(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & CPBL)
  Team Europe (8 Dutch players) ready for Asia Winter Baseball League
Nederlands
 TAICHUNG (Taiwan) -
On Saturday (November 28), the third edition of the Asia Winter Baseball League will open in Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan.
After the first two seasons in 2012 and 2013, this Winter League now returns on the agenda for a third season.
Playing in the Asia Winter Baseball League are talented young players from the professional Chinese Professional Baseball League (Taiwan), Nippon Professional Baseball (Japan) and Korea Baseball Organization (South Korea).
In the first two seasons, these teams (two from Taiwan) were joined by a squad from the Dominican Republic.
In 2012, Japan won the first edition, which also included Taiwan Red, Taiwan White and the Dominican squad.
In 2013, South Korea joined the league.
...Starting pitcher Lars Huijer...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Now, for the third edition of the month-long season, an invitation was extended to Europe, which was accepted.
Earlier this week, Team Europe arrived in Taichung, where it will open the season in the Asia Winter Baseball League on Saturday (November 28).
Team Europe then meets the team from South Korea and Dutch pitcher Lars Huijer has been named starting pitcher.
Taiwan is participating with two teams in the league, which give young players (average is around 21) a chance to play competitvely on a high level.
All teams play 16 games through December 16.
Hereafter, the Play-Offs and Championship Final will follow.
The season ends on December 20.
Taiwan will play with two teams in the league, the Chinese Taipei National Training Team and Taiwan Beer CPBL Team.
Included in the Training Team are Yen-Ching Lu, the youngest player during the recent Premier12, as well as four players of the regular National Team.
The Taiwan Beer (sponsor) CPBL Team is compiled from players, coming from the four teams that play in the professional competition.
The Korean Team is mainly formed by players who are drafted by the KBO, including young professional players who are serving in and playing for the Army and Police teams.
All ten professional teams of the KBO are also represented in this squad, including four players of the National Team.
The Japanese NPB Team is compiled from players of Yomiuri Giants, Hanshin Tigers, Yakult Swallows, Chunichi Dragons and Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
Amongst the players is Kazama Okamoto, who hit 73 homeruns during the High School-season.
In September, he made his professional debut with the Giants and homered in his first at bat, becoming the first High School-rookie to do so since Hideki Matsui in 1993.
Initially, it was reported that there would be no players from The Netherlands on the European roster.
But, as weeks got by and the final 30-man roster was announced, eight Dutch players were included.
Seven of them play in the Dutch big league, the eighth plays professionally in the USA.
...The teams were presented today (Friday, November 27) to the media...
...Third from left is Team Europe Manager Gilberto Gerali...
(© Photo courtesy of CPBL) |
Representing the Netherlands and playing in the Dutch big league are pitchers Lars Huijer, Maickel Rietel (both Vaessen Pioniers) and Robin Schel (L&D Amsterdam Pirates), infielders Rashid Gerard (L&D Amsterdam Pirates) and Kevin Weijgertse and outfielders Daniel Fernandes and Urving Kemp (both Curaçao Neptunus).
Three of these players changed clubs after completion of the season.
Rietel played for HCAW this year, while Weijgertse and Fernandes both played for Vaessen Pioniers.
The eighth player never played in the Dutch big league, but did made his professional debut this season, being pitcher Matz Schutte.
This year, the 18-year old righthander pitcher from Almere appeared in 14 games (two starts) for the GCL Twins, the Rookie League-team of the Minnesota Twins.
He was 2-2 with a 3.07 ERA and struckout 18 batters in 29 1/3 inning, while walking only four.
Besides Huijer as starting pitcher, Weijgertse (first base) and Kemp (leftfield) are also named to the starting line-up for Saturday's game by Italian Manager Gilberto Gerali, who leads the European coaching-staff.
He will be assisted by former Netherlands Team and Dutch big league-player Eugène Kingsale and former Dutch big league-coach Ivan Rodriguez, who also coached at the Netherlands Junior Team.
After having coached at HCAW in the Dutch big league, Rodriguez made his debut this year as Head Coach of Buchbinder Regensburg Legionäre in the German Baseball League.
