(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Marco Stoovelaar, Rob Brink, Robert Bos, Henk van der Linde & Private Archive)
IN MEMORIAM
...Coen Stoovelaar...
(1932 - 2024)
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
 Coen Stoovelaar, former coach, umpire, administrator, observer, team-manager, announcer and Pirates-icon, passed away
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
In recent years, I have written many In Memoriams on this website about persons who have been active in (international) baseball and/or softball.
All of them colorful persons who have done a lot for our sports and deserve a lookback to their (long) careers.
But compiling this In Memoriam is the most difficult and emotional one ever, as it concerns my own dear father.
Which of course makes this a very personal story.
Coen Stoovelaar, who was a much-liked and respected personality on the baseball- and softball-fields, has passed away after a brief and unexpected illness in the early hours of Wednesday, October 16, two months after having turned 92.
Coen Stoovelaar has been active in several positions since the late sixties, including being a (national) baseball-umpire and member of the board of what was then Rayon Amsterdam.
He also has been a longtime Team Manager of the baseball-team of Amsterdam Pirates, the club of which he had been a member for 55 years, became one of the club-icons and held several other positions.
Coen Stoovelaar also was a Public Address Announcer for many years and not only announced home-games of Pirates, as he also was one of the announcers during the 1986 World Championship Baseball in the Netherlands and during the first editions of the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam.
And he has been one of the contributors of the Haarlem Baseball Week for 25 years.
The memorial service for Coen Stoovelaar will be held on Thursday, October 24 at 1:30 PM in the Vondel Aula of Crematorium Westgaarde, located at the Ookmeerweg 275 in Amsterdam.
After the memorial service, it is possible to offer condolences to the family.
On Wednesday, October 23, there is also an opportunity to say goodbye from 7 to 8 PM at Crematorium Westgaarde in Amsterdam.
Coenraad Frederik (Coen) Stoovelaar was born on August 15, 1932 in Amsterdam, which was his beloved home-city.
In my father's life, there were two important days that influenced his further life.
Not only for himself, but ultimately also for my mother and therefore also for my brother and myself.
The first day is May 7, 1945.
As a 12-year-old boy, my father celebrates with many others on Dam Square in Amsterdam the liberation after the Second World War had ended, when suddenly shots are fired at those present on the crowded square.
This was a well-publicized happening following the surrendering of German forces two days earlier.
On May 7, there were thousands of people on Dam Square to celebrate and to welcome Allied troops from Canada.
However, German soldiers, who were inside the Groote Club (Grand Club), located at the corner of the Dam and the Kalverstraat, suddenly fired machine guns into the large crowd.
,,I have never run back home so fast'', my father sometimes said about that moment and the panic that followed.
An official list of casualties was never released, but more than 30 persons lost their life that day, including a next door neighbor-girl of my father.
More than 100 persons were wounded, including someone who was close to my father.
Later, the Stichting Memorial voor Damslachtoffers 7 mei 1945, an organisation founded to commemorate the event, identified a total of 32 people who died as a result of the event.
Twenty-six died immediately, while five more died later of gunshot wounds and another one a month later.
In early 1953, Coen was in military service when the province of Zeeland was struck by the devastating North Sea flood in the night of Saturday January 31 on Sunday, February 1.
Being at home for the weekend, Coen's furlough and that of his unit-buddies were withdrawn, as they had to report back at the barracks immediately to be on stand-by for rescue-assistance in Zeeland.
Coen had grown up near the wellknown Amsterdam-neighborhood Jordaan, where he befriended Wim Joost (who passed away in December last year also at age 92) and Herman Koot (who passed away in June 2021 at age 87), with whom he played soccer and baseball together at DWS.
The three played soccer together from the youth-teams through the main-squad of D.W.S., which was one of the major soccer-clubs back then in Amsterdam and also was successful at the national level.
In the meantime, in the fifties, Coen worked for what then was the wellknown and popular Sport en Sportwereld, the weekly sports-newspaper that was founded in 1945 (as Sport) by famous sports-journalist Kick Geudeker.
