 L&D Amsterdam Pirates captures 90th Dutch title
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
L&D Amsterdam Pirates is the 90th baseball champion of the Netherlands.
Exactly 90 years after Quick Amsterdam won the first-ever title in 1922, it was only fittingly that another Amsterdam-squad captured the 90th in history.
On Sunday, Amsterdam dominated in Game 5 of the Holland Series against Vaessen Pioniers and won 10-2 to convincingly win the best-of-seven 4-1.
It was the second year in a row that the final existed of a best-of-seven after being a best-of-five in previous years, except for 1989.
That year was the only one in which all seven games were needed to crown the champion.
...Charles Urbanus...
...sixth title...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Quick Amsterdam is currently the oldest baseball-club in European history and celebrates its 99th anniversary next year, while the Dutch Association then will turn 100.
It marked the first time since 2007 that a championship title was captured by a team playing at home.
For Pirates, it marked the first time that it won the championship at home since it won the title in 1987 when the first Holland Series was played.
In 1990 and 2008, Amsterdam won the championship on the road.
For Pioniers, this marked the fourth time since 2006 that it was left empty-handed in the Holland Series.
In 1997, Pioniers reached the final for the first time and then won the championship.
The team then returned to the Holland Series in 2006.
In that year and the next, Pioniers was beaten by Kinheim, then also lost to Neptunus in 2009, before losing again this year.
For Amsterdam's Head Coach Charles Urbanus this was his sixth Dutch championship title, including three as a player.
While playing for Amstel Tijgers, Urbanus won the title three times.
25 years after winning his last title (1986) as a player for this Amsterdam-based team, Urbanus won the next one with an Amsterdam-squad, this time as a coach.
In between, he also led Rotterdam-based Neptunus twice to a championship as its Head Coach.
With the 10-2 victory, Amsterdam Pirates underscored its streamlined shape of the last weeks.
The squad showed that winning the title was a real team effort, as it dominated in the Series in pitching, hitting and defense, especially in the last three games.
In the Series, a total of eight homeruns were hit by the two teams combined, which is the highest total since eight were hit in the 1999 Series.
The record for most homeruns is eleven, which was set during the 1996 Series between HCAW and Kinheim.
...Starting Pitchers...
...Rogers Kops & Ben Grover...
(© Photos: www.reni-foto.nl) |
After two scoreless innings, Amsterdam Pirates dealt the first blow in the third inning when Wesley Connor hit a 3-run line drive homerun to the deepest part of the park in centerfield.
Pionier-starter Roger Kops first saw Bas Nooij reach on a fielding error by third baseman Nik Gumeson, who moved to that position only 30 minutes before the game started.
Initially, Mervin Gario was listed in the starting line-up as third baseman, while Gumeson was the rightfielder.
But an half hour before the game started, Pioniers changed its line-up, as Gario (who sustained an ankle injury on Saturday) was replaced by Randy Reiph, who became the new rightfielder, moving Gumeson to third base.
With Nooij on first base, Rashid Gerard reached on a nice bunt-single towards first base and the Connor followed with his 3-run homerun to give Amsterdam an early lead.
In the end, the homerun was the deciding hit of the game as it set the tone for things to come.
The three runs were the only ones scored initially in the first six innings.
After walking lead-off hitter Vince Rooi in the fourth inning, Roger Kops was replaced by Czech Jan Rehacek, who was then supported with a double play.
The lefthander then retired the side in the fifth, but got two baserunners in the sixth inning.
After striking out Roelie Henrique and Sidney de Jong in the sixth, Rehacek gave up an infield-hit to Bas de Jong, then a single to Vince Rooi, but he finished by striking out Kenny Berkenbosch.
But then, Pirates took more distance with a 3-run seventh.
Amsterdam-starter Ben Grover retired the side in the first, second and fourth inning and took a No-Hitter in the fifth.
But with one out, Kevin Dirksen singled.
He then was forced out and Grover retired the side again in the sixth.
So, in his first six innings, the righthander gave up only one basehit to Pioniers and struckout five.
...It started raining in the 7th inning...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In the seventh inning, Mark-Jan Moorman led off for Pioniers with a homerun to narrow the deficit to 3-1.
Next, Norbert Lokhorst walked, but then Grover retired the next three batters.
In the home of the seventh, when rain started to come down, Amsterdam got the run back immediately as Percy Isenia led off with a line drive homerun into leftfield.
