(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Marco Stoovelaar)
 Dè Flanegin steps down as Head Coach of Hoofddorp Pioniers
Nederlands
 HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
Dè Flanegin has stepped down as Head Coach of Hoofddorp Pioniers after having led the team for two seasons, the now former coach confirmed himself.
In September 2015, Flanegin was named the successor of Robert Klaver for the 2016 season.
...Dè Flanegin...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
It is not known yet who will succeed Flanegin as new Head Coach for the 2018 season.
In both last year and this year, Flanegin guided the team to the postseason.
Last year, Pioniers closed the regular season with a 27-15 record and finished in third place in the overall standings.
The team was then eliminated in the following Play-Offs with a 6-3 record.
This season, the Hoofddorp-squad was 20-14 with two ties, finishing in fourth place.
In the following Championship Pool, the team was 6-12, ended in third place and again was eliminated for the Holland Series.
In his two-year career as Head Coach, Flanegin was successful in leading his team to two postseasons, but also became known for regularly arguing with umpires (and sometimes even with official scorers).
In both last season and this season, he was ejected twice.
The four ejections resulted in a suspension of seven games combined.
3B Coach Theo Geerman was the Acting Head Coach in those games and was 6-1.
Aruba-born Flanegin first played for Pioniers in 1992, when the team played in the First Division.
In that year, Pioniers promoted to the Dutch big league.
Flanegin then played for the main squad of the Hoofddorp-club in the highest division since 1993, but returned to Aruba after completion of the 2008 season.
He returned in 2010 to the Netherlands and played in five more seasons for Pioniers.
In total, he played in 22 seasons for the club, 21 of them at the highest level.
...Dè Flanegin argues with Umpire Henny Jansen...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
As an outfielder and later first baseman and designated hitter, the righthanded hitter was a core player of Pioniers, with whom he won the Dutch championship-title in 1997.
This was the lone championship-title the club has won.
On May 12, 2013, Flanegin became the recordholder for most games played in the Dutch big league for a single club, breaking the record of 691 games played, set by Jurjan Koenen (HCAW).
Flanegin retired after the 2014 season, having participated in 750 regular season-games.
On August 31 of that year, he played his last game for Pioniers.
In that game, which was a Play-Off match-up against Kinheim, Flanegin played in all nine positions, closing as a pitcher.
On July 5, 2015, his uniform number 30 was officially retired by Pioniers.
In 2008 and 2010, while still playing himself, Flanegin also was the Hitting Coach of Pioniers.
In June 2010, Pioniers and then-Head Coach Bernie Beckman separated.
Beckman's three Assistant Coaches Peter Barentsen, Theo Geerman and Dè Flanegin then formed a trio that jointly led the team, but Geerman was the Head Coach.
Robert Klaver then took over in 2011.
(October 1)
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