(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
IN MEMORIAM
...Dick Mos...
(1946 - 2018) |
 Former umpire and administrator Dick Mos passed away
Nederlands
 REEUWIJK (Neth.) -
Former baseball-umpire Dick Mos passed away on Wednesday, August 22 at the age of 71 after an illness of some years.
Dick Mos also served the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) as an administrator, including a brief period as chairman.
The memorial service took place on Monday, August 27 in Gouda.
Dick Mos was born on November 20, 1946 in Haarlem, but he moved to the city of Goes in the province of Zeeland for this work.
In the seventies, he became an active member of baseball- and softball-club The Red Geese, which was one of only four clubs in this province.
In those years, Mos also began umpiring baseball-games.
On June 8, 1980, Mos made his debut as an umpire in the Dutch big league.
On that day, he was assigned as 3B umpire for the game between Feyenoord and Amstel Tijgers.
Mos was an umpire in the highest division through 1988 and officiated in 200 games.
Thereafter, he suddenly dissappeared.
In an interview with Grand Slam * Stats & News webmaster Marco Stoovelaar in 1995, Dick Mos explained why he left as an umpire.
,,I was suffering from rheumatism'', Mos said.
,,When I was behind the plate, kneeling many times, I needed a half hour the next morning to just put on my socks.''
The health problems ended the sportive career of Mos at age 41.
He also was active in running and tennis, but was advised to also discontinue that.
Hereafter, Mos returned to administrative roles.
He already had been very active for The Red Geese, where he was the club's treasurer, but also served as its chairman for 14 years.
In later years, Mos also became an administrator of an athletics, soccer and swimclub.
After his umpiring career ended, Mos, who then lived in Goes, did not visit many baseball-games.
,,I didn't miss umpiring'', Mos said in the 1995 interview.
,,When I visited a game, of course, I observed the umpires''.
Looking back to his umpiring career, Mos said ''there were many renowned umpires, it was difficult to get between them, it was a firm group''.
During his umpiring career, Dick Mos was always available for assignment to games.
Mos: ,,We went on holiday when there was time to do so.
We left on Monday, but returned on Friday, so that I was available for games on Saturday and Sunday.
That was my attitiude.
It cost me a lot of time and I traveled a lot, living in Goes, but I did it with a lot of pleasure.
I really enjoyed it''.
Besides being a well-respected and solid umpire, Dick Mos also became known for something else.
He was the lone umpire who visibly prepared before the game, doing a warming-up, jogging down the warning track an hour before the game started.
In this umpiring career, Dick Mos officiated at the Haarlem Baseball Week in 1984 and the World Port Tournament in 1985.
He then was one of the umpires during the World Championship Baseball in 1986, the first time the global event was held in the Netherlands.
Mos: ,,The World Championship of course was a highlight.
That was something special.''
In the 1995 interview, Dick Mos told his approach towards the games when he was an umpire.
,,Remain yourself and do your best.
Sometimes, I was thinking that the rules were the overtone, meaning, the game lost some humaneness.
When I went to a game, I was did that to have some fun.
I always took some distance from the players.
Afterwards, a drink and then back home.
I was more important to have a good game with your colleagues''.
In 1994, Mos moved to the city of Gouda.
He then also returned to baseball and softball.
Mos was contacted by local baseball- and softball-club Braves and was asked whether he was available to do something.
Shortly thereafter, Mos became the chairman of Braves.
After serving as the club's chairman through 1999, he became its treasurer thereafter.
In 1997, Mos joined the board of the KNBSB, becoming the chairman of the recreational section, which also included overseeing the youth commission.
1999 ended with a crisis within the KNBSB-board.
In September of that year, Jos Gieskens, who was the chairman for softball affairs, stepped down and was succeeded by Marlies Struyvé.
In October, chairman Theo Reitsma, secretary Ruud van Zetten and treasurer Cees van Bemmel also stepped down.
With that, only Dick Mos, Peter van 't Klooster (chairman baseball affairs) and Marlies Struyvé were left over.
Mos became the acting chairman, as well as secretary, while Van 't Klooster became the acting treasurer.
New candidate-members of the board were presented in December.
However, the KNBSB-council concluded that it was better to name an advisory committee until the next council meeting in March 2000.
Until then, Dick Mos, Peter van 't Klooster and Marlies Struyvé would remain on a acting board-members.
Then days later, Van 't Klooster withdraw.
Mos and Struyvé went on to lead the KNBSB until April 18, 2000.
On that day, a new board was elected.
In the new board, Reitsma returned as chairman and Van Zetten as secretary (and also became treasurer).
Dick Mos and Marlies Struyvé both stepped down.
Mos returned to Braves, where he continued as the club's treasurer for some following years.
The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News offers his condolences to Dick's family and wishes them a lot of strength with this loss.
(August 28)
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