(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Dutch baseball-season to open on July 23; Softball-season on July 18
Nederlands
 NIEUWEGEIN -
The 2020 regular season in the highest Dutch baseball division will begin on Thursday, July 23.
The regular season in the Golden League, the highest softball-league, gets underway on Saturday, April 18.
The opening dates were announced on Thursday (June 25) by the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB).
On Thursday, the KNBSB issued the following statement:
After a long standstill, the 2020 season in the Dutch Major League Baseball finally begins on July 23.
The measures imposed by the Government ensured that the entire Dutch sports world was shut down, at the time preparations were underway for the baseball season.
On Wednesday, June 24, Prime Minister Rutte announced that from July 1 on, it is allowed to sport again without restrictions.
A result that, after an intensive lobby with NOC*NSF and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, General Manager of the KNBSB Stefaan Eskes is very happy with: "As baseball and softball, we have had a very difficult period behind us, but we are glad that the easings we have proposed have been implemented by the Government this week.
It is a great relief for our clubs and members that we can start again.
Let's play ball!"
Before the season really gets underway again, the teams will get three weekends to prepare for the regular season by the playing of exhibition games.
That season therefore starts with an Opening Night on Thursday, July 23.
Never before has a baseball season started in the Netherlands this late in the year.
Still, the League Affairs Department of the KNBSB has been able to compile a nice schedule, in which a full competition (21 games) can be played, before the top four separates and will compete for the Championship via the Play-Offs and the Holland Series.
The Golden League (Fastpitch Softball) begins one week earlier.
Opening Day for our softball-teams this year will be Saturday, July 18.''
(June 25)
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