(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Marco Stoovelaar)
  Roger Bernadina signs with New York Mets
Nederlands
 QUEENS, NEW YORK, New York (USA) -
Dutch professional player Roger Bernadina has signed a minor league-contract with the New York Mets.
The club announced the signing on Monday (February 8).
Bernadina has been invited as a non-roster player to Major League Spring Training, which opens on February 20.
...Roger Bernadina during the...
...European Championship 2007...
...in Barcelona (Spain)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
The 31-year old Roger Bernadina has played in (part of) seven seasons in the Major League.
From 2008-2014, he played in 548 Major League-games for four different clubs, hitting 312 basehits, including 28 homeruns.
Last year, the lefthanded hitter played the entire season in the Triple-A team of the Colorado Rockies, where he played in 119 games.
The outfielder hit .276, collecting 103 basehits, including 15 homeruns.
He scored 62 runs and also batted in 62.
It was reported that the starting outfielders of the Mets for the upcoming season already have been set with Michael Conforto, Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson.
Nevertheless, Bernadina received an inivitation to be part of the Major League Spring Training-camp in Florida.
Curaçao-born Bernadina made his professional debut in 2002 after originally signing in 2001 with the Montrea Expos, which later became the Washington Nationals after moving to the American capital.
On June 29, 2008, Bernadina made his Major League-debut with the Nationals.
He went on to play in 26 games for the Nationals.
Bernadina played in only three games for the Nationals in 2009, then played a full season with the team in 2010, playing in 134 games, hitting .246 with 11 homeruns and 47 runs batted in.
He also was part of the Nationals-squad in following seasons, but in August 2013, he was released by the Nationals.
Two days later, he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he played in 27 games in the remainder of the 2013 season.
Bernadina became a Free Agent in October 2013, then signed with the Cincinnati Reds in January of 2014.
In that year, the outfielder again played in the Major League, this time appearing in 44 games for the Reds, but he was released again in June of that year.
Ten days later, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he played in nine more games.
...Roger Bernadina hitting for the Netherlands Kingdom Team...
...during the 2013 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In October 2014, Bernadina again was a Free Agent and this time, he signed two months later with the Colorado Rockies.
Last year, he didn't play in the Major League, but played the entire season for the Albuquerque Isotopes in Triple-A.
After completion of the season, Bernadina went on to play in the Mexican Pacific League.
In November last year, he again became a Free Agent.
Late August 2014, Bernadina was named to the roster of the Netherlands National Baseball Team for the upcoming European Championship in September of that year in the Czech Republic.
However, on September 6, he was added the big league-roster of the Dodgers and with that became not eligible to play for a national team.
Only players up to the Triple-A level are eligible to play for their respective countries in international tournaments.
Also players on a 40-man Major League-roster are not eligible.
In March 2013, Benadina played for the Netherlands Kingdom Team, which then reached the semi-final of the World Baseball Classic.
Bernadina also was on the preliminary roster for the first Classic in 2006, but then wasn't available to play due to Spring Training.
He then made his Netherlands Team-debut in September 2007 during the European Championship/Qlympic Qualifier in Barcelona (Spain).
Also in 2007, Bernadina played for the Orange squad in the World Championship in Taiwan.
As he wanted to concentrate on his professional career, Bernadina opted to not play for the Dutch Team during the Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing (China).
In 2012 and 2013, Bernadina took part in the European Big League Tour, organized by Dutch professional pitcher Rick van den Hurk.
In 2013, Curtis Granderson also was one of the participants and he now will be a teammate of Bernadina with the Mets.
(February 9)
Related Articles:
 Roger Bernadina back in Major League, not in Orange. (September 6, 2014)
Roger Bernadina back in Major League. (May 7, 2014)
Bernadina, Dickerson join European Big League Tour. (November 14, 2013)
Roger Bernadina becomes Free Agent. (October 21, 2013)
Bernadina homers in comeback. (September 4, 2011)
Roger Bernadina recalled by Washington. (September 2, 2011)
Roger Bernadina hits 100th basehit! (September 25, 2010)
|
