(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 Ronald Jaarsma new Head Coach of Neptunus
Nederlands
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Ronald Jaarsma has been named the new Head Coach of Curaçao Neptunus, as was expected and rumored in previous weeks.
He succeeds Evert-Jan 't Hoen, with whom Neptunus surprisingly ended its collaboration after four successful years after completion of this season.
Neptunus announced his naming on Thursday (October 13).
...Ronald Jaarsma...
...new Head Coach of Curaçao Neptunus...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The 39-year old Ronald Jaarsma had been the 3B Coach of L&D Amsterdam Pirates since 2013, when he was named the assistant of then-Head Coach Sidney de Jong.
However, less than a week before the start of the Holland Series, Amsterdam Pirates discharged Jaarsma of his duties as 3B Coach.
In a press release, dated September 20, Amsterdam Pirates stated:
,,It has become clear that the Board of Neptunus has approached Ronald Jaarsma just before the start of the decisive game of Amsterdam Pirates against Neptunus during the Play-Offs for a position in the coaching staff of Curaçao Neptunus.
Without our knowledge, more talks have followed in the following weeks.
The Board of Amsterdam Pirates is unpleasantly surprised by the decision of Neptunus to approach Ronald Jaarsma during the current season.
Especially when both teams still have to play important games (Play-Offs and Holland Series) against each other.
Amsterdam Pirates has had a fantastic cooperation with Ronald Jaarsma for four years.
We respect his decision, but we regret that Ronald now has come in a sticky situation.
With the coming Holland Series approaching, we have decided to relief Ronald Jaarsma honorably, but effective immediately, of his duties as Assistant Coach of L&D Amsterdam.''
Ronald Jaarsma, who had informed the Amsterdam-Board that he was in talks with another club, played himself in the Dutch big league as an outfielder mostly for HCAW, but also played for Neptunus.
After having started his career in youth-teams at HCAW, he went to Neptunus after the 1992 season.
There,he played for Tridents (then the second team of Neptunus) in 1993-1994, but returned to HCAW, where he played in its second team in 1995.
Hereafter, he went back to Rotterdam, again played for Tridents, but also made his debut in the big league-team.
Jaarsma then played for Neptunus in 1997-1998 and was on the roster for the 1999 season, but left the team in the first month and returned again tot HCAW, where he finished the season.
...Evert-Jan 't Hoen led Neptunus to its...
...fourth consecutive title last weekend...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Jaarsma continued playing for HCAW and retired after the 2008 season.
He then became the 3B Coach of the Bussum-squad the next season.
During the 2011 season, Jaarsma took over as interim Head Coach.
After not having coached in 2012, he became the 3B Coach of Sidney de Jong, who was named Head Coach of Amsterdam Pirates for the 2013 season.
When current Amsterdam Head Coach Charles Urbanus took over the team in 2014, Jaarsma stayed in his staff as his 3B Coach.
Jaarsma was the Head Coach of HCAW for the second half of the 2011 season, after taking over from Bill Froberg.
In the remainder of the regular season, led by Jaarsma, HCAW was 7-14.
Hereafter, the team was 6-3 in the Play-Downs to finish in sixth place overall.
This season, Jaarsma filled in for two games at Pirates to fill-in when Head Coach Charles Urbanus was stricken by the flu.
This season, Jaarsma was to be the Head Coach of Amsterdam Baseball, which was scheduled to play in the European League Baseball, but Amsterdam Pirates withdraw its coaches and players from the league early May.
Last Saturday, Evert-Jan 't Hoen guided Neptunus to its fourth consecutive Dutch Championship-title since becoming the Head Coach of the team for the 2013 season.
Last year, Neptunus won the European Champions Cup for the first time in club-history since 2004.
Despite the successes in these four seasons, Neptunus and 't Hoen separated.
In a press release, dated September 19 (five days before the start of the Holland Series), the Board of the club stated that it had decided to end the collaboration with Evert-Jan 't Hoen after four years after completion of the season.
In the press release, the Board stated:
,,The leadership of the club wants to ensure that Curaçao Neptunus structurally continues to participate in the top of Dutch and European baseball and has the opinion that the current team has not reached its maximum potentional.
By choosing a new Head Coach, the club hopes to give the right impuls to continue to compete for the prizes in the upcoming years.
By taking this decision preceeding the Holland Series, the Board wants to give Evert-Jan 't Hoen sufficient time to orientate himself on his plans for coming season.
After the season, a decision will be taken regarding the compilation of the coaching-staff for next season.''
By winning the Dutch title again, 't Hoen became the first coach in history to win four consecutive championships in his first four full season as Head Coach.
In June of this year, Neptunus was dethroned as European champion by L&D Amsterdam Pirates, which then captured the Cup a day later.
Neptunus ended up in fourth place.
In the previous three years, 't Hoen won three Coach of the Year Awards.
In the previous three weeks, Neptunus and Amsterdam Pirates faced each other for the second time in three years in the Holland Series.
In a very attractive Series, with four games ending with an one-run difference (two in extra innings), Neptunus won the best-of-seven 4-2.
Two years ago, Neptunus trailed 3-1 in the Series, but then won the next three games to capture the title.
(October 13)
Related Articles:
 Neptunus captures fourth consecutive title. (October 8)
Pirates discharges Jaarsma of duty after approach by Neptunus. (September 20)
Neptunus and Head Coach 't Hoen separate after season. (September 19)
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