(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 Ademar Rifaela and Kirvin Moesquit added to Baltimore Orioles in Spring Training
Nederlands
 DUNEDIN, Florida (USA) -
Outfielder Ademar Rifaela and infielder Kirvin Moesquit were added as additional players to the team of Baltimore Orioles for its game on Friday (March 22) against Toronto Blue Jays.
Rifaela got into action, Moesquit didn't play.
With the addition of Rifaela and Moesquit, there now have been 17 players from the Netherlands or with a Dutch background in Major League Spring Training this year.
They are Ozzie Albies, Ray-Patrick Didder, Shean Michel, Izzy Wilson (all Atlanta Braves), Xander Bogaerts (Boston Red Sox), Hendrik Clementina (Cincinnati Reds), Didi Gregorius (New York Yankees), Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles Dodgers), Carter Kieboom, Spencer Kieboom (both Washington Nationals), Kirvin Moesquit, Ademar Rifaela (both Baltimore Orioles), Juremi Profar (Texas Rangers), Jurickson Profar (Oakland Athletics), Jonathan Schoop, Zander Wiel (both Minnesota Twins) and Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles Angels).
Of this group, ten were born on Curaçao (Albies, Clementina, Jansen, Michel, Moesquit, Rifaela, Profar-brothers, Schoop, Simmons), two were born on Aruba (Bogaerts, Didder) and one was born on Saint Martin (Wilson).
Three players were born in the USA (Kieboom-brothers, Wiel) and one was born in the Netherlands (Gregorius).
So far, fourteen players have come into action.
Michel and Moesquit, who were added for one game, didn't play.
Gregorius will not play, as he is recovering from Tommy John-surgery.
Last year, a record of 25 Dutch players participated in Spring Training.
At Dunedin Stadium in Dunedin (Florida), Toronto Blue Jays played at home against Baltimore Orioles and recorded a 4-0 shutout-win.
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...Ademar Rifaela hitting for the...
...Netherlands Team in 2018...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the eighth inning, with Toronto leading 4-0, Drew Jackson led off for Baltimore with a single and was then replaced by Ademar Rifaela, who entered as pinch-runner.
Rifaela advanced to second base when next batter Hanser Alberto also singled.
After a strikeout and a line out, the bases got loaded when Renato Nuñez walked, but the three runners were left behind when a flyout ended the at bat.
Rifaela stayed in the game as leftfielder and got an at bat in the top of the ninth.
Carlos Perez then led off with a single.
With two outs, Rifaela hit a line drive, but that was caught by second baseman Andrew Guillotte to end the game.
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...Kirvin Moesquit playing for...
...the Netherlands Team in 2018...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In September last year, both Ademar Rifaela and Kirvin Moesquit made their debut in the Netherlands National Team.
After having made their debut in an exhibition game against the Czech Republic in Bussum, the two participated with the Orange squad in the inaugural edition of the Super 6 Baseball Softball, which was held in Hoofddorp (Netherlands).
Rifaela led the Netherlands Team with a .556 batting average (5-for-9), including a double, playing in three games.
Rifaela, who had no RBI's, also led with four walks and he shared the lead with five runs.
Moesquit also played in three games, batted .500 (3-for-6) and hit a homerun.
He scored four runs and batted in two.
In November, Rifaela won the Guus van der Heijden Award, which is handed out annually to the Best National Team-player under 23.
Last year, Rifaela played in four games for Baltimore during Spring Training.
In the season, he played in Double-A and batted .265 (95-for-359) in 100 games with 22 doubles, two triples and seven homeruns.
He scored 36 runs and batted in 41.
Moesquit played in one Spring Training-game last year.
The infielder then played in 112 games at the Single-A level, hitting .251 (103-for-411) with 18 doubles, two triples and four homeruns.
Moesquit scored 74 runs, batted in 31 and stole 49 bases.
(March 22)
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Spencer Kieboom contributes in win; Nigerian player in Spring Training. (March 18)
Seattle wins 2nd exhibition game in Tokyo; Oakland plays tie. (March 18)
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Carter Kieboom hits 2 HRs off Verlander; Clementina debuts. (March 12)
Curaçao OF Shean Michel in Spring Training; 3 Dutch doubles. (March 10)
Carter Kieboom hits first Spring Training-homerun. (March 9)
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Basehits for Ozzie Albies and Ray-Patrick Didder. (March 6)
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Czech Martin Červenka homers in Spring Training. (March 4)
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Carter Kieboom hits another Spring Training-basehit. (February 27)
Didder & Profar lone two Dutch players to play on Tuesday. (February 26)
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Basehits for Albies, Profar & Kieboom. (February 24)
Two more Dutch players in Spring Training; Kieboom HRs. (February 23)
Jurickson Profar first Dutch MLB-player to get into action. (February 21)
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