(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Marco Stoovelaar)
IN MEMORIAM
...Jacky Jakoba...
(1961 - 2022)
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
  Dutch baseball-legend, former international and homerun-leader Jacky Jakoba passed away
Nederlands
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Jacky Jakoba, who was a very productive player in the Dutch big league, passed away on Saturday (December 17) at age 61.
Jakoba, who primarily was a third baseman, played eleven seasons in the highest league between 1981 and 1994 for six different teams.
He became a legendary player and set a record in 1984 when he belted 24 homeruns.
The infielder also has been a valuable member of the Netherlands National Baseball Team for eight years.
With the passing of Jacky Jakoba, the Dutch baseball-family not only has to say goodbye to a star-player, but also has lost a colorful and much-loved personality.
A sober farewell ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 31 at 1:30-3:30 PM at Crematorium Rotterdam, located at the Maeterlinckweg 101 in Rotterdam.
Sedney (Jacky) Jakoba was born on September 25, 1961 in Willemstad (Curaçao).
Jacky grew up in a family with nine children and learned to play baseball in the street, but later, he played for baseball-teams on Curaçao, including Marlboro in the highest league.
With national youth-teams of Curaçao, Jakoba participated in several international tournaments in Central and Latin America.
In 1981, Amsterdam-based baseball-team De Spartaan added the talented Jakoba to its roster as one of its new Antillian players.
In the previous year, the team had won the title in the First Division to promote to the big league.
And so, at age 19, Jacky traveled to the Netherlands.
Not only to play baseball, but also to study.
In his early years in the Netherlands after his study, Jacky worked at Schiphol International Airport in chartering airplanes.
In later years, he also worked for the postal office.
Since coming to the Netherlands in 1981, Jacky Jakoba stayed there to live, work and play baseball.
As a baseball-player, he developed in a productive powerhitter, who got a legendary status and was much-loved around the Dutch big league.
Through the years, he played for six different teams and most of them he led in several offensive categories.
In 1981, Jacky Jakoba made his debut in the Dutch big league when he played for Amsterdam-based De Spartaan.
Of course, the team was led by its longtime Head Coach Gerard Stenzler, who also always took good care of his new players from abroad.
Right from the beginning, Jakoba made his presence known.
Although he came to Amsterdam as an outfielder, Jakoba quickly moved to third base, which became his prime position.
He was a fierce competitor and besides being a strong hitter, Jakoba also was a solid defensive player.
A few months before Jakoba was to make his debut in the Netherlands, a message came from the Baseball Federation of what then was the Netherlands Antilles.
Jakoba was suspended for one year as he should have pushed an umpire in a game some six months earlier.
When the suspension would be upheld, the Dutch Federation would take over this suspension, meaning Jakoba was unable to play.
However, a month before the start of the season, the punishment was reversed into a conditional suspension.
That cleared the way and so, Jakoba could also play in the Netherlands.
...Jacky as player of Quick Amersfoort in 1992...
...with David Martilia (left) and Serge Artsen...
(Team-photo Quick Amersfoort) |
Before the start of the season, De Spartaan traveled to Florida for a 2-week practice camp.
There, it was legendary Tom Lasorda, then the Manager of Los Angeles Dodgers, who saw Jakoba in action and showed interest.
However, Jakoba wanted to finish his education in the Netherlands.
1981 not only was Jakoba's debut in the big league, it also was the first season at the highest level for De Spartaan.
The club faced Neptunus in its Opening Weekend and started the season with a 10-1 loss at home.
The next day however, De Spartaan was a tough opponent, erased an 8-3 deficit and came alongside.
Neptunus then won 11-9 in ten innings, thanks to a walk-off, 2-run homerun by Gerard Blacquiere.
A week later, De Spartaan recorded its first victory with a 17-7 score at home against UVV.
De Spartaan belted seven homeruns in that game, led by Jack Zijlstra, who hit three.
