(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
 Arribas & Didder in Minor League All Star Game
Nederlands
 LEXINGTON, Kentucky (USA) -
Dutch professional players Danny Arribas and Ray-Patrick Didder have participated in the annual South Atlantic League All Star Game (Single-A) on Tuesday-evening (June 21).
Arribas played for the North Division All Stars, while Didder was selected for the South Division All Stars.
The North Division won the game with a 2-1 score.
The game was played at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, the home of the Lexington Legends, which is one of the Single-A teams of the Kansas City Royals.
...Danny Arribas playing for the...
...Netherlands National Team in 2012...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
23-year old Danny Arribas, who is born in Miami (Florida, USA), played the entire game for the North Division at first base.
He was 2-for-3 and walked once.
In the regular season, Arribas plays for West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates).
In 65 games, he is hitting .261 (55-for-211) with ten doubles, one triple and six homeruns, while scoring 31 runs and batting in 20.
Arribas plays professionally since 2011 and payed for the Netherlands National Team during the 2012 European Championship, which then was held in the Netherlands.
In his first four professional seasons, Arribas played at the Rookie League-level.
Last year, he promoted to Single-A Short Season and this year, he promoted again to the Single-A Full Season level.
21-year old Aruba-born Ray-Patrick Didder also played the entire game for the South Division as its centerfielder and lead-off hitter.
He was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, but made a nice defensive play, making a diving catch in the fourth inning.
Didder plays professionally since 2013 and this season, he plays for Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves).
After having played three seasons in Rookie League, this is his first at the Single-A level.
In 66 games so far, he is hitting .259 (63-for-243) with nine doubles, five triples and three homeruns.
Didder scored 46 runs and batted in 14.
Both teams used eleven pitchers in the game, which started 43 minutes later due to rain in the afternoon.
The North Stars opened the score in the top of the first inning on a double by Max Schrock.
They doubled their lead in the fifth.
Yeyson Yrizarri then led off with a single and reached third base when Danny Arribas also singled.
Later in the at bat, he scored on a single by Schrock, who was named Most Valuable Player of the game.
The South Division scored its lone run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Austin Rei led off with a homerun.
Hereafter, Ray-Patrick Didder lined the ball into deep rightfield, but it was caught just before the wall.
In the seventh inning, Mariano Rivera, Jr. pitched 2/3 inning for the North Division All Stars.
He is the son of former pitching-great Mariano Rivera, who played his entire 19-year Major League-career (1995-2013) for the New York Yankees and was in attendance to look to his son.
There were three more All Star Games on Tuesday-evening, but without 'Dutch' participation.
Southern League (Double-A)
At Pearl, Mississippi, the South Division All Stars won 5-1 vs. the North Division All Stars, thanks to a pinch-hit, grand slam homerun by Phillip Ervin in the fifth inning.
Midwest League (Single-A)
At Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the East Division All Stars won 11-10 against the West Division All Stars.
The West Team led 8-1 after three innings, but the East Team then rallied for five runs in the fourth.
Trailing 10-7, the East-squad scored four runs in the top of the ninth ton win the game.
With one out, Eloy Jimenez hit a 3-run homerun in the ninth to make it a 10-10 tie.
Hereafter, Andrew Guillotte singled and later scored the winning run on a single by Willi Castro.
California League/Carolina League (Single-A Advanced)
At Lake Elsinore, California, the Carolina League All Stars won 6-4 against the California League All Stars.
Leading 2-1, the Carolina League added two runs in the fifth and seventh inning.
Trailing 6-1, the California League scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but ended up short.
(June 21)
| 