For Isenia, this was his fifth Series-homerun ever, but first since he hit one for Neptunus on October 1, 2005.
Rehacek then got two outs, but then gave up a single to Wesley Connor and walked Roelie Henrique and Sidney de Jong to load the bases.
The Czech hurler was relieved by Shane Gnade, but he was greeted with a 2-run single by Bas de Jong and reloaded the bases by walking Vince Rooi.
The inning then ended when the latter was forced out on a grounder by Kenny Berkenbosch.
After the force out, the game initially appeared to continue while it rained steadily, but then heavy rain came down, forcing the umpire crew to halt the game.
It was a brief, but heavy shower, but long enough to blank the field.
However, radar viewings showed it would clear up and so the grounds crew started to work on the field.
Joining the grounds crew to assist them was former big leaguer and former National Team-player Jacky Jakoba, who still is the recordholder of the single-season homerun record when he hit 24 in 1984 while playing for Neptunus.
Nowadays, he is a frequent visitor of baseball games.
And after a delay of one hour and 24 minutes, the game resumed.
In the top of the eighth inning, Jurrian Koks took over for Ben Grover.
The righthanded closer, who is in his first season with Pirates, gave up a lead-off single to Jefferson Muzo, but he was then doubled up after Michael Duursma lined out to second baseman Roelie Henrique.
An infield-hit by Mark Duursma then followed, but the inning ended Tim Vermij, who had entered the game this inning as new short stop, caught a line drive off the bat of Nik Gumeson.
...L&D Amsterdam Pirates - Champion 2011...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the home of the eighth inning, Pioniers also sent a new pitcher the mound, being Dave Draijer, who also is the Pitching Coach of the club.
But the veteran couldn't impress, as he would give up four more hits and four more runs and almost saw Pirates end the game with a 10-run, mercy-rule victory.
With one out, Draijer saw Bas Nooij reach on an error, but then four hits followed.
Rashid Gerard and Wesley Connor (who was 3-for-5) both singled to load the bases, then a single by Roelie Henrique gave the home team an additional run.
Next, Amsterdam showed both its dominance and gave the fans some spectacular baserunning, as Sidney de Jong followed with a baseclearing, 3-run double with speedy Henrique (who came from first base) trailing Connor on his heels to cross the plate.
It led to a standing ovation and Amsterdam had increased the lead to 10-1, only one shy of ending the game through the mercy-rule.
After a flyout, Draijer hit Tim Vermij with a pitch, but then avoided a what would have been an embarassing 10-run difference loss when Kenny Berkenbosch grounded out.
In 2008, Amsterdam did end the Series with a 10-run, 7-inning victory, as it then shutout Corendon Kinheim 12-0 to complete a 3-game sweep.
In the ninth inning, Mark-Jan Moorman led off with a single for Pioniers and advanced to third base when first baseman Percy Isenia made an error on a grounder to third base by Norbert Lokhorst.
Moorman scored when Randy Reiph followed with a sacrifice fly, but that would be it for the Hoofddorp-squad.
Kevin Dirksen accounted for the last basehit in the 2011 season, as Zerzinho Croes flied out to centerfielder Wesley Connor and Jefferson Muzo popped up to short stop Tim Vermij to end the game.
And so, at 4:56 PM, the big league season 2011 came to an end, as players and staffmembers of Amsterdam Pirates ran onto the field to celebrate the Dutch championship.
With this, the squad also qualified for participation in next years European Cup-tournament.
Earlier, DOOR Neptunus also qualified by finishing in first place in the regular season.
On April 7, Neptunus opened the season with a 2-0 shutout win vs. Amsterdam Pirates, but in the end, it's the last game that counts.
After the first celebrations, it was time to announce that Wesley Connor had been named the Most Valuable Player of this years Holland Series.
Hearefter, Frits Mulder, the member of the board of the Dutch Association who is responsible for baseball affairs, handed out silver medals to the players and staff of Pioniers, then the gold medals to Amsterdam Pirates and the Championship Trophy (the Bleesing Cup) to Amsterdam-captain Sidney de Jong.
The Amsterdam-team had one more tradition left.
All rookies on the team (or first year Pirate-players), being Percy Isenia, Tim Vermij, Jurrian Koks and Ian Delamarre, as well as bullpen-catcher Jelmer Witteveen, were tossed in a ditch surrounding the playing field.
Club President and main sponsor John Witte also landed in the ditch.
