(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
 HCAW and Head Coach Ralph Milliard separate
Nederlands
 BUSSUM (Neth.) -
Ralph Milliard will not return as Head Coach of HCAW next season, the Bussum-based club announced on Tuesday (September 22).
After completion of the recently concluded season, Milliard and HCAW, in mutual agreement, decided not to continue their cooperation, HCAW announced in the release.
Milliard led HCAW this season for the first time.
Last year, he was the Head Coach of Twins, which then finished in second place in the second highest league ('Overgangsklasse').
Twins missed the championship on the final day of the regular season to DSS, which went on to promote to the big league.
This year, Twins won the title and currently has a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Promotion/Relegation Series vs. Mampaey The Hawks.
In both the first and second half of this season, HCAW finished in seventh place.
The Bussum-team closed with a 10-30 record and two ties, finishing with a equal record both at home and on the road (5-15 and one tie).
HCAW also finished in seventh place in the Overall Standings and with that, it had to play in the Play-Downs trying to secure its spot in the highest league for next season.
They succeeded in doing so, ending the Play-Downs with a 5-4 record to finish ahead of The Hawks.
Ralph Milliard played several seasons for HCAW in the Dutch big league and is generally acknowledged as one of the best short stops of all time.
The 41-year old Milliard played nine seasons professional baseball in the USA in five different organisations: Florida Marlins (1993-1997), New York Mets (1998), Cincinnati Reds (1999), San Diego Padres (2000) and Cleveland Indians (2001).
On May 12, 1996, Milliard made his debut in the Major League, playing for the Marlins at second base, which was the position he played in almost all of his Major League-games.
He appeared in 24 big league-games that year, then added eight more games with the Marlins in 1997.
The following year, Milliard played in 10 Major League-games for the Mets.
Milliard returned back to the Netherlands in 2001 and then re-joined HCAW.
Bench Coach Marlon Frolijk and Pitching Coach Robbert Keetelaar also will not return in the coaching-staff of HCAW next season.
Frolijk has accepted the position as Head Coach of RCH-Pinguïns in the 'Overgangsklasse', while Keetelaar has informed the club that he want to spend more time with his family.
In the upcoming days/weeks, HCAW will search for replacements for the vacant spots.
(September 22)
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