Jacky Jakoba hit his first big league-homerun and was joined by Gershwin Leuteria, Ritchie Daal and American Jim Unmacht.
Later in the season, Jakoba homered twice in games against HCAW and Amstel Tijgers.
In his first season at the highest level, Jakoba was one of the three leading powerhitters in the team, with Ritchie Daal and Jack Zijlstra.
Jakoba was the second-best hitter of De Spartaan with a .362 batting average behind Daal, who batted .366.
Zijlstra was the third-best hitter with a .299 batting average.
Jakoba led the team in runs scored (34), runs batted in (34) and homeruns (13) and was second in basehits (46).
With his thirteen homeruns, Jakoba led the league, together with Jan Venema and Kevin McDonald, who both played for Neptunus.
With his 34 runs batted in, Jakoba finished in the top-5 of the highest league with Ed Tromp (Neptunus, 43), Joe Westmoreland (UVV, 38), Kevin McDonald (Neptunus, 37) and Harm Horeman (Amstel Tijgers, 32).
...Jacky hitting for the Netherlands Team during the...
...1990 World Championship in Edmonton (Canada)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Besides Daal and Zijlstra, other teammates at De Spartaan were Bob Frishette, Hennie Heijsteeg, Gershwin Leuteria, Totti Martina, Dick Moraal, Paul Mulder, Jan Prinsen, Erik Ronnenbergh, Anthony St. Aubyn and Hensley Sluis.
After the 1981 season, Jacky Jakoba transfered to Quick Amersfoort with whom he played in the second highest league (First Division) in 1982.
The team captured the championship-title and so, Jakoba returned to the big league in 1983 when the team was led by Head Coach Paul Berkel, who unfortunately unexpectedly passed away on August 25 of this year at age 77.
With Quick Amersfoort in 1983, Jakoba set a new single-season big league-season by hitting 18 homeruns.
That broke the record of 17, which was set in 1971 by Hudson John, who then played for Storks.
Jakoba also led the Quick-team in runs scored (36), basehits (42) and runs batted in (45).
With a .350 batting average, Jakoba was the second-best hitter of the team, behind Rocky Angela, who batted .371.
His 45 runs batted in were second-best in the league behind Marcel Joost (Haarlem Nicols), who had 53.
Amongst his teammates at Quick were Rocky Angela, Cesar Aquino, Rick Bannink, Jerrel Bernadus, Humphrey Bomba, Ricardo Bryson, Jules Elbers, David Martilia, Totti Martina, Juani Werleman and John van der Worm.
Another transfer followed after the 1983 season.
This time, Neptunus added Jakoba to its roster, together with his Quick-teammate and powerhitting pitcher Rocky Angela
Jakoba played four seasons (1984-1987) for the Rotterdam-team.
His first season with Neptunus (1984) became memorable, as Jakoba slugged 24 homeruns.
With that, he again set a new single-season record, breaking his own record of a year ago.
The record still stands and Jakoba became the first player in history with 20 or more homeruns.
...Jacky with Team Scorer Jan van der Sande...
...with the Netherlands Team during the 1990...
...World Championship in Edmonton (Canada)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Although the record was labeled as unbreakable, it came in jeopardy in 1998 when Elston Hansen hit 23 homeruns while playing for Amsterdam Pirates.
Between Jakoba's 24 homeruns in 1984 and Hansen's 23 homeruns in 1998, American Mike Carson (Sparta) hit 20 homeruns in the 1988 season.
Hansen still is the last player in the Dutch big league to hit 20 or more homeruns in one season.
In the 1984 season, Jakoba also led the Neptunus-team in runs scored (46) and runs batted in (46).
For the third time since 1981, he finished second with his batting average.
Jakoba batted .360, but Jan Venema led the team with a .401 average.
In those years, the home-field of Neptunus was one of the smallest in the league.
That was underscored on August 18, 1984 when Neptunus hit nine homeruns against Amstel Tijgers, which also hit four and won with a 17-12 score.