(September 11)
Standings & Schedules
...The game was covered by NOS Studio Sport...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...Wesley Connor is greeted after his 3-run homerun in the 3rd inning...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...The game in Amsterdam was attended by almost 1400 spectators...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Amongst the spectators...
...National Team Manager Brian Farley and Technical Director Robert Eenhoorn...
...Sitting behind them is National Team-softball player Meike Witteveen...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...More faces in the crowd...
...Top: former Pirate-1B Jan van Wieringen; former National Team-coach Cees Herkemij,...
...former Pirate-boardmembers Henk van Ede (chairman) and Jaap van der Zee (secretary)...
...and Gryphons-catcher/3B Claudia Kranendonk...
...Bottom: Alcmaria Victrix-players Anne and Maaike Blaauwgeers; Terrasvogels-2B Meike Witteveen...
...and Gryphons-1B Kim Donkers...
(© Photos: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...A view of the field...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...Co-clubfounder and 'Mr. Pirates' Loek Loevendie closely follows the game...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...Catcher Bas Nooij makes a nice catch in the 4th inning...
...Pioniers-coach Peter Barentsen and Amsterdam 1B Percy Isenia look on...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Kevin Dirksen is forced out by Vince Rooi in the 5th inning...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Short stop Vince Rooi fields a grounder to make an out in the sixth inning...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Left: Umpire Roy van de Wateringen officiated in his first Holland Series...
...Right: Veteran ump Fred van Groningen Schinkel worked in his 22nd Series...
(© Photos: Henk Seppen) |
...3B Rashid Gerard fields a ball in the seventh inning...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Seventh Inning Stretch - Take Me Out To The Ball Game...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...3B Coach Randell Hannah high-fives with Percy Isenia after his 7th inning homerun...
...At right is Home Plate Umpire Johan Brandsma...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Rain interrupts play for almost one-and-a-half hour after seven innings...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...Fans keep warm with hot coffee, but stay in their seats despite the rain...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...Amsterdam Head Coach Charles Urbanus and pitcher Rob Cordemans look on...
...while the field is being prepared during the rain-delay...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Technical Commissioner Willem Broertjes checks the playing field...
...In the back, the ground crew works hard to prepare the field...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Former big league and National Team player Jacky Jakoba assists the field crew...
...Jakoba is still the single-season homerun recordholder, hitting 24 in 1984...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...After an 1 1/2 hour delay, the game resumes with a team-yell by the Pirate-players...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Roelie Henrique closely runs behind Wesley Connor while scoring in the 8th inning...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Jurrian Koks closes the game for Amsterdam Pirates in the ninth inning...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Rightfielder Bas de Jong makes the first out in the ninth inning...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Jeroen Bockweg and Piet Sterk of the KNBSB prepare the medals...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
...Grand Slam-webmaster and De Telegraaf-reporter Marco Stoovelaar...
...with Official Scorer Francis Speters...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...With dark rainclouds in the background, the players of Pirates...
...run onto the field after the last out is made...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Celebration Time! L&D Amsterdam Pirates captures the Dutch Championship...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Vince Rooi showers winning pitcher Ben Grover with champaign...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Firework is enlightened by the fieldcrew after winning the championship...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Tim Vermij, Jelmer Witteveen, Frank van Heijst, Bas de Jong (behind Van Heijst),...
...and Jos de Jong listen to former big leaguer Jacky Jakoba...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Coaches and players of Pioniers thank their fans and applaud the new champion...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...The Championship Trophies and Medals...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Wesley Connor gives a salute after being named Series MVP...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...KNBSB-boardmember Frits Mulder and Pioniers Vice-President Maarten Broersen...
...hand out the Silver Medals to players and staffmembers of Vaessen Pioniers...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...KNBSB-boardmember Frits Mulder hands out the Championship Trophy...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Amsterdam-captain Sidney de Jong with the Championship Trophies...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Amsterdam Pirates wins its fourth title in club-history...
...and is the 90th overall champion in Dutch baseball history...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Amsterdam bat-boys Cas and Mathijs proudly show their Medals and the Trophy...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Percy Isenia climbs out the ditch after being tossed in...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Amsterdam-president and sponsor John Witte lands in the ditch behind the field...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...but he enjoys it after winning his second championship as the club's president...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...John Witte posing with Percy Isenia after their trip into the ditch...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Pitcher Jurrian Koks and 1B Percy Isenia after their splash in the ditch...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Bullpen Catcher Jelmer Witteveen also ended up in the ditch...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...The celebration cake...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
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