(Story Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Freek Bouw)
  Lars Huijer ends professional career and returns home
Nederlands
 MESA, Arizona (USA) -
Dutch pitcher Lars Huijer has ended his professional career and has returned home to the Netherlands.
...Lars Huijer in Spring Training with the Cubs-minors...
(© Photo: Freek Bouw - Phrake Photography) |
In a statement, dated on March 29, Huijer said:
,,Everything comes to an end.
I decided to put an end to my career as a professional baseball player!
I will go back to school and build up a different kind of future!
I want to thank everybody that has been standing behind me during my career.''
The 21-year old righthanded pitcher made his professional debut in 2011 when he pitched in five games for the Rookie League-team of the Seattle Mariners in the Arizona League.
In those five games (three starts), he was 0-1 and struckout nine batters in 15 innings, giving up 19 basehits.
In 2012, Huijer played in the Rookie League again, this time for Pulaski Mariners in the Appalachian League.
With Pulaski, Huijer threw in 21 games, all in relief.
He was 1-2 and was credited with two saves.
In 32 2/3 innings, Huijer struckout 21 batters, walked 14 and gave up 39 basehits.
Huijer promoted to Single-A Short Season in 2013 and then played for Everett AquaSox.
There, he had a fine season, as he was 8-2 in 14 games, thirteen of which he started.
In 71 1/3 inning, Huijer struckout 61 batters and gave up 57 hits.
Last season, the righthander promoted again and pitched in Single-A and Single-A Advanced for the Seattle Mariners.
For Clinton LumberKings (Single-A), he was 4-5 in 16 games (12 starts) and threw his only professional complete game.
In 71 2/3 innings, he struckout 44 batters.
In Single-A Advanced, he pitched for High Desert Mavericks, where he was 2-4 in 12 games (all starts).
In 52 1/3 inning, he struckout 32 batters, walked 27 and gave up 69 hits.
In the off-season, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs and this month, he was in minor league Spring Training-camp in Arizona.
But now, he has decided to end his professional career and returns home.
He will re-join his former club Vaessen Pioniers.
There, he made his debut in the Dutch big league in 2010 and also pitched for the Hoofddorp-squad in the 2011 season, before leaving for the States to begin his professional career.
At Pioniers, he will be reunited with his brother Swen Huijer, who pitched professionally in 2008-2011 in the organisation of the Boston Red Sox, before returning home.
(March 30)
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