Before the game, Jakoba led the league with 18 homeruns, having tied his record of the previous season.
Jakoba hit three homeruns to become the first player in history with 20 homeruns and raise his total to 21.
In the follwing weeks, Jakoba added three more.
Despite the offensive productions by Jakoba, Venema and others, Neptunus relegated in 1984.
On September 1, the final weekend of the season, Neptunus played in Utrecht against UVV.
Two weeks earlier, the club's chairman Frans van Aalen had taken over the coaching himself from dismissed Head Coach Harry van der Berg.
Thanks to homeruns by Jakoba and Venema, Neptunus took a 4-0 lead, but the team led only 6-5 after six innings.
In the seventh inning, UVV turned the game around off of pitcher Venema when Carlos van Heijningen hit a 2-run homerun.
Wim Martinus then took over the pitching, but gave up a homerun to Louis Jacobs to make it an 8-6 score in favor of UVV.
That lead was enough for American pitcher Douglas Morton, who then shut the door for Neptunus.
Because of the loss, combined with wins by other contenders, Neptunus relegated.
Three years earlier, Neptunus had captured its first-even Dutch Championship-title.
Jakoba stayed with the team and played in the First Division in 1985 when Neptunus captured the title to return to the highest league, led by new Head Coach Hamilton Richardson.
Back in the big league, Jakoba led Neptunus in the 1986 season with 66 basehits.
In the 1987 season, the infielder had the most runs batted in of Neptunus with 37.
...Jacky Jakoba at the...
...1990 World Championship...
...in Edmonton (Canada)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In 1987, Neptunus qualified for the first Holland Series, which then was a best-of-three.
Neptunus faced Amsterdam Pirates in what was the first time that the Championship was to be decided with a best-of-series since 1973.
Pirates won the Series 2-1 to capture its first Dutch Championship-title.
For Jakoba, this was to be his lone Holland Series.
Amongst his teammates at Neptunus were Bob van Aalen, Rocky Angela, Judsel Baranco, Jan Collins, Robert Eenhoorn, Mike Gargiulo, Rob Groeneveldt, Henk van 't Klooster, Micha Klooswijk, Harry Koster, Wim Martinus, Hans van der Reep, Raymond Soerka, Jan Venema and Ron de Zwart.
In his final season with Neptunus in 1987, Jakoba also played with Gerard Blacquiere, Eric de Bruin, Marcel Kruyt and Haime Wiersma.
After having played four years for Neptunus, Jakoba changed clubs again after the 1987 season.
That was the first of several changes in following seasons.
This time, he transfered to Almere Giants, which had moved to a new location after having played many years in Diemen.
At Giants, Jakoba was one of the four leading hitters in the team of Head Coach Cees Herkemij.
The others were Judsel Baranco, who also was a legendary player in the Dutch baseball-history, Wismar Ansjeliena and Edsel Martis.
Unfortunately, Baranco passed away in 2006 at age 42.
Baranco led the Giants-team in batting average (.441), runs scored (59), runs batted in (53), basehits (78), homeruns (15) and stolen bases (13) and also was a pitching-ace.
Jakoba was the team's third-best hitter (.364) and also was third in runs (49) and runs batted in (43).
He was second with his 60 basehits.
Ansjeliena was the team's second-best hitter (.409), Martis was fourth best (.339).
Besides Baranco, Ansjeliena and Martis, other teammates at Giants were Mitchell Cobussen, Frank Koene, Steve Matthew, Franklin Richardson, Orlando Stewart, Tom Willerson and Ron van Zuilichem.
After having played one season in Almere, Jacky Jakoba initially transfered to Haarlem Nicols.
But he never played for the team, as he reversed his decision and wanted to return to Giants some two months before the start of the season.
However, according to the rules back then, once a player had moved from one team to another it was not possible to return.
The Giants-board thought the transfer was possible, as Jakoba had moved to live in Almere.