Pitching Coach is Renny Duarte from Spain.
Kingsale will by the Outfield and Hitting Coach, while Rodriguez will act as the Infield Coach.
General Manager is Andrea D'Auria from Italy.
,,Everyone is ready'', Coach Ivan Rodriguez said today (Friday) in an interview with Grand Slam * Stats & News.
,,We have done three practices, which was the first time the team got together.
And tomorrow, we start playing.
We have not much information of our opponents, but we are ready for it.
I see a group of players which is very proud to be here.''
Looking ahead, Rodriguez says: ,,We have seen our players and we think that we can be a very competitive opponent for the four Asian squads.
We have the youngest team, together with Chinese Taipei.
The other three teams have rosters with many professional players from their national leagues.
When we play our game, we can surprise.''
Besides Schutte, there are five more players on the European roster who play professionally.
They are 19-year old righthanded pitcher Javier Sanchez Martinez (Spain, Dominican Summer League (Rookie League), Atlanta Braves, professional since 2014), 21-year old catcher Alberto Mineo (Italy, Single-A Advanced, Chicago Cubs, professional since 2012), 19-year old outfielder Sam Buelens (Belgium, Dominican Summer League (Rookie League), Toronto Blue Jays, professional debut this year), 21-year old outfielder Maik Ehmcke (Germany, Rookie League, Arizona Diamondbacks, professional since 2014) and 18-year old outfielder Federico Giordani (Italy, Rookie League, Los Angeles Dodgers, professional debut this year).
Eight countries are represented on the 30-man roster of Team Europe.
Twelve players are coming from Italy, followed by The Netherlands (8), Germany (4), France (2), Belgium (1), Croatia (1), Czech Republic (1) and Spain (1).
Italian players Filippo Crepaldi, Gianny Fracciolla, Alberto Mineo and Freddy Noguera participated with Team Italy earlier this month in the Premier12.
Most games of that event also were played in Taiwan.
After completion of the Premier12, the four players and Manager Gilberto Gerali stayed in Taiwan to prepare for the Asia Winter Baseball League.
The complete roster is as follows:
Pitchers (15):
Milvio Andreozzi (Italy, Nettuno 2), Leonel Cespedes (France, Templiers de Sénart), Filippo Crepaldi (Italy, Fortitudo Bologna), Lucas Dickman (Germany, Buchbinder Regensburg Legionäre), Diego Fabiani (Italy, Tommasin Padua), Gianny Fracchiolla (Italy, Buchbinder Regensburg Legionäre), Kruno Gojkovic (Croatia, Olimpija Karlovac), Lars Huijer (Netherlands, Vaessen Pioniers), Owen Ozanich (France, Rouen Huskies), Maikel Rietel (Netherlands, Vaessen Pioniers), Javier Sanchez (Spain, Atlanta Braves), Robin Schel (Netherlands, L&D Amsterdam Pirates), Matz Schütte (Netherlands, Minnesota Twins), Bryan Sheldon (Italy, Tommasin Padua) and Daniel Thieben (Germany, Paderborn Untouchables).
Catchers (3):
Alessandro Deotto (Italy, Parma), Chris Howard (Germany, Buchbinder Regensburg Legionäre) and Alberto Mineo (Italy, Chicago Cubs).
Infielders (6):
Premek Chroust (Czech Republic, Draci Brno), Freddy Noguera (Italy, Parma), Rashid Gerard (Netherlands, L&D Amsterdam Pirates), Luca Martone (Italy, Padova), Mattia Mercuri (Italy, Nettuno 2) and Kevin Weijgertse (Netherlands, HCAW).
Outfielders (6):
Sam Buelens (Belgium, Toronto Blue Jays), Maik Ehmcke (Germany, Arizona Diamondbacks), Daniel Fernandes (Netherlands, Curaçao Neptunus), Federico Giordani (Italy, Los Angeles Dodgers), Urving Kemp (Netherlands, Curaçao Neptunus) and Sebastiano Poma (Italy, T&A San Marino).
(November 27)
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