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Updated: September 19, 2011
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WC-roster announced; 3 cities named for EC 2012
Nederlands

...The s.s. Rotterdam...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) - On Monday, September 19, Dutch National Team Manager Brian Farley announced that 26 players, including 10 active pros, were named to the roster for the upcoming World Cup in Panama. Also today, the KNBSB presented Rotterdam, Haarlem and Utrecht as the playing sites for the European Championship 2012. The Championship will mark the closing of the jubilee-year 2012 when the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) celebrates its 100th anniversary.

In the Grand Ballroom aboard the s.s. Rotterdam, it first was announced that Rotterdam will be the host-city for all games to be played by the Dutch National Team, including the finals, during the European Championship 2012. During that event, Italy will play all its games (except games vs. the Netherlands) in Haarlem, while Belgium and Germany will the majority of their games in Utrecht.

Rotterdam and Haarlem are wellknown to international baseball-events. Haarlem organizes the Haarlem Baseball Week in even years, while Rotterdam hosts the World Port Tournament in odd-years. Besides that, numerous games in European and World Championships, as well as European Cup-tournaments have been played there. In 2009, both cities hosted games of the World Championship. Utrecht makes its return to the international stage, after it last hosted games during the World Championship 1986, the first being organized in the Netherlands.

,,Our jubilee-year starts on March 17 with a special Jubilee Congress in the Erasmus University in Rotterdam'', KNBSB-Director Hans Meijer opened today's meeting in the nice Grand Ballroom on the Upper Promenade Deck of the s.s. Rotterdam, which was part of the wellknown Holland-America Line between 1959-2000. ,,In the year that we celebrate our 100th birthday, a lot of activities are planned. The European Championship will be the closing of that year'', Meijer continued.


...The logo for the...
...EC 2012...
(© Photo: MS)

...Robert Eenhoorn & Brian Farley...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)
To host the 43-game schedule, the KNBSB invited several cities that comply to the international demands for these kind of games to be playing sites, including Amsterdam, where Dutch baseball was born in 1905. It was in the Dutch capital that on March 16, 1912, the Dutch Association was founded. But Amsterdam withdraw for the European Championship, then Rotterdam, Haarlem and Utrecht were selected as host cities.

,,We're extremely proud to have these games in our city'', stated Antoinette Laan, Alderman of the City of Rotterdam. ,,I recently was in Chicago and baseball is one of the coolest games there is to enjoy with the entire family.''

Robert Eenhoorn, who is the Technical Director of the Dutch Association since 2009, added: ,,The goal is to show the best baseball countries of Europe. It always is good to organize these kind of events in your own country. A home crowd will be motivating and it will create more publicity. Besides that, the period is positive, as we will be able to include active professional players.''

The European Championship will be organized under the auspices of the KNBSB, which will play a leading role. Frits Mulder, who is in charge of baseball affairs as KNBSB-boardmember, will the the President of the Organizing Committee.

According to the preliminary schedule of the European Championship, the Dutch Team will open on September 7 vs. Belgium, then meets France, Czech Republic, Germany and Great Britain in the next days, before the pools are split for the second round.

National Team Manager Brian Farley then informed the attendance that he has selected 26 players for his World Cup-roster. These 26 players will travel to Panama City coming Saturday. There, the team will practice for two days, then play at least three exhibition games against Panama, Taiwan and Australia. ,,But we hope to add a fourth game'', Farley said. On September 27, the final roster of 24 has to be handed in to the International BAseball Federation. This means that two players will be cut from the roster while being in Panama. They will return home when the World Cup starts on October 1.


...Robert Eenhoorn is being...
...interviewed by RTV Rijnmond...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)
,,I think we are playing in the strongest pool'', Farley stated. ,,It appears that they took five or six of the best teams of the world, including ourselves, and put them in one pool.'' In pool-play the Dutch Team meets Canada, Greece, Japan, Panama, Puerto Rico, Taiwan and defending champion USA. ,,But in the past we have won against all these teams, so I'm confident that we will do good.''

