(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 Lennart Stut steps down as Head Coach DSS; succeeded by Nick Stuifbergen
Nederlands
 HAARLEM (Neth.) -
Lennart Stut has stepped down as Head Coach of DSS.
Stut confirmed his resignation on Tuesday-evening (August 2) after he had informed the team after Sunday's game.
Former former pitcher Nick Stuifbergen, who this season led the Rookie League-team of the Haarlem-based club, has been named Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season.
Stuifbergen will lead the team for the first time coming Thursday-evening when DSS opens its final 3-game series of the regular season against HCAW.
A week later, starting on August 11, DSS will close the season playing in the Play-Downs.
...Lennart Stut steps down as...
...Head Coach of DSS...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Lennart Stut was in his second season with DSS.
He was named Head Coach of the team in late November 2014.
A month earlier, DSS had won the best-of-five Promotion/Relegation Series against Mampaey The Hawks, 3-2.
A few days after the team promoted to the big league a suprising development followed, as the club separated with then-Head Coach Frank Koot and his Assistant Coach Harry van Vilsteren.
In the successful 2014 season, Stut was one of the players of DSS, which then captured the title in the second highest league ('Overgangsklasse') to qualify for the Promotion/Relegation Series against The Hawks, which had finished in last place of the Play-Downs.
Initially, Stut was to be the Assistant Coach last year at DSS in its first season at the highest level.
Former big league-coach Hans Lemmink was mentioned at the time as the possible new Head Coach, but when that fell through, the board of DSS decided to promote Stut.
Last year, DSS did well in its first big league-season, finishing in sixth place in the Overall Standings with a 12-30 record.
In the following Play-Downs, DSS was 6-3 to secure its spot in this year big league.
This season, DSS is less successful, but also is plagued with a lot of injuries, resulting in several players (including pitchers) being sidelined for some weeks.
DSS finished in last place after completion of the first half of the season, but is currently in seventh place in the second half, which will be completed coming weekend.
In the Overall Standings, DSS is in eighth and last place with a 6-33 record.
...Nick Stuifbergen pitching for...
...Amsterdam Pirates in 2012...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Nick Stuifbergen has never coached at the big league-level.
However, he has a lot of experience, as he has pitched at the highest level for 13 seasons, playing for three clubs.
Stuifbergen pitched for Kinheim, Amsterdam Pirates and HCAW.
He pitched for Amsterdam Pirates on three different stints.
Stuifbergen first played in the big league for Kinheim in 2001-2002, followed by two seasons for Pirates and two for HCAW.
He then returned to Amsterdam, where he played three more years.
A new transfer followed to Kinheim, but after having played there for two seasons, Stuifbergen came back to Amsterdam for the third time in 2012.
He last pitched during the 2013 season, but was bothered by injuries thereafter and retired.
Besides that, Stuifbergen also played for the Netherlands National Team for eight years.
With the Orange squad, Stuifbergen captured the title at the European Championships in 2005 and 2007.
He also participated in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006 and in two World Championships.
The former righthanded pitcher is the brother of Kinheim-pitcher Tom Stuifbergen.
Besides Stuifbergen, two other coaches have been added to the staff for the remainder of the season.
Stuifbergen will be joined by veteran coach Ivan Rodriguez, who will become the 3B Coach, while Jerry Breek has been added as 1B Coach.
Tom Geestman remains as Bench Coach, while Rik Geestman stays on as Pitching Coach.
In the previous staff, Stut also had been the 3B Coach himself, while a player was coaching at first base.
Ivan Rodriguez is an experienced coach, who led HCAW in the Dutch big league in 2013 and 2014.
Last year, the Venezuelan-born Rodriguez was the Head Coach of Buchbinder Legionäre Regensburg in the highest German league.
This year, he returned to lead the German squad, but the two separated at the end of June and Rodriguez was succeeeded as Head Coach by Kai Gronauer.
In November last year, Rodriguez was a member of the coaching-staff of Team Europe, which then participated in the two months Asia Winter Baseball League in Taiwan.
Jerry Breek, who is the father of DSS-pitcher Donny Breek, never coached at the big league-level.
But like Stuifbergen, he has pitched in the highest league, playing for Amsterdam Pirates, Almere '90 and Kinheim in a 10-year period.
In the upcoming series, DSS will miss several players, who will not be available, as they are participating in the MLB Academy Camp in Germany.
(August 2)
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