(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
   European roster announced for Asia Winter Baseball League
Nederlands
 LAUSANNE (Switzerland) -
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced the roster of Team Europe, which will participate again in this years Asia Winter Baseball League.
The WBSC announced the 28 names on the roster on Tuesday (November 15).
The AWBL is sanctioned by the WBSC and opens its new season coming Friday (November 25).
Team Europe plays its first game on Saturday against the team from South Korea.
Last year, Team Europe made its debut in the Asia Winter Baseball League, which is an initiative and organized by the Chinese Professional Baseball League, the professional baseball league in Taiwan.
In that season, the team was led by Italian Manager Gilberto Gerali, who was assisted by Renny Duarte (Spain), Ivan Rodriguez and Eugène Kingsale (both Netherlands).
Team Europe then finished in fifth place, while Chinese Taipei won the title.
This year, American Desmond Relaford will be the Manager of Team Europe.
He will be assisted by Manny Olivera (Pitching Coach), Danny Gorrin (Catching Coach) and Seth La Fera (Infield Coach).
Former pitcher Olivera and former infielder La Fera both played in the Netherlands big league.
Olivera also has pitched in the National Team of Spain, while La Fera had been a player of the National Team of Italy, with whom he played in two Olympic Games.
Gorrin also has played for the National Italian squad.
Manager Desi Relaford played eleven years (1996-2007) in the Major League for seven clubs, including five with Philadelphia Phillies.
Relaford, who was an infielder, also played for San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers.
In total, he played in 939 Major League-games.
Eight countries are represented in Team Europe this year with players coming from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain.
There are also twelve active professional players in the team, who play in the organizations of the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners.
Two players are coming from the Twins, Yankees and Phillies.
The other clubs are represented by one player.
Two are playing for Washington Wild Things in an Independent League.
A thirteenth professional player is currently a Free Agent, which is Aruban righthanded pitcher Ross Ismail, who this year played in the Dominican Sumer League.
In the previous two years, he pitched at the Rookie League-level with the Cincinnati Reds.
...Dudley Leonora playing for the Netherlands...
...during the Baseball Week Haarlem in July...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Nine players are coming from the Netherlands, Italy has seven.
Last year, Italy had the highest total of players in the team with eleven.
Four players are coming from Spain, three from Germany and two from France.
The Czech Republic, Poland and Romania all have one player on the roster of Team Europe.
One of the players representing the Netherlands is infielder Dudley Leonora, who this year won the Baseball Week Haarlem, the France International Baseball Tournament and the European Championship with the Netherlands National Team.
Just over a week ago, he participated with the Netherlands Kingdom Team in the Samurai Japan Warm-Up Games in Tokyo (Japan).
Pitcher Matz Schutte, infielder Kevin Weijgertse and outfielder Urving Kemp also played in the AWBL last year.
The other Dutch players are LHP Taylor Clemensia, RHP Misja Harcksen, RHP Ross Ismail, Catcher Paul Brands and infielder Eugene Helder.
Initially, Aruban pitcher Francisco Taveras also was on the roster of Team Europe.
But recently, he has been added to the roster Tigres de Chinandega of the professional league in Nicaragua.
Six teams will participate in this years Asia Winter Baseball League.
Host Taiwan is represented by two teams, the Chinese Taipei National Team and the professional CPBL All Stars.
Professional teams are also from South Korea and Japan.
South Korea participates with the KBO All Stars, while Japan also participates with two teams, who are affiliated with NPB.
They will be compiled with players from the Western and Eastern League, which are the Japanese Minor Leagues.
The season opens coming Friday (November 25) and ends on December 15.
In this period, each team will play 17 games.
Hereafter, the Semi-Finals will be played on December 17 followed by the Championship Final on December 18.
...Kevin Weijgertse... | 
...Urving Kemp... |
| (© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
The roster looks as follows:
Pitchers (15):
Daniel Alvarez (Spain, New York Yankees-org., USA), Alessandro Ciarla (Italy, Philadelphia Phillies-org., USA), Taylor Clemensia (Netherlands, Minnesota Twins-org., USA), Nicolo Clemente (Italy, Boston Red Sox-org., USA), Ludovico Coveri (Italy, Philadelphia Phillies-org., USA), Diego Fabiani (Italy, Padova), Marc Habeck (France, Rouen Huskies), Misja Harcksen (Netherlands, Curaçao Neptunus), Ross Ismail (Netherlands, Free Agent), Owen Ozanick (France, Rouen Huskies), Andres Perez (Spain, Tenerife Marlins), Eduard Pirvu (Romania, Botosani), Matz Schutte (Netherlands, Minnesota Twins-org., USA), Artur Strzalka (Poland, New York Yankees-org., USA) and Andrew Woeck (Germany, Washington Wild Things, Indep., USA).
Catchers (4):
Vincent Ahrens (Germany, Bonn Capitals), Paul Brands (Netherlands, Pittsburgh Pirates-org., USA), Martin Muzik (Czech Republic, Kotlarka Praha) and Kyle Pollock (Germany, Washington Wild Things, Indep., USA).
Infielders (6):
Eugene Helder (Netherlands, Seattle Mariners-org., USA), Dudley Leonora (Netherlands, Vaessen Pioniers), Mattia Mercuri (Italy, Nettuno), Leomartires Rodriguez (Spain, Novara, Italy), Jesus Ustariz (Spain, Tenerife Marlins) and Kevin Weijgertse (Netherlands, HCAW).
Outfielders (3):
Federico Celli (Italy, Pirati dei Rimini), Federico Giordani (Italy, Los Angeles Dodgers-org., USA) and Urving Kemp (Netherlands, Curaçao Neptunus).
(November 21)
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