(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
  Pioniers adds Curt Smith to roster
Nederlands
 HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
Dutch professional player Curt Smith has been added to the roster of Dutch big league-team Vaessen Pioniers, the club confirmed on Friday (November 11).
Currently, the first baseman of the Netherlands National Team is playing professionally in Nicaragua.
That season ends early January.
Hereafter, Smith will play professionally again for Lincoln Saltdogs, as he is on the roster of the team that plays in an Independent League in the USA.
However, by becoming a registered member of Pioniers, he becomes eligible to play for this team during next years postseason after conclusion of his professional season.
Or earlier, in case he is without a professional club.
...Curt Smith hitting for the Netherlands during...
...this years European Championship...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Two other active professionals are also currently on Dutch big league-rosters, being outfielder Kalian Sams (L&D Amsterdam Pirates) and infielder Yurendell de Caster (Curaçao Neptunus).
The latter was added to the roster of the Rotterdam-squad in June of this season.
Sams and De Caster are currently in Japan with the Netherlands Kingdom Team for the Samurai Japan Warm-Up Games.
At the Lincoln Saltdogs, Smith is not the lone Dutch player on the roster.
Righthanded pitcher Shairon Martis also played for the team this season.
Coming season, Smith and Martis will be joined by two more Dutch players, as the Lincoln Saltdogs announced that they also have signed catcher Dashenko Ricardo and outfielder Randolph Oduber.
Both played for Dutch champion Curaçao Neptunus this year, but both left the team after completion of their lone season with the Rotterdam-club.
Ricardo and Oduber also are in Japan with the Orange squad, that will play against Japan on Saturday and Sunday.
This year, Curt Smith batted .331 (104-for-314) with 17 doubles and 17 homeruns, playing in 82 games for Lincoln Saltdogs.
With his .331 batting average, Smith was the best hitter of the team.
Smith scored 50 runs and batted in 60 and also led the team in these categories, as he did with his 17 homeruns.
With a 52-48 record, Lincoln Saltdogs finished in third place of the American Associaton, which is a professional Independent League.
In 2011, Smith was one of the players on the Netherlands-squad that captured the World Championship-title in Panama.
Smith was then named Most Valuable Player of the event.
In 2013, he reached the Semi-Final of the World Baseball Classic with the Orange squad.
In 2014 and in September of this year, he played for the Netherlands when it won the European Championship-title.
Ricardo, Oduber, De Caster and Martis all also played for the successful Netherlands Team in this year European Championship.
(November 11)
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