(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
    Orange roster announced for World Baseball Classic
Nederlands
  NEW YORK, New York (USA) / NIEUWEGEIN (Neth.) -
The 28-man roster of the Netherlands Kingdom Team for the upcoming fourth edition of the World Baseball Classic has officially been released on Wednesday-evening (October 8) (Thursday-morning, October 9, Dutch time) by the organization of the World Baseball Classic and confirmed by the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB).
The World Baseball Classic also has the status of World Championship.
Four years ago, the event was won by the Dominican Republic.
The Netherlands then reached the Semi-Final, its best result so far in the World Baseball Classic.
The Netherlands captured the World Championship-title in 2011 when that event was held for the last time in that set-up in Panamá.
The fourth World Baseball Classic opens on March 6 in South Korean capital Seoul, where the games in Pool A will be played.
The Netherlands is one of the four teams in this pool and will play its first game on March 7 against the host country.
In the following days, the Orange squad meets Chinese Taipei and Israel, which participated for the first time in the global event.
Israel will play the opening game on March 6 against South Korea.
The Netherlands will be led again by Hensley Meulens as Manager.
In 1989, Meulens became the first player from Curaçao and from the Netherlands Antilles to reach the Major League.
In that year, he made his big league-debut playing for the New York Yankees.
Later, Meulens also played in the Japanese big league.
In 2000, Meulens participated with the Netherlands Team in the Olympic Games in Sydney (Australia).
He also played with the Orange squad in the 2001 World Championship in Taiwan.
Since 2010, Meulens is the Hitting Coach of the San Francisco Giants, with whom he won the World Series three times.
Meulens also was the Manager of the Netherlands Kingdom Team during the 2013 World Baseball Classic and during the 2015 Premier12.
18 players on the 28-man roster are active professional players.
Five of them play in the Major League: Xander Bogaerts (Boston Red Sox), Didi Gregorius (New York Yankees), Jonathan Schoop (Baltimore Orioles), Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) and Jurickson Profar (Texas Rangers).
Four other players have played several seasons in the Majors: Wladimir Balentien, Rick van den Hurk, Jair Jurrjens and Shairon Martis.
Yurendell de Caster played three Major League-games for the Cincinnati Reds in 2006.
Balentien is a 6-year veteran in the Japanese big league, playing for Yakult Swallows.
Last year, Van den Hurk completed his second season in Japan.
...Hensley Meulens & Bert Blyleven also were with the...
...Netherlands Kingdom Team during the...
...2013 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Nine of the selected players play in the Dutch big league, eight of them being a pitcher.
One player, also a pitcher, plays in the highest German league, being Mike Bolsenbroek.
Four selected players also participated in the previous three World Baseball Classics in 2006, 2009 and 2013, being Rob Cordemans, Yurendell de Caster, Diegomar Markwell and Tom Stuifbergen.
New in this tournament is the Designated Pitcher Pool (DPP).
A team can use up to 10 designated pitchers, but can't have more than two on its active roster at a time.
The 'active' Designated Pitchers can be replaced at the beginning of each of the next two rounds, but only by another DP.
Once a DP has been replaced, he cannot return to the active roster for a subsequent round.
On the active Orange-roster named for the First Round, Mike Bolsenbroek and Orlando Yntema are part of the Designated Pitcher Pool.
When the Netherlands advance to the Second Round, they can be replaced by another pitcher from this Pool.
The other pitchers in the DPP are Nelmerson Angela (New York Mets-organisation, USA), Berry van Driel, Kevin Kelly (both Curaçao Neptunus), Kevin Heijstek (L&D Amsterdam Pirates), Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles Dodgers, USA), Ruderly Manuel (Wildcats, Curaçao), Ryan Oduber (Boston Red Sox-organisation, USA) and Mark Pawelek (no club).
When a pitcher is affiliated with a Major League-organisation and is not on an active roster, he shall be in camp with this club up to the moment that he eventually is added to the roster.
When an affiliated pitcher is replaced, he shall report back to his MLB-club.
Former Major League-pitcher Bert Blyleven returns as Pitching Coach.
He also was the Pitching Coach of the Orange squad four years ago.
Blyleven, who was born in the Netherlands, pitched 22 seasons in the Major League.
In 2011, he became the first Dutch player to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Coming Saturday, the team travels to Arizona in the USA for a training-camp at the Spring Training-site of the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale.
That will be concluded on February 26 and the team then will travel to Seoul for its final preparations for the Classic.
The WBC-roster looks as follows:
Pitchers (13):
Tom de Blok, Rob Cordemans (both L&D Amsterdam Pirates), Mike Bolsenbroek (Buchbinder Regensburg Legionäre, Germany), Rick van den Hurk (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Japan), Lars Huijer (Hoofddorp Pioniers), Jair Jurrjens (no club), Diegomar Markwell, Loek van Mil, Orlando Yntema (all Curaçao Neptunus), Shairon Martis (Lincoln Saltdogs, USA), Jim Ploeger (HCAW), Tom Stuifbergen (DSS) and Juan Carlos Sulbaran (St. Louis Cardinals-organisation, USA).
Catchers (2):
Dashenko Ricardo (Lincoln Saltdogs, USA) and Shawn Zarraga (Cincinnati Reds-organisation, USA).
Infielders (8):
Xander Bogaerts (Boston Red Sox, USA), Yurendell de Caster (no club), Didi Gregorius (New York Yankees, USA), Jurickson Profar (Texas Rangers, USA), Jonathan Schoop (Baltimore Orioles, USA), Sharlon Schoop (Baltimore Orioles-organisation, USA), Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, USA) and Curt Smith (Lincoln Saltdogs, USA).
Outfielders (5):
Wladimir Balentien (Yakult Swallows, Japan), Chris Garia, Randolph Oduber (both Lincoln Saltdogs, USA), Dwayne Kemp (Curaçao Neptunus) and Kalian Sams (no club).
Coaching Staff:
Hensley Meulens (Manager), Andruw Jones (Bench Coach), Wim Martinus (1B Coach), Ben Thijssen (3B Coach), Bert Blyleven (Pitching Coach), Steve Janssen (Pitching Coach), Sidney de Jong (Hitting Coach).
Supporting Staff:
Paul Venner (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Pepijn van Ingen (Physical Therapist), Kevin Sprengers (Physical Therapist), Jaap Visser (Equipment Manager), Greta Schouten (Team Manager), Seb Visser (Media Officer), Bernie Beckman (Scout), Calvin Maduro (Scout), Lester Victoria (Scout), Gijs Selderijk (Head of Delegation).
(February 8)
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