But that rule was lifted a year earlier.
With that, Jakoba was not able to play for Giants and Nicols didn't wanted him back.
Instead, Jakoba played in the Belgian big league for Antwerp Eagles in 1989.
Halfway that season, somewhere in July, Jakoba got company from his former Giants-teammate Judsel Baranco.
During to ongoing problems at Giants, the team now had changed its name to New Giants to make a new start, Baranco had left the team.
...Jacky Jakoba with Major League-player...
...Curtis Granderson and former Dutch big...
...league-player King Zschuschen at a Major...
...League Clinic in Amsterdam (Neth.)...
...in November 2006...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Jakoba returned to the Dutch big league in 1990 when he played for Sparta.
There, for the first time, he played together with his brother Arnold Jakoba, who made his big league-debut.
Again, the infielder finished high in several offensive categories, as he led the Rotterdam-team in runs scored (38), runs batted in (37) and doubles (11).
Jakoba was the second-best hitter of Sparta with a .322 batting average, behind Maurice Verdaasdonk (.333).
Sparta reached the Play-Offs, but then lost the best-of-three against Neptunus, 2-1.
Other teammates at Sparta included Marcel Benningshof, Tony Benningshof, Erwin van der Berg, Marcel Buurman, Jim Hovorka, Adonis Kemp, John van der Mark, Ruud van Rooijen, Orlando Stewart and Haime Wiersma.
Both Jacky and Arnold Jakoba, as well as Adonis Kemp and Haime Wiersma, left Sparta after the 1990 season and went on to play for ADO.
Jacky Jakoba batted .320 to be the second-best hitter of the team from The Hague, behind the .386 batting average of Sherwin Cijntje, who is the current 1B Coach of Amsterdam Pirates.
Jakoba's 24 runs batted in were second-best behind Adonis Kemp, who this year (2022) was the Head Coach of Twins Oosterhout.
Other teammates at ADO were Ludwin Bernadina, Aldric Dunlop, Robert John, Patrick Klerx, Michael van der Lande, René Nieveld, Tony Rohan, Robert Schouten, Ron Steward, Bart Volkerijk, Erik Volkerijk and Perry van der Zalm.
Jakoba's sixth different team in six seasons came in 1992 when he returned to Quick Amersfoort
This time, he played for the team in three seasons, where former teammates Jerrel Bernardus and Ricardo Bryson now were Assistant Coaches.
In 1992, the team was led by Richard Simon, in the next two seasons by Bill Froberg, who passed away at age 63 in December 2020.
Unfortunately, his years in Amersfoort were some lesser seasons in Jakoba's impressive career, as respectively batted .222, .297 and .257, the only seasons when he hit below .300.
However, in the 1993 season, Jakoba was second-best of the team with 30 runs scored and 27 runs battted in and led with eight homeruns.
Quick qualified for the Play-Offs, which became a very exciting and suspenseful best-of-five, won by Neptunus, 3-2.
In 1994, Jakoba batted only .257, which was ninth-best of the team.
He was fourth-best with 25 runs scored, but after the season, the veteran infielder retired.
...Jacky working on the field of Amsterdam Pirates...
...in a rain-delay during the 2011 Holland Series...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
During his second stay at Quick Amersfoort, amongst his teammates were Serge Artsen, Early Belioso, Eduard van Bennekom, Marcel Benningshof, Tony Benningshof, Ricardo Bryson, Anthony Cannegieter, Eddie Dix, Marlon Fluonia, Orvin Gonzales, Patrick van Heijningen, Anthony Hosé, Sänder Messemaker, Nelson Orman, Pierre Richardson, Robert Rodriquez, Edward Spanner, René de Vries and Juani Werleman.
Teammates in his final season in Amersfoort also included Ron Agterberg, Peter Callenbach, Dave Dusseau and Clive Mendes.
After Jacky had left ADO after the 1991 season, his brother Arnold Jakoba stayed and also played for the team from The Hague in 1992.
