third, three of them on a homerun by Hans Slaap.
With ABC now leading 10-7, both teams score twice in the fourth, then Rap adds another run in the sixth when Kurt Lourens homers.
ABC then scores two more runs in the seventh which proves to be decisive.
Trailing 14-10, Rap scores twice in the seventh on a homerun by José Faneyte, the father of future player and coach Rikkert Faneyte, who also went on to play in the American Major League for San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers.
Rap manages to score one more run in the eighth, but ends up short, 14-13.
With the double victory, ABC secures its spot in the First Division.
Also, because of the double loss, Rap is eliminated for first place.
In his first seasons with ABC through the early seventies, including six in the highest league (1965-1970), amongst the teammates of Hans Slaap are Jan Adriaans, Dick Ausma, Fred Ausma, Nol Beenders, Hans Beijer, Arnoud Blom, Frank Bouman, Leandro Briessen, Rob de Bruyn, Hans Buiskool, Rob Elst, Ruud Geestman, Edwin Geluk, Kick Hoek, Roel Hopman, Nol Houtkamp, Roel Kloeten, Peter van 't Klooster, Henk Knol, Ad Kraal, Ruud Kramer, Franklin Lindesey, Jan Meijer, Wil Meijer, Kenneth Milton, Arie Numan, Gé Oosterbaan, Albert Peters, Doby Peters, Jules de Pierre, Henk Ras, Ab Slaman, Jack Smit, Frans Sodekamp, Cas Tromp, Henk Vissers, Hugo Walker and Ruud Zijlstra.
But in 1975, the baseball-team of ABC cannot avoid relegation to the Second Division.
In following years, Hans Slaap keeps on playing, as did Doby Peters.
Alongside Edwin Geluk, they played with together former National Team-player Wim Crouwel in a team that was coached by Bob van den Bergh.
After a few years, ABC returned to the First Division.
Through the years, Hans Slaap stayed very active for the soccer-section of AFC.
In 1981-1990, he was a member of the board of the club as second treasurer.
Other boardmembers included Dick van der Klaauw and Johan de Bie.
In 1989, Hans Slaap was named Member of Merit of AFC.
In 1985, Hans Slaap participated in an unique skating-event.
For the first time since 1963, the famous Eleven Cities Tour in the Province of Friesland takes place again, which is the biggest ice-skating tour in the world (200 km or 120 miles).
Hans is one of the more than 16,000 participants and completes the tour alongside Wim Crouwel and Kees Gehring, another wellknown AFC-member.
The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News offers his condolences to Hans' partner Ria, daughter Sylvia, son Frank, other family and friends and wishes them a lot of strength.
(November 7)
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