He would be the editor-in-chief of Sport en Sportwereld through 1970.
Other wellknown contributors were Ad van Emmenes and Martin Bremer.
Van Emmenes' daughter is wellknown television-presenter Viola Holt.
Bremer's son is television-director Bob Bremer, the husband of television-presenter Ria Bremer.
From 1961-1970, Martin Bremer would be the secretary of the board of the Royal Netherlands Baseball Federation (KNHB).
In May 1961, Coen Stoovelaar married with his big love Wil(ly), which of course was the other important day in his life.
They met during a performance of the Shell Male Choir of which Coen was a member.
At that time, he worked for the Shell-company, which had its Head Office across the IJ-river in Amsterdam-North.
By the way, Willy also had sung in a choir, which was the wellknown Henk van der Velde Children's Choir, with whom she performed in London (Royal Albert Hall and for BBC-radio), in Switzerland and in Denmark.
Also in these years, Coen played both baseball at S.H.E.L.L and soccer for Nautilus, which were both part of sports-department of Shell.
Coen and Willy were married for almost 63½ year.
...The soccer-team of Nautilus in 1964...
...Coen Stoovelaar sits second from left...
(© Private Photo) |
At Shell, Coen worked together with Leen Volkerijk and Jules de Pierre, who also were wellknown personalities in Dutch baseball for many years.
Volkerijk is the father of longtime big league- and National Team-pitcher Bart Volkerijk.
Leen Volkerijk himself was a longtime coach of ADO, then Pitching Coach of the Netherlands Team.
De Pierre played for HHC, EDO and Haarlem Nicols in the big league, was coach at Terrasvogels, was a member of the board of the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB) for 22 years (1974-1996) and also was a boardmember of both the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and the European Baseball Confederation (CEB).
He also was a longtime team leader (chef d'équipe) of the Netherlands Baseball Team.
De Pierre passed away in October last year at age 91, Volkerijk passed away in September 1993 at age 65.
S.H.E.L.L. was written as five individual capital letters, as it was an abbreviation, but it also was the name of the baseball/softball-section of Shell.
The abbreviation stands for Sport Keeps Every Body Flexible (Sport Houdt Elk Lichaam Lenig).
Initially, only employees of the company could play in one of its sports-sections.
In later years, persons from outside the company also could play for the club.
Towards the end of the sixties, Coen joined baseball/softball-club Rap, when youngest son Ronald began playing baseball there.
A year later, oldest son Marco also went on to play baseball for this club, which changed its name to Amsterdam Pirates in 1974.
At Rap, Coen Stoovelaar was re-united with his youth-friends and former soccer-teammates Wim Joost and Herman Koot, who had joined the club shortly before and were active as youth-coach.
Coen also went on to become a coach in both baseball and softball.
Wil Stoovelaar, Jopie Joost and Jannie Koot, the wives of the three youth-friends, also became very active for the club.
As a result, Marco and Ronald grew up together with Marcel and Monique Joost and with Frank and Petra Koot, the children of the three friends.
All went on to become active in baseball and softball, including the Dutch big league.
Ronald Stoovelaar played his entire 19-year (big league) career for Pirates, where he also coached in the highest league.
He also played nine years in the Netherlands Baseball Team.
Since 2018, Ronald is the Head Coach of the second team of Hoofddorp Pioniers in the First Division.
Marco Stoovelaar (the author of this In Memoriam and webmaster of this site) was the Team Scorer of the Pirates baseball-team for 17 seasons, as well as doing other (scoring-)activities for the club for whom he is still active.
Marco also was one of the editors of the weekly magazine of Pirates ('De Piraat') for 17 years with Kees van Vegten, who were joined after ten years by Ger Lange.
In 2024, he concluded his 48th big league-season as (international) Official Scorer, a record he shares with Ben Goorts and Feiko Drost.
By the way, Coen was very proud that his sons both participated in an Olympic Games.
