(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Crocetta Parma)
 HCAW adds Aruban pitcher Nigel Calmes to roster
Nederlands
 BUSSUM (Neth.) -
HCAW has added a new pitcher to its pitching-staff.
On Saturday (May 4), righthander Nigel Calmes started for the Bussum-based team in third and final game of its series against Curaçao Neptunus.
On Sunday-evening (May 5), HCAW issued a press release in which it officially announced the addition of the Aruban pitcher.
...Nigel Calmes in 2023...
...with Crocetta in Italy...
(© Photo: Crocetta Parma) |
In Saturday's home-game, Calmes threw the first two innings for HCAW in which he struckout one batter and walked two.
He also gave up four basehits and four runs (three earned) and was the losing pitcher.
Neptunus won with a 7-1 score to complete a 3-game sweep.
HCAW has no games scheduled in the upcoming series in the Dutch big league.
In the press release, HCAW mentions that the 24-year old Nigel Calmes arrived earlier in the week on Tuesday.
It is also noted that Calmes played professionally for five seasons in the organization of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018-2022.
Last year, he played in both Canada and Italy.
In 2022, Calmes was a member of the Netherlands Under-23 Team during the World Cup Under-23 in Taiwan.
Amongst his teammates then and now with HCAW were Jair van Borkulo and Jeandro Tromp.
Also playing for the Under-23 Team back then was Delano Selassa.
He also plays for HCAW, but he left over a week ago for Canada, where he will play professionally in an Independent League, beginning this week.
On April 1, 2018, Nigel Calmes was signed as a catcher by Tampa Bay Rays at age 18.
Later that year, he made his professional debut, playing in Tampa Bay's Rookie League-team in the Dominican Republic.
He then played in 33 games and batted .248 with 16 runs batted in.
In the 2019 season, Calmes again played in the Rookie League.
This time, he played for both of Tampa Bay's teams based in the Dominican Republic.
In 43 games, Calmes batted .230 with eight RBI's.
After the cancellation of the Minor League-season in 2020 due to the coronavirus-pandemic, Calmes returned in 2021.
This time as pitcher.
In 2021, again in the Rookie League-team in the Dominican Republic, Calmes pitched in 15 games as reliever.
He was 2-2 with one save and a 1.00 ERA, striking out 31 batters in 27 innings, while walking only seven.
During the 2022 season, Calmes appeared in only three games as reliever in Tampa Bay's Rookie League-team in Florida.
He was 0-0 and threw only 2 2/3 inning.
Last year, Nigel Calmes pitched in four games for Ottawa Titans in the Frontier League, which is an Independent League.
He pitched in 5 1/3 inning for the Canadian team, where he was a teammate of Sicnarf Loopstok, who played in the Dutch big league for Amsterdam Pirates.
Calmes also played for Farma Crocetta last year in the Italian Serie A.
He pitched in nine games (five starts) for the Parma-based team and was 1-3 with one save and a 3.86 ERA.
In 39 2/3 inning, Calmes struckout 51 batters and walked 19.
Offensively, Calmes batted .234 with three doubles and one homerun.
Calmes closed the 2023 season on Curaçao, where he pitched in two games (1 1/3 inning) and was 0-1, playing for Wild Cats.
During the 2022 World Championship Under-23 in Taipei (Taiwan), Nigel Calmes pitched in two games for the Netherlands, both in relief.
Calmes threw 4 1/3 inning and was the winning pitcher against Puerto Rico.
(May 5)
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