Thereafter, he played for Sparta in the First Division in 1993, but then continued his career in the highest league with ADO (1994-1997) and Amsterdam Pirates (1998-1999).
In eight of his eleven big league-seasons, Jacky Jakoba batted .300 or higher.
In 414 games played, he hit 95 homeruns.
In all his seasons, Jakoba always had been a passionate player, could get into some tough arguments with umpires, but always had fun and was of great value for all teams he played for.
Together with Judsel Baranco, Jakoba was one of the best Dutch players in the eighties, which surely was their decade.
In the off-seasons, both Baranco and Jakoba regulary joined their former team Santa Maria Pirates to play in the Curaçao Play-Offs.
Besides being a productive player for every team he played for in almost all of his seasons, Jacky Jakoba also has been a core member of the Netherlands National Baseball Team between 1984 and 1993.
In July 1984, Jakoba made his debut in the Orange Team and then played in first international tournament, the Haarlem Baseball Week.
His teammates in his first tournament Judsel Baranco, Gerard Blacquiere, Frank Bos, Tonny Cohen, Ron Giroldi, Bill Groot, Gerlach Haldeman, Harm Horeman, Jan Hijzelendoorn, Marcel Joost, Roel Klaassen, Robert Knol, Marcel Kruyt, Paul Smit, Ronald Stoovelaar, Charles Urbanus, Thijs Vervaat, Bart Volkerijk, Eric de Vries and Haitze de Vries.
The team was led by Manager Harvey Shapiro.
The American was assisted by Henny Jenken and Don Wedman and Pitching Coach Jan Dick Leurs.
...Jakoba in 1991 with Marlon Fluonia...
...and Wim Martinus during the...
...1991 European Championship...
...in Nettuno (Italy)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Following this event, Jakoba participated in the World Championship in Cuba, which was preceeded by a tournament at Curaçao.
Later in the year, Jakoba also was a member of the team when it traveled to Taiwan to participate there for the first time in an annual international tournament, the Chung Hua Cup.
In following years, Jakoba participated in three more World Championships (Netherlands 1986, Italy 1988, Canada 1990) and two more tournaments in Taiwan (1985, 1986).
During his first World Championship in 1984 in Cuba, Jacky Jakoba was the best hitter of the Netherlands Team and made some fine contributions.
In the opening game against Chinese Taipei at Estadio Guillermo Moncada in Santiago de Cuba, the Netherlands surprised with a 3-2 victory.
Trailing 1-0, the Orange Team turned the game around via an RBI-double by Bill Groot and a runscoring single by Jakoba.
Later, a single by Charles Urbanus made it a 3-1 score.
At Estadio General Calixto García in Holguín, the Netherlands lost 4-2 to Italy.
Thanks to a 2-run homerun by Roberto Bianchi, Italy took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Netherlands came alongside when Jakoba also hit a 2-run homerun in the third at bat.
However, Italy then scored again in the third and eighth inning.
In the game against Venezuela, also in Holguín, the Netherlands played another close game.
The Orange Team took an 1-0 lead in the third inning when Ronald Stoovelaar hit the first of his two doubles, then scored on hits by Thijs Vervaat and Charles Urbanus.
This was to be the lone Orange-run.
Trailing 3-1, the Netherlands got one final scoring opportunity in the ninth inning.
Jakoba was on base and showed his competiveness, trying to score, but he was eliminated at the plate.
In the final game of the tournament against the Dominican Republic, Jakoba recorded three basehits in a 5-4 loss.
Jakoba also participated in three European Championships (1985, 1987, 1991), winning the title twice (1985, 1987).
Although Jakoba's hitting was below average during the 1985 Championship, his defense was outstanding.
That was highlighted by a great diving catch of a line drive as third baseman in a game against Italy.
Afterwards, Jakoba won the award for Most Spectacular Player.
...Jacky and former Netherlands Team-player...