Ronald participated with the Orange Team in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul (South Korea), Marco was a staff-member of the Netherlands Women's Softball Team in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing (China).
...A proud coach Coen Stoovelaar looks on when...
...Jeroen Kelders is presented the Trophy from KNBSB-chairman...
...Guus van der Heijden in 1978 when the Pirates Juniors Team...
...captures the Dutch Championship-title; Standing in the...
...background are Loek Loevendie, Jenny Sluijters, Alfred...
...Coppens, Pirates-chairman Henk van Ede and John Loogman...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
The Joost- and Koot-children also have long careers in baseball or softball.
Marcel Joost made his debut in the main-squad of Amsterdam Pirates in 1978, then played more than 20 seasons in the big league from 1979 on for Haarlem Nicols and Kinheim.
Marcel, who also coached for Kinheim, also played for many years in the Netherlands National Baseball Team and became the first player with 1,000 career basehits.
Monique Joost first played in youth-teams of Pirates, before making her big league-debut at S.H.E.L.L..
Thereafter, she concluded her career at Pirates.
Monique also played in the Netherlands Juniors Team.
After having played for Pirates, Frank Koot went on to play in the big league for De Spartaan, Giants Diemen, Amstel Tijgers and Haarlem Nicols, before returning to Pirates.
He also coached at the big league-level and is still active for Onze Gezellen.
Petra Koot also first played for Pirates, then played some seasons for De Meteoor.
Thereafter, she played in the big league for HCAW and Kinheim.
Currently, Petra is still very active for Kinheim.
In 1969, veteran baseball-coach Max Rietbergen became the new Head Coach of the baseball-team of Rap, which then played in the First Division.
Rietbergen is the grandfather of Martijn and Rikkert Faneyte, who both went on to play in the Dutch big league, the latter also played professionally in the American Major League (San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers) for a few seasons.
Rietbergen's daughter Annechien played and coached many years for Rap/Pirates and still is active for the club.
Her husband José Faneyte also played for Rap after having played in the big league for Sparta and OVVO.
A year later, in 1970, Rietbergen got two Assistant Coaches, Wim Joost and Herman Koot, while Wim Geestman, Sr. became the pitching-instructor.
The same year, Coen Stoovelaar became the Team Manager.
With that, Wim, Herman and Coen were re-united again in one team.
Ronald Stoovelaar, Marcel Joost and Frank Koot were teammates in youth-teams of Rap/Pirates.
Other teammates included Haitze de Vries, Peter van Erk, Bas Rodermans, Ton van Koeverden and Steven van der Poel.
They all also played together in the main-squad of Pirates in 1978 when the team played in the First Division.
Thereafter, Joost, Koot and De Vries went on to play elsewhere.
Stoovelaar, Joost, Koot and De Vries also were teammates in the Netherlands Baseball Team.
Max Rietbergen, Wim Joost and Herman Koot would form the coaching-staff of the Pirates-team through 1974 with Coen Stoovelaar as Team Manager.
In these years, but also thereafter, Stoovelaar, Joost and Koot coached several youth-teams as Rap and Pirates.
As youth-coaches, the they led several of their teams to local Championship-titles.
In 1978, Coen Stoovelaar was the coach of the Pirates-juniors that captured the Dutch Championship-title.
From halfway the seventies, he also is a coach of several women softball-teams at Pirates for several seasons.
...Coen with son Ronald and wife Wil during the...
...1989 European Championship in Paris (France)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Amongst the players of Rap in the 1970-1974 seasons were André van Beest, Chester Berkel, Mario Berkel, Maurice Cranston, Michael Davidson, Albert Driessen, José Faneyte, Tom Geestman, Wim Geestman jr., Tom Helmers, Hans Jansen de Vries, Harold Leslie, Kurt Lourens, Terry McIntosh, Louis van der Putten, Jan Visser, Marten Walsma and Herman Wijnands.