Regarding the compilation of his roster, Farley said: ,,I'm very happy with this roster. It's a good mix of youth and experience''. The roster includes ten players, who are currently active professionally in American minor league-teams, being the brothers Jonathan and Sharlon Schoop, Curt Smith, Mariekson Gregorius, Shawn Zarraga, Kalian Sams, Tom Stuifbergen, Shairon Martis, Juan Carlos Sulbaran and Xander Bogaerts. Farley also hoped to add righthanded pitcher Rick van den Hurk, righthanded pitcher Loek van Mil and infielder Hainley Statia. However, Van den Hurk was promoted back to the Major League this month, making him ineligible for the national team. Players who are on 40-man Major League-rosters are not eligible to play for national teams. Van Mil also is on the 40-man roster, while Statia broke his ankle two weeks ago.

Jonathan Schoop and Xander Bogaerts are the two newcomers in the Dutch squad. Schoop recently was named Minor League Player of the Year for the Baltimore Orioles. Farley: ,,He will get this award coming Monday before the game of the Orioles against the Boston Red Sox. He's only 19 years old, but he's someone for the future of the National Team''. Bogaerts, who is 18 years old, is listed as one of the top-3 prospects in the organization of the Boston Red Sox. Farley: ,,He had a fine season and I assume that he's also ready for the National Team''.

Curaçao-born Jonathan Schoop, who will turn 20 in October, this season played in the Single-A and Single-A-Advanced teams of the Orioles, where he made his professional debut in 2009. In 128 games, the infielder (he played at 2B, 3B and SS) batted .290 (148-for-567) with 24 doubles, five triples and 13 homeruns, scored 82 runs and had 71 RBI's.

Xander Bogaerts, who is from Aruba and turns 19 on October 1, this year played in his second professional season for the Red Sox. For Greenville Drive, the Single-A team of the BoSox, Bogaerts played in 72 games, batted .260 (69-for-265) with 14 doubles, two triples and 16 homeruns, scored 38 runs and had 45 runs batted in.

The World Cup in Panama opens with the match-up between host Panama and Greece on October 1 in Estadio Rod Carew in Panama City. The next day, the rest of the teams will get into action. On October 2, the Dutch Team plays its first game against Taiwan in Estadio Remón Cantera in the city of Aguadulce, where it will also play the next day vs. Greece. The Dutch Team then will play its next two games in Estadio Rod Carew facing Japan and Puerto Rico. Next, it will meet defending world champion USA in Aguadulce on October 7 and will conclude the preliminary round on October 8 and 9 in Panama City against Canada and Panama.

Group 2 exists of Australia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Nicaragua, South Korea and Venezuela. These teams will play their games at Estadio Rico Cedeño in Chitré and Estadio Omar Torrijos at Santiago.

The roster looks as follows:

Pitchers:
Arshwin Asjes, Berry van Driel, Diegomar Markwell (all DOOR Neptunus), David Bergman, Nick Stuifbergen (both Corendon Kinheim), Leon Boyd (no team), Rob Cordemans (L&D Amsterdam Pirates), Shairon Martis (Washington Nationals-AA), Tom Stuifbergen (Minnesota Twins-A), Juan Carlos Sulbaran (Cincinnati Reds-A) and Orlando Yntema (UVV).

Catchers:
Sidney de Jong, Bas Nooij (both L&D Amsterdam Pirates) and Shawn Zarraga (Milwaukee Brewers-A).

Infielders:
Xander Bogaerts (Boston Red Sox-A), Michael Duursma (Vaessen Pioniers), Mariekson Gregorius (Cincinnati Reds-AA), Jonathan Schoop (Baltimore Orioles-A), Sharlon Schoop (San Francisco Giants-AA) and Curt Smith (Lincoln Salt Dogs, independent).

Outfielders:
Shaldimar Daantji (DOOR Neptunus), Danny Rombley (UVV) and Kalian Sams (Minnesota Twins-A).

Utility Players:
Dwayne Kemp (DOOR Neptunus) and Vince Rooi (L&D Amsterdam Pirates).

Designated Hitter:
Bryan Engelhardt (Corendon Kinheim).

(September 19)


...The Grand Ballroom aboard the s.s. Rotterdam...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

...The Euromast, which is located near the harbour...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

...Hans Meijer, Frits Mulder, Antoinette Laan,...
...Robert Eenhoorn and Brian Farley...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

...EC-President Frits Mulder...
...addresses the audience...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

...Frits Mulder, Antoinette Laan and...
...Hans Meijer chat after the meeting...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

...Frits Mulder and Alderman Antoinette Laan...
...admire the skyline of Rotterdam...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)


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