...(and former teammate) Adonis Kemp await the...
...arrival of the Orange Team at Schiphol Airport...
...after the team has captured the...
...World Championship-title in 2011...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
It was also during the 1985 European Championship that it became clear that Jacky Jakoba also wanted to have fun on the field and in the dug-out, besides giving it all during the game.
In a newspaper report back then, he criticized American Harvery Shapiro, who then was the Manager of the Netherlands Team.
Jakoba said: ,,He is so serious, he never even jokes''.
Shapiro would stay on as Manager through 1986.
The 1987 Championship was an important one.
That year, the Orange Team was led by American Manager Pat Murphy, who is the current Bench Coach of the Major League-team of Milwaukee Brewers.
By capturing the European title in 1987 (in Spain), the Netherlands Team qualified for participation in the 1988 Olympic Games in South Korean capital Seoul.
Back then, the two best teams played a best-of-five Final and all five games were played, even when the Championship was decided.
Italy appeared to be the favorite, but the team was empty-handed in all five games.
In the first game, Italy led 3-1 in the sixth inning, with two runs being scored on a first inning homerun by Roberto Bianchi.
The Netherlands had scored in the first inning, also on a homerun, hit by Robert Knol.
After a second run was scored in the sixth inning, the Netherlands came alongside in the seventh when Jakoba homered.
However, Italy answered with three runs, including a solo-homerun by Giuseppe Carelli, in the eighth inning.
But the Netherlands came back again by scoring three runs in the ninth inning.
In the tenth, the Netherlands won 7-6 when pinch-runner Judsel Baranco scored on a walk-off single by Rikkert Faneyte.
Jacky Jakoba also was a member of the Netherlands Team that participated in the 1988 Olympics.
At that moment, Jakoba worked for the Postal Office.
When he got no days off to participate in the Olympics, Jakoba resigned from his job to be with the Orange Team and realize a dream.
That marked the first time that the Orange Team participated in the Olympics.
Jakoba's teammates in this memorable moment in Dutch baseball-history were Frank Bos, Eric de Bruin, Peter Callenbach, Robert Eenhoorn, Rikkert Faneyte, Ron Giroldi, Bill Groot, Gerlach Halderman, Marcel Joost, Robert Knol, Frank Koot, Harry Koster. Marcel Kruyt, Alfred de Leeuw, Hans van Renselaar, Ronald Stoovelaar, Bart Volkerijk, Eric de Vries and Haitze de Vries.
The Olympic Team was led by American Manager Tom Petroff, who passed away on August 22 of this year at age 95.
Petroff was assisted by Harry van der Vaart, Leen Volkerijk was the Pitching Coach and Maarten Koper the Physical Therapist.
...'We're number one'...
...Jacky during the festivities in...
...Haarlem in 2011 to honor...
...the Netherlands Team after it...
...had won the World-title...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In his eight years in the Netherlands Team, Jacky Jakoba also participated annually in the international tournaments that are organized on home soil.
After making his tournament-debut during the 1984 Haarlem Baseball Week, Jakoba also participated in this event in 1988 and 1990.
There was no 'Week' in 1986, as the Netherlands then hosted the World Championship.
Instead, the Netherlands Team prepared during the Amsterdam Baseball Series at the site of Amsterdam Pirates.
Jakoba also participated in that event.
In 1985, at the site of Neptunus in Rotterdam, the first World Port Tournament was organized.
Jakoba was one of the Orange-players who played in this first edition and he was the best hitter of the Netherlands Team.
He then also participated in the event in 1987, 1991 and 1993.
After not having played in the Netherlands Team in 1989 when he played in Belgium, Jakoba made his comeback in 1990.
In that year, Jakoba participated with the Orange Team in both the Haarlem Baseball Week and the World Championship in Edmonton (Canada).
During the event in Canada, the Netherlands (and Jakoba) got a revenge against Venezuela.
Six years earlier, in Cuba, the Netherlands had lost 3-1.