In several of those seasons, Ronald and Marco Stoovelaar and Marcel Joost were the bat-boys of the team, while Wim Kwekkeboom later joined as Team Scorer.
In these years, Rap played in the First Division and each season, the team was a contender for first place and thus promotion to the highest league.
Rap finished in second place twice.
Also in this period, Rap publishes a monthly magazine, called 'Run', with interviews, rules and tips, as well as club-news.
Coen is one of the compilers/editors of the magazine with Wim Joost, Max Rietbergen and Herman Spilker.
In these years, Coen already closely followed Major League Baseball in the USA via the International Herald Tribune newspaper.
In the seventies, Coen Stoovelaar also is a member of the youth-committee of Rap/Pirates, together with Dolf Davidson, Wim Joost, Loek Loevendie, Wim van der Poel and Kees van Vegten.
The youth-committee was closely involved in the organization of the annual (international) youth-tournaments, which included the famous Queen's Day Little League Baseball Tournament (April 30).
All of them also were active in these years in youth-baseball in what then was called Rayon Amsterdam.
Coen is member of the youth-committee of Rayon Amsterdam in 1974, together with Wim van der Poel (chairman), Loek Loevendie, Joke Lammen and Victor van Swede.
Also in 1974, Coen handles the competition-control of the youth baseball-section of the Rayon.
Davidson, Joost, Loevendie and Van der Poel also are members of the Rayon's youth-committee in some earlier years, while Joost and Van Vegten are coaches of the junior baseball- and little league baseball-team of Amsterdam.
In 1973 and 1974, Coen Stoovelaar was a member of the board of Rayon Amsterdam, which oversaw all baseball/softball-activities in and around the capital.
In 1973, the board was chaired by Willem Niepoth, in 1974 by Lex Rimini.
Other members in these years are Wim Endel (vice-chairman), Benno Niemeijer (secretary), Wim Ascherman (treasurer), Bertus Caldenhove, Jogriet Endel and Elly Nijhuis.
In both years, Coen handled the technical affairs for baseball within the board.
...Coen Stoovelaar with son Marco during the Baseball...
...Week Haarlem in 2018, discussing content...
...for the Leesvoer-magazine...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In these busy years, Coen also begins something else, as he makes his debut as a baseball-umpire in 1973.
Through 1976, he officiates games at the Rayon-level, when Rob Witteveen, Henk Clemens (both 1973-1975), Jaap Kuggeleijn, Jan Schut (both 1976) and Cor van Elst-Water were the members of the umpiring committee.
Amongst the baseball/softball-umpires at the Rayon-level in these years were also Rob Brink, Willem Griebling, Cheila Jones, Freek Leijen, Jannie Koot, Joke Lammen, Jos Loogman, Karel Rebel, Herman Schreijer, Wil Soolsma, Herman Spilker, Ben Swaab, Herman Swaagman and Co van de Wateringen.
Coen showed to be talented as an umpire with a good knowledge of the rules and so, he promoted to the national level in 1975 and continued to do so through 1978.
In his four seasons at the national level, Coen officiated a few games in the highest league, as well as some exhibition-games of the Netherlands Junior Baseball Team (Young Orange).
In three of these four years (1975-1977), Rinus Onderwater chaired the national umpiring committee, while Henk Clemens handled the assigments.
They were succeeded by Piet Schijvenaar and Henk van Dalen in 1978.
After the 1978 season, Coen stopped as umpire on the national level.
Not only due to lack of time, but also due to some knee-problems.
However, he continued to officiate games for some more years at the club-level.
In the seventies, there were many wellknown umpires at the national level.
