(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 HCAW gains strenghth by adding Rooi, Henrique, Ploeger, 5 others
Nederlands
 BUSSUM (Neth.) -
In recent years, HCAW mostly lost more players than it added during the transfer-period.
This time, it again saw a lot of players leave, but it also added eight new players, including some who will surely strenghthen the team.
With that, HCAW will surely do better next season than finishing in seventh place this season.
Coming to Bussum are veteran infielder Vince Rooi (Vaessen Pioniers), while speedy outfielder Roelie Henrique (L&D Amsterdam Pirates also joined the team.
HCAW also added lefthanded pitcher Jim Ploeger to its pitching-staff.
Besides this trio, also coming to the Baseball Valley are catcher Levine Gabriëls (DSS), catcher/infielder Julian Goins (Mampaey The Hawks), infielder Kevin Weijgertse (Pioniers) and pitchers Ian Delemarre and Oscar Meuris (both UVV).
On the other hand, 15 (!) players are leaving the team.
Catcher Jarreau Martina, infielder Rikkert Kempen and outfielder Brian Biezen are all returning to Twins, where they played last year and which promoted to the big league this season.
Also leaving are RHP Leon Elshof (HCAW-2), RHP Steven van Groningen (Curaçao Neptunus), LHP Bob Klaarenbeek (Quick Amersfoort), RHP Tony Kreisel (HCAW-2), RHP Maickel Rietel (Vaesen Pioniers), catcher Max Clarijs (L&D Amsterdam Pirates), infielder Jazon Allee (RCH-Pinguïns), infielder Jim Froberg (Domstad Dodgers), infielder Emersson Paula (Orioles), infielder Roy Seltenrijch (retired), outfielder Peter van Doesburg (retired) and outfielder Aldrich Guzman (Mampaey The Hawks).
After completion of the season, the entire coaching-staff resigned, being Head Coach Ralph Milliard, Bench Coach Marlon Frolijk, Assistant Coach Joost Calis and Pitching Coach Robbert Keetelaar.
A new Head Coach has not yet been named, but talks are underway with possible candidates.
Frolijk will be the Head Coach next season of RCH-Pinguïns, which plays in the second highest league ('Overgangsklasse').
Probably the most important addition will be veteran infielder Vince Rooi.
He has a long career in the Dutch big league, has been a member of the Netherlands National Team and played professionally for eight seasons in the Minor League in the organization of the Montreal Expos (later Washington Nationals).
This season, Rooi was the second-best hitter of Vaessen Pioniers, hitting .307 (43-for-140) with eight doubles, one triple and three homeruns.
Rooi, who played at third base and short stop, scored 26 runs and batted in a team-leading 28.
Last year, Rooi was the leading hitter of Pioniers with a .360 batting average (49-for-136) and then also led the team in RBI's with 42, 14 doubles and four homeruns.
In 2013, he was the second-best hitter of Pioniers, hitting .357.
In the past, Rooi also has been the leading hitter of Amsterdam Pirates, hitting .381 in 2011.
Rooi played in Amsterdam in 2009-2012, after having played for Kinheim in 2007-2008.
Before that, the infielder played professionally in 1999-2006, mostly in Single-A, but he also played in Double-A in 2004 and 2005.
...Roelie Henrique... | 
...Kevin Weijgertse... |
| (© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
Roelie Henrique, who frequently was used as lead-off hitter, batted .235 this season for L&D Amsterdam Pirates and again led the squad in stolen bases with 14.
He scored 28 runs and batted in nine.
Henrique played for the team since 2010.
Henrique also led in stolen bases in the previous seasons, stealing respectively 8 (2010), 19 (2011), 15 (2012), 20 (2013) and 22 (2014).
The last two seasons, he also led the league in stolen bases.
Infielder Kevin Weijgertse batted .181 this season (25-for-138).
He scored 13 runs and batted in eight.
This was Weijgertse's first season in Hoofddorp.
He now returns to HCAW, where played in 2014.
Before going to HCAW, Weijgerste also played for Kinheim (2011) and Amsterdam Pirates (2013).
He played professionally for three seasons (2010-2012) in the Rookie League of the New York Mets.
...Julian Goins... | 
...Levine Gabriëls... |
| (© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
Julian Goins was the third-best hitter this season for Mampaey The Hawks, hitting .264 (32-for-121).
He scored 12 runs and batted in 17, playing in 39 games.
Levine Gabriëls returns to HCAW.
This season, he batted .179 (20-for-112) for DSS, scored nine runs and batted in ten.
He shared the team's lead with two triples.
Jim Ploeger led the pitching-staff of UVV this season with a 2.39 ERA.
He was 5-5 and shared the lead in victories.
The lefthander led with 76 strikeouts in a team-leading 79 innings pitched.
Ploeger also earned two saves.
Ian Delemarre was 1-3 this season with a 3.09 ERA.
He struckout 12 batters in 32 innings pitched after returning from college in the USA.
Oscar Meuris also first played college-ball before joining UVV this season.
He was 0-1 and struckout six batters in seven innings pitched.
Leon Elshof appeared in only two games this season after coming back from an injury.
He threw three innings.
Steven van Groningen had the team's best ERA with 2.82 and was 3-1 with two saves.
He struckout 32 batters in 51 innings.
Bob Klaarenbeek was mainly used as reliever.
He was 0-2, striking out six and walking 18 batters in 16 2/3 inning.
Tony Kreisel pitched in relied in 17 games.
He was 0-1 and struckout 12 batters in 26 innings.
...Steven van Groningen... | 
...Maickel Rietel... | 
...Tony Kreisel... |
| (© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
Maickel Rietel was 2-9 with a 4.00 ERA.
He pitched in 14 games, all starts, and struckout 35 batters in 68 2/3 inning, while walking 30.
Max Clarijs batted .154 (14-for-91), scored eight runs and batted in six.
Jarreau Martina was the team's leading hitter this season with a . 266 batting average.
He led the team in basehits (33) and doubles (5) and was third in runs scored (13), while batting in eight runs.
Besides doing the catching, he also was a utility player, being used as second baseman and in the outfield.
Rikkert Kempen hit .205 (17-for-83) in his first season in Bussum, scored four runs and batted in six.
Jazon Allee played in only 15 games and batted .152.
...Max Clarijs... | 
...Jarreau Martina... |
| (© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
Jim Froberg played in only ten games and remained hitless this season.
Emersson Paula was the second-best hitter with a .264 average.
He scored 13 runs and was second-best in RBI's with 13 in his first season at HCAW.
Roy Seltenrijch was the third-best hitter of the team with a .248 average and was second-best in runs scored (14).
The infielder had 12 RBI's.
Brian Biezen played in 24 games and batted .137 (7-for-51), scored six runs and batted in three.
Peter van Doesburg batted .195 (16-for-82), scored six runs and had only one RBI.
Aldrich Guzman played in only 14 games and batted .077 (2-for-26).
...Rikkert Kempen... | 
...Emersson Paula... | 
...Peter van Doesburg... | 
...Roy Seltenrijch... |
| (© All Photos: Henk Seppen) |
(November 1)
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