(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Marco Stoovelaar & The Orioles)
 Orlando Stewart new Head Coach of UVV; Marlon Fluonia, Harold Wout Assistant Coaches
Nederlands
 VLEUTEN (Neth.) -
Former big league and National Team-pitcher Orlando Stewart is the new Head Coach of UVV, the club announced on Saturday (October 27).
Stewart will be assisted by Marlon Fluonia and Harold Wout, who both are former players of UVV.
...Orlando Stewart...
...new Head Coach of UVV...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Last year, UVV relegated from the highest division and so, the team played in the 'Overgangsklasse' (second highest league) this season.
In October 2016, American Ty Eriksen succeeded then-Head Coach Ferenc Jongejan, who had led the team for four years.
But early June 2017, UVV and Eriksen separated after 19 games.
Ritchie Daal, who was the team's Hitting Coach, took over from Eriksen and led UVV in the remainder of the season.
The team finished in last place in the regular season with a 7-26 record, then finished in fifth place of the following 6-team Relegation Pool, resulting in relegation.
After completion of the season, Daal stepped down as Head Coach and most players left the team to play elsewhere.
In January of this year, Folkwin Lautenslager was named as the new Head Coach of the team, which was compiled of young players.
However, three months later, after the opening weekend in the 'Overgangsklasse', UVV and Lautenslager split.
In its first two games, UVV suffered two big losses against Euro Stars, 25-5 and 13-4.
In a press release back then, it was stated that ''the chemistry was insufficient and both Lautenslager and UVV realized that continuing would not be fruitful. It was then decided that both parties would end their cooperation effective immediately''.
In the following weeks, the players initially handled the coaching themselves, but later Harold Wout also became involved.
UVV was 6-24 and finished in a tie for 14th place in the regular season of the 'Overgangsklasse' this year, then finished in sixth place (6-8) in the following Relegation Pool to secure its spot in the second highest league for 2019.
Orlando 'Papito' Stewart pitched 16 seasons (1986-1992; 1996-2004) in the Dutch big league after having played for Santa Rosa Indians on Curaçao in 1981-1985.
He made his debut in the Dutch big league in 1986 playing for Giants Diemen, with whom he then moved to Almere, where it continued under the name of Almere Giants '24.
After the 1990 season, Stewart transfered to Sparta, whose name was later changed to Sparta-Feyenoord after a merger with Feyenoord.
Stewart pitched for the Rotterdam-based club for eleven seasons, including three in the second hightest league after the team had relegated.
From 2001, Stewart played for ADO, which was the third team he played for that changed its name.
ADO changed its name to Tornado's for commercial reasons, but later returned to ADO.
Stewart retired after the 2004 season.
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...Left: Marlon Fluonia in 2007 at RCH...
...Right: Orlando Stewart in 2016 at The Orioles...
(© Photo Fluonia: Marco Stoovelaar)
(© Photo Stewart: The Orioles) |
In his long career, Stewart became one of a few pitchers to strikeout 1,000 or more batters in the highest league.
The righthander struckout 1,238 in 257 games.
Stewart led the league in strikeouts in 1990 and 1997.
Rob Cordemans of L&D Amsterdam Pirates is the recordholder with 1,985.
Next season, Cordemans can become the first pitcher in history with 2,000 strikeouts.
Former catcher Marlon 'Chuba' Fluonia played in the big league for 21 seasons (1985-2005).
Like Stewart, Fluonia was born on Curaçao.
There, he played for Royal Scorpions for six seasons before coming to the Netherlands.
The righthanded hitter played in 755 regular season-games, making him one of only six players to have played in 700 or more games at the big league-level.
On the all-time list, Fluonia is in third place behind Marcel Joost.
Dirk van 't Klooster is the recordholder with 907 games played.
Fluonia made his big league-debut in 1985 playing for UVV for whom he played four seasons.
Thereafter, the catcher played for Neptunus, Quick Amersfoort, Sparta-Feyenoord, PSV and Almere '90.
Fluonia retired after the 2005 season.
Like Fluonia, Harold Wout also played for UVV in the highest division.
Being a pitcher, Wout played for the team in the seventies and early eighties, including several seasons in the highest league.
After their playing careers had ended, Stewart, Fluonia and Wout all continued in coaching.
Orlando Stewart was the Pitching Coach of the big league-team of Sparta-Feyenoord in 2007.
He then shared the duties with former pitcher Jim Hovorka in the staff that was led by Head Coach Adonis Kemp.
In 2013, Stewart became the Head Coach of The Orioles, also based in Rotterdam.
He led the team in five seasons, then stepped down after the 2017 season.
In his first two seasons with Orioles, the team finished in third place.
In the next two, the team ended up in second place.
In 2017, Orioles had a troubled season, finishing in 16th and last place in the 'Overgangsklasse'.
The team then ended up in third place in the Relegation Pool to maintain its stay in the second highest league for this season.
In April 2007, Fluonia was named as the new Head Coach of RCH, which then played in the highest league.
He took over from Guus van Dee, who had stepped down during the preceeding exhibition season.
Due to working commitments, Van Dee's predecessor Ramses Meering served as interim-coach in the first eight games of the season,
Fluonia then took over the duties of Head Coach in May.
Another coaching-change followed in July of that year, as Fluonia also stepped down, stating a lack of motivation within the group of players.
Fluonia was succeeded by Meering.
...Marlon Fluonia scores a run for the Netherlands...
...during the 1989 European Championship...
...in Paris (France)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Stewart and Fluonia also played for the Netherlands National Team.
Orlando Stewart first made his international debut in 1984 when he pitched for the National Team of the Netherlands Antilles with whom he then participated in the World Championship in Cuba.
He also played for the Antillian squad in 1985, before moving to the Netherlands.
While he was one of the most successful and effective pitchers in the Dutch big league, it took until 1999 for Stewart to make his debut in the Netherlands Team.
With the Orange Team, Stewart participated in the Olympic Games of 2000 in Sydney (Australia).
He also participated in one Intercontinental Cup (1999), two European Championships (1999, 2001), one Wort Port Tournament (1999) and one Haarlem Baseball Week (2000).
In total, Stewart pitched in 14 official international games for the Netherlands.
Marlon Fluonia played for the Netherlands Team in 1989-1996.
With the National Team, the catcher participated in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta (USA).
He also participated in one World Championship (1990), three European Championships (1989, 1991, 1993), three Haarlem Baseball Weeks (1990, 1992, 1996) and three World Port Tournaments (1989, 1991, 1993).
Fluonia played in 52 official international games.
(October 28)
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