Amongst Coen's umpiring colleagues, he officiated games with many of them, in his years at the national baseball-level were Wim Baas, John Barrett, Paul Barts, Wim van Beek, Cor Blitterswijk, Willem den Boef, Jan Boerendonk, Paul Bokern, Wil ten Bosch, Cees Bouterse, Rob Brink, Willem Broertjes, Jos de Champs, Hans Corpeleijn, Willem Detiger, Hans van Deursen, Taco Dillesse, Cor Dirksz, Huib Donker, Feiko Drost, Henk Ebbing, Mario Figaroa, Jos Gieskens, Paul Goode, Willem Griebling, Fred van Groningen Schinkel, André Haring, Joop van Hattem, Vincent Hazel, Carlos Hellburg, Ton Hout, Gerard Inden, Jan Janszen, Bram Klijnsmit, Leo Krabbedam, Fred de Kramer, Jaap Kuggeleijn, Bert Lauer, Jaap Lind, Jos Loogman, Henk Luxwolda, Koos van der Mark sr., Chris Mast, Jan Meijer, Tom Middendorp, Aad Mooldijk, Dick Mos, George van Noort, Jan Pauwels, Chris Pieters, Piet Pomstra, Ede Pool, Henk Post, André Prins, Karel Rebel, Lex Rimini, Piet van Rijswijk, Cor Scholberg, Hans Schotel, André Schrijber, Jan Schut, Guus Slauerhof, Bert Staller, Ruud Stolting, Rob Tolsma, Evert van Tuyl, Karel van Veen, Theo van der Velden, Ton Verbeten, Henk Verhart, Franklin Victor, Willem Visser, Ron Voerman, Piet Vorst, Aad de Vos, Aad Vuik, Jan van der Wardt, Aart Wedemeijer, Rob Witteveen, Henk Wolffenbuttel, Karel van Zadelhoff, Leen Zuur and Gerard Zwerus.
...Coen Stoovelaar (standing at left) as coach of the Netherlands...
...Celebrities Soccer Team in 1975...
...Back row: Coen, Frans Berluson, Richard Ross, IJf Blokker,...
...Ben Elmondo, Con de Vries and Ruud de Wolff...
...Front row: René Plemp, Serge, Wim Berluson, Bram Biesterveld,...
...Tonny Alberti and Joop Andriesse (masseur)...
(© Private Photo) |
The seventies and eighties were busy years for Coen.
Besides being active as team manager, as coach, in youth-committees, in the Rayon Amsterdam and as a baseball-umpire, Coen also was active in soccer.
From halfway the seventies, Coen was the trainer/coach for three years of the Netherlands Celebrities Soccer Team, which regularly played games, invited by soccer-clubs throughout the country.
Amongst the wellknown celebrities who regularly played in this team in these years were singer Ben Cramer, singer Ruud de Wolff (singing-duo The Blue Diamonds), singer Ruud Schaap (known as Serge of singing-duo Saskia & Serge), actor/voice-actor Bram Biesterveld (Pommetje Horlepiep), actor/musician IJf Blokker (also known as Barend Servet), illusionist/magician Richard Ross (world champion in 1970 and 1973), musician/presenter/actor René Plemp (orchestra Snip & Snap Revue, André van Duin Revue & 'Stuif es in' TV-show), music producer Tonny Alberti (brother of singer Willeke Alberti), trumpeter/music producer Marty, musician/singer Con de Vries (rockgroup Jackpot), accordionist Jan Karstens (accordion-duo De Carsellis), acrobat Ben Elmondo (acrobatic skating-duo De Elmondo's) and acrobats Wim and Frans Berluson (acrobatic duo De Berlusons).
Guest-players included comedian/actor Piet Bambergen (known from comic-duo 'De Mounties'), game-show host Ron Brandsteder ('Showbizzquiz', 'Ron's Honeymoonquiz'), game-show host Willem Ruis ('Willem Ruis Show', Sterrenshow'), singer Albert West, actor/game-show host Martin Brozius ('Kunt u mij de weg naar Hamelen vertellen, Meneer?', 'Ren je rot'), actor Ab van der Linden (Clown Flappie and 'Ti Ta Tovenaar'), actor Rudi Falkenhagen ('Pipo de Clown', 'De Stille Kracht', 'Dagboek van een Herdershond', 'De Fabriek'), actor/singer Hans Boskamp ('Floris', 'Herenstraat 10'), who also was a former professional soccer-player (Ajax, DWS) and singing-duo De Deurzakkers.