In Canada, the Netherlands trailed 8-4.
Michael Crouwel then homered in the sixth inning and the Netherlands came alongside by scoring three runs in the ninth on basehits by Jakoba, Bob van Aalen and Robert Niggebrugge.
The Netherlands then recorded its first-ever win against Venezuela in the tenth inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly by Marcel Kruyt.
Overall, Jacky Jakoba played in 85 official international games for the Netherlands National Team.
Other players with whom Jakoba played together in the Netherlands Team in two or more years are Bob van Aalen, Peter Boon, Michael Crouwel, Marlon Fluonia, Jan van Gorkum, Frans Groot, Geoffrey Kohl, Hans Lemmink, Erik Lommerde, Robert Niggebrugge, René Rijst, Thijs-Jan Smidt and Patrick Vielvoye.
After he had retired as an active player, Jacky Jakoba remained a regular visitor of baseball-games.
He frequently attended games of Neptunus, Sparta and Amsterdam Pirates.
At the site of Pirates, he often helped the groundcrew to prepare the playing field.
Unfortunately, in the last years, Jacky was plagued by some health problems for which he underwent several treatments.
...Jacky as a spectator during...
...the 2014 Holland Series...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Throughout his playing career, Jakoba always had a great eye for the ball when he stepped into the batter's box.
That was proven by his offensive accomplishments, but also by the fact that he didn't struckout that much in a season.
Jacky has kept that keen eye until the end, which he underscored earlier this year.
While being attended at a care facility in Rotterdam, he participated in some movement exercises and still showed he was able to hit balls, which were much smaller than a regular baseball.
Despite the ups-and-downs of his health problems, Jacky kept on visiting games.
He remained a fan-favorite during the two international tournaments that are organized annually in the Netherlands, the Haarlem Baseball Week in Haarlem (even years) and World Port Tournament in Rotterdam (odd years).
When attending games during these events, Jacky often donned colorful clothes (which always included the color orange) and hats (with a Dutch flag) and entertained the spectators.
He frequently took a position in the stands behind home plate, closely watching the pitcher, sometimes trying to get him out of his concentration by making arm-gestures.
Other moments, Jakoba was standing on a dug-out as a cheerleader.
Above all, he always cheered the players of the Netherlands Team when they stepped up to the plate.
And he cheered up the spectators to do the same, while running from the third base-side of the stadium to the first base-side (and back) with the flag of the Netherlands above his head.
When the Netherlands Baseball Team captured the title at the World Championship in Panama in 2011, the team was honored in Haarlem after it had returned.
During a boat-ride though the city, Jacky Jakoba cheered loudly from the quay, donned with a big hat, later a crown and the red-white-blue colors of the Dutch flag.
Moments later, he joined the team when it was honored inside the Teylers Museum.
A few weeks later, in November 2011, the cheering turned into tears when the very talented Gregory Halman passed away, being only 24 years old.
At that moment, Halman played in the Major League for Seattle Mariners.
During the crowded funeral ceremony in Haarlem, it was Jacky Jakoba who gave a touching and emotional speech at Gregory's grave.
Jacky always played with passion and always had fun.
He loved to be on the field.
He loved to be around people.
And he loved to be in the center of attention.
When you met and talked to Jacky, the conversation regularly went back to 1984 when he set the record with his 24 homeruns.
A record of which he was very proud.
Jacky Jakoba was a colorful personality on and off the field.
A player with a legendary career.
A much-loved person, who was able to put a smile on everyone's face.
And he always had a big smile on his own face.
Jacky will surely be missed by many of us.
The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News offers his condolences to Jacky's family and friends and wishes them a lot of strength with this big loss.
(December 18)
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...Left: Jacky enjoys himself during the 2011 World Port Tournament...
...Right: Jacky with Neptunus-icon Frans van Aalen during the 2012 Haarlem Baseball Week...
(© Both Photos: Marco Stoovelaar) |
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