 Dutch players in action in Minor League All Star Games
Nederlands
   CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee / COMSTOCK PARK, Michigan / HICKORY, North Carolina (USA) -
On Tuesday, June 17, four All Star Games were played in the Minor Leagues, three of them with a Dutch connection.
Carlton Daal, Spencer Kieboom and Shawn Zarraga were selected to an All Star Team and played in the Games on Tuesday.
At Chattanooga, the South Division All Stars won 6-4 vs. the North Division All Stars in the annual All Star Game of the Southern League (Double-A).
Taylor Motter of the Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays) went 3-for-3 with a homerun.
The 24-year old prospect hit his homerun in the sixth inning.
Motter was named Most Valuable Player.
Both teams hit two homeruns in the game.
Mycal Jones of the Mississippi Braves (Atlanta Braves) also homered for the South Team.
Scott Schebler and O'Koyea Dickson of Chattanooga Lookouts (Los Angeles Dodgers) both homered for the home playing North Team.
Aruba-born Shawn Zarraga was a member of the North All Stars and entered the game in the top of the sixth inning.
The catcher, who plays for Huntsville Stars (Milwaukee Brewers), was 1-for-2.
Zarraga played for the Netherlands Baseball Team that captured the World Championship-title in 2011 in Panama.
South was leading 4-0 in the fourth inning when North got a run back.
South then increased its lead to 6-2, but then Dickson hit a 2-run homerun with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Shawn Zarraga followed with a single and advanced on a wild pitch, but a groundout then ended the game.
The Southern League All Star Game, which was the 50th, was played in Chattanooga (Tennessee) at AT&T Field, the home of the Chattanooga Lookouts and was attended by 4,487 spectators.
Before the game, the inaugural class of the Southern League Hall of Fame was inducted, which included former Major Leaguers as Reggie Jackson, Bo Jackson, Dale Murphy, Alan Trammell, Tim Wakefield and Ryne Sandberg.
It was the third win in a row for the South Team.
At Comstock Park (Michigan), the 50th Midwest League All Star Game (Single-A) was played in Fifth Third Ballpark, the home of the West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers) and was attended by 7,046 spectators.
The Western Division All Stars shutout the Eastern Division All Stars 7-0.
Boog Powell reached base three times, stole two bases, scored three runs and was named Most Valuable Player.
Powell plays for Beloit Snappers (Oakland A's) and is the leading hitter in the league.
He doubled in two runs in the sixth inning that made it 5-0 for the Western Team.
Powell's real first name is Herschel, but he is nicknamed 'Boog' after the former great of the Baltimore Orioles Boog Powell, who was one of the favorite players of his father.
Curaçao-born Carlton Daal was on the roster of the Eastern Division All Star Team.
The 20-year old was 0-for-2 with one strikeout after entering the game in the top of the sixth inning.
Daal plays for Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds).
At Hickory (North Carolina), the 55th South Atlantic League All Star Game (Single-A) was played in L.P. Frans Stadium, the home of the Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers).
The game ended in a 4-4 tie after 10 innings and was attended by 3,753 spectators.
Outfielder Dominique Taylor of Lexington Legends (Kansas City Royals) was named Most Valuable Player, playing for the Southern Division All Star Team.
He drove in two runs in the top of the tenth inning, but the Northern Division All Stars came alongside in the home of the 10th.
It was the second time in five years that the game ended in a tie.
It was ruled that the game didn't go beyond 10 innings.
Catcher Spencer Kieboom was one of the players on the roster of the Northern Division All Star Team.
The 23-year old Kieboom plays for the Hagerstown Suns (Washington Nationals) and entered the game in the top of the fourth inning.
One of Kieboom's teammates in the All Star Game was Mike Yastrzemski, who plays for Delmarra Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles).
He is the grandson of famous outfielder Carl Yastrzemski, who played 23 seasons for the Boston Red Sox.
Yastrzemski's father Mike Yastrzemski (Sr.) also played professionally from 1984-1988 in the organization of the Chicago White Sox, but also has a link with the Netherlands.
In 1982, he participated in the Haarlem Baseball Week with the team of Mississippi State University.
The third-generation Yastrzemski went 1-for-2 in the game.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Yastrzemski and Kieboom followed each other in the batter's box, but both grounded out.
Kieboom grounded out again in the sixth inning.
In the top of the seventh inning, Kieboom left the game again.
Last year, Kieboom missed almost the entire season due to an injury.
In January last year, Kieboom was on the preliminary roster of the Netherlands Baseball Team for the World Baseball Classic, as well as Zarraga.
Both didn't made the final roster for the event due to injuries.
Spencer Kieboom, who was born in Marietta (Georgia, USA), is the son of Dutchman Alswinn Kieboom, who played in the Dutch big league for Twins and HCAW and was a member of the Dutch National Junior Team, but moved to the States at a young age.
Kieboom has two other sons, who also play baseball.
21-year old Trevor Kieboom is a righthanded pitcher/infielder, who played for the Clemson University.
This season, Trevor was the third baseman for the Pirates, the team of Chattahoochee Valley Community College, with whom he particpated in the JUCO World Series (NJCAA Division I, Junior College) in May in Grand Junction (Colorado).
Next season, Trevor will play for the University of Georgia.
16-year old Carter Kieboom is played for Walton High School this Spring and currently plays for East Cobb Astros during the Summer.
Like Spencer and Trevor, Carter also has the capacities to play for a University-team or turn professional.
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...Spencer Kieboom in action during the All Star Game, the Home Plate Umpire is Tucker Benville...
(© All Photos: Alswinn Kieboom) |
Also on Tuesday, June 17, the California League/Carolina League All Star Game (Single-A) was played.
In Wilmington (Delaware), the California League won 3-2.
Kyle Waldrop homered and drove in all runs for the Cal League.
On Saturday, June 14, the Florida League All Star Game (Single-A) was played in Bradenton (Florida).
The North Division defeated the South Division, 6-4.
The North scored four runs in the top of the ninth.
After tying the score, it was a double by Gioskar Amaya that gave the North a 6-4 lead.
(June 17)
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