 Robert Klaver returns as Head Coach to Pioniers
Nederlands
 HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
Robert Klaver returns as Head Coach to Konica Minolta Pioniers, the club announced.
Klaver succeeds Theo Geerman, who served as interim Head Coach since June 14, when the club separated with Bernie Beckman.
Klaver has been the Head Coach of Pioniers from 2002-2005 and led the team to the Play-Offs each year.
On June 14 of this year, Pioniers separated with Head Coach Bernie Beckman after the team went 12-15 in its first 27 games of the season and played a very disappointing European Cup-tournament in Brno (Czech Republic), losing three of the five games played there.
The coaching-duties were taken over by Beckman's assistants Theo Geerman (pitching coach), Peter Barentsen (1B coach) and Dè Flanegin (hitting coach), with the first to be the interim Head Coach.
In 2009, Geerman also served as Interim Head Coach at the end of the season after Frank Koene stepped down.
He also was the interim coach at the start of the season when Koene sat out a suspension.
Koene coached Pioniers in the 2007-2009 seasons after the team was led in 2006 by American Trevor Rooper, who had succeeded Robert Klaver, after the latter stepped down after the 2005 season.
In 2002, Robert Klaver took over the coaching of Theo Geerman, who again was the Interim Head Coach in the last part of the 2001 season after succeeding Joop Peeters.
In his first year in Hoofddorp, Klaver led the team to fourth place, but was then swept by Neptunus in the Play-Offs.
The next year, Klaver won 31 games with Pioniers (the highest total during his 4-year reign), which then finished in second place, but again was swept in the Play-Off, this time by HCAW.
In 2004, the team ended up in third place, but again was empty-handed in the Play-Offs, as it was again swept, again by Neptunus.
In 2005, the last year under Klaver's guidance, Pioniers finished in second place with 28 victories. After completion of the season, Pioniers again was eliminated in the Play-Offs, but this after five games, as HCAW defeated the Hoofddorp-team, 3-2.
In 2003, Pioniers won the Cup Winners Cup and in 2004, it won the Super Cup, defeating Neptunus.
In his four seasons with Pioniers, Klaver led the team to 107 victories, while losing 56. Eight games ended in a tie.
In the seasons that Klaver coached Pioniers, he also was assisted by Peter Barentsen, while Theo Geerman joined his staff in July 2005 after he had started the season as Pitching Coach for Almere '90, whom he left three weeks earlier.
In 2008, Klaver was the Head Coach of RCH, but was replaced in August after going 5-30.
As player, Klaver played for RCH, Haarlem Nicols, OVVO and Hoofddorp Pioniers.
(September 20)
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