(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
    Bogaerts, Schoop, Simmons confirmed for World Baseball Classic
Nederlands
 NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland (USA) -
During the first full day of the Major League Winter Meetings on Monday (December 5), it was reported that the World Baseball Classic has released a list with the names of 30 Major League-players, who are confirmed to participate in the fourth World Baseball Classic.
Amongst the 30 players are 24 players who have played in the All Star Game.
The global event opens on March 6 next year.
Last week, all participating countries had to hand in a provisional list of 50 players.
This will be cut to a provisional 28-man roster in mid-January.
The final rosters have to be submitted in mid-February.
Also amongst the 30 confirmed players, are three who will wear the shirt of the Netherlands Kingdom Team during the event, being infielders Xander Bogaerts (Boston Red Sox), Jonathan Schoop (Baltimore Orioles) and Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
During the event, the Orange squad will be managed again by Hensley Meulens, who is the Hitting Coach of the San Francisco Giants.
Former Major Leaguer Andruw Jones is his Bench Coach.
Bogaerts, Schoop and Simmons also participate in the previous Classic when the Netherlands reached the Semi-Final.
In 2011, Bogaerts and Schoop played for the Netherlands Team, which then captured the title in the World Championship in Panamá.
Last month, the schedule was released.
The Netherlands opens the event on Tuesday, March 7 against South Korea and will play its games in the Gocheok Sky Dome in Korean capital Seoul.
The Orange squad plays in Pool A and also meets Chinese Taipei and Israel in the First Round.
The best two teams of this pool advance to the Second Round in Tokyo (Japan).
The other players who are confirmed on the WBC-list are:
José Altuve, Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Gonzalez, Felix Hernandez, Salvador Pérez (all Venezuela), Nolan Arenado, Chris Archer, Adam Jones, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Mike Scherzer (all USA), Javier Baez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Yadier Molina (all Puerto Rico), Adrian Beltre, Dellin Betances, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Manny Machado (all Dominican Republic), Adrian Gonzalez, Roberto Osuna, Oliver Pérez (all México), Russell Martin (Canada), José Quintana and Julio Teheran (both Colombia).
...Xander Bogaerts... | 
...Jonathan Schoop... | 
...Andrelton Simmons... |
| (© All Photos: Henk Seppen) |
(December 5)
Related Article:
 Netherlands opens World Baseball Classic vs. South Korea. (November 15)
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