(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
 Ruar Verkerk released; joins Neptunus
Nederlands
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
19-year old infielder Ruar Verkerk has recently been released by the Minnesota Twins and has been placed on the ever-expanding roster of Dutch big leaguer Curaçao Neptunus.
He joined his former team for the first time on Sunday, June 19.
The addition was confirmed by Neptunus today (Sunday, June 19).
...Ruar Verkerk hitting for the Dutch Junior Team...
...in an exhibition game against the Netherlands...
...National Team in 2013 in Amsterdam...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The infielder and lefthanded hitter, born in Zwijndrecht, signed a professional contract with the Twins in July 2013.
He then made his professional debut in 2014, playing in 25 games for the GCL Twins, the Rookie League-team of the Twins in the Florida-based Gulf Coast League.
Verkerk, who mostly played at third base, batted .147 (10-for-68), scored seven runs and batted in three.
Last year, Verkerk again played for the GCL Twins.
This time, he appeared in 22 games and batted .197 (13-for-66) with one double, the lone extra-basehit in his professional career.
Verkerk scored four runs and batted in two.
For this season, Verkerk initially again was on the roster of the GCL Twins in the Gulf Coast League, which opens its season on June 24.
On the preliminary roster, Verkerk was to be a teammate of Dutch pitchers Taylor Clemensia and Matz Schutte.
Ruar Verkerk, who turns 20 in September, made his debut in the Dutch big league during the 2013 season, playing in three games for Neptunus.
In those games, he was 2-for-9 with a triple, scored two runs and also batted in two.
In his first game, on May 26, 2013, he was the designated hitter for Neptunus and singled in his first big league at bat off of Jos de Jong in a game against L&D Amsterdam Pirates.
Two weeks later, he played an entire game as third baseman and was 0-for-4.
One-and-a-half-month later, he got another playing opportunity and then delivered a 2-run, pinch-hit triple in a game against ADO Lakers in what was his last Dutch big league at bat so far.
(June 19)
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