Other notable guests at these games included actor/presenter Dolf Brouwers (Sjef van Oekel), actor/comedian Harry Touw (Fred Haché) and singer Patricia Paay.
From this group, René Plemp was the presenter of the end-of-season Baseball/Softball Awards Gala in 1992 and 1993 when the event was organized in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.
When René Plemp (who by the way is my uncle) was in the orchestra of 'Stuif es in', this television children-show was presented by Ria Bremer, the daughter-in-law of Martin Bremer with whom Coen worked together in the fifties at Sport and Sportwereld.
In 1979, Coen returned as Team Manager of the main-squad of Amsterdam Pirates when Ruud Koene and Nico Meijers respectively became the new Head Coach and Assistant Coach after the team had relegated in 1978 from the First Division to the Second Division.
Koene and Meijers led the team to two consecutive Championship-titles in 1980 and 1981, resulting in promotion from Second Division to First Division to Major League.
In 1982, Pirates made its debut in the highest league.
After that season, Koene and Meijers both stepped down as coach.
Coen continued as Team Manager through 1985.
In 1983, the team was coached by Bart Seidel (Head Coach), Louis Hofer and Henk Boeren
Hofer led the team in 1984 and 1985 and was assisted by Martin van der Steeg (1984), Boeren and Martin Ronnenbergh (both 1985).
In all these seasons, Marco Stoovelaar was the Team Scorer and in 1985, Peter Meuris was the masseur.
...Coen (standing at left) was the Team Manager of the Amsterdam...
... Pirates-team that first played in the Dutch Major League in 1982...
...Back: Coen (Team Manager), Marco Stoovelaar (Scorer), Ruud Koene...
...(Head Coach), John Ludenhoff, Ronald Oosterling, Paul Stockley,...
...Peter Meijers, Peter van Erk, Jan van Wieringen, Marco Loevendie,...
...Marten Walsma and Nico Meijers (1B Coach)...
...Front: Leo Kalinowski, Bas Rodermans, Alex Nansink,...
...Edsel Martis, Ronald Stoovelaar and Tonny Cohen...
(© Photo: Archive Marco Stoovelaar) |
In 1982-1984, Coen Stoovelaar also handles the game-administration for the baseball-section of Amsterdam Pirates.
In those years, the same position for the softball-section is held by Els Dorenbos (1982), Marjolein Dignum (1983) and Sylvia Smit (1984), while Kees van Vegten handles the baseball-youth section.
In 1985, Loek Loevendie succeeds Coen as game-secretary.
A few years earlier, in 1977, Coen's wife Willy was the game-secretary for the Pirates softball-section.
Since halfway the seventies, Willy also was one of the clubhouse attendants for many years, played softball and fulfilled several administrative activities for the club.
By the way, in these years, Pirates also had five longtime board-members, being Henk van Ede (chairman), Leo Boon (secretary), Maarten van Erk (treasurer), Toon Kelders (member) and Loek Loevendie (member).
In 1986, Frans van den Berg is the Team Manager of the Pirates-squad, but Coen remains active in the background while the team is led by Head Coach Jan Dick Leurs.
After an one-year absence, Coen returns to the dug-out as Team Manager in 1987 and organizes all team-activities through 1990 for a total of four seasons.
In 1988, he shares the position with Cor Visser and in 1990 with Martin van der Steeg, who then is the Team Manager in 1991.
The following year (1992), Coen and Martin again are co-Team Manager.
In 1993, Coen is the Team Manager in his 18th season.
As he handled some activities in the background in both 1986 and 1991, Coen had been associated with the main baseball-team of Pirates for 20 seasons.
After the 1993 season, Coen steps down and is succeeded by Frans Bergman for the 1994 season.
In these years, Pirates captures the Dutch Championship-title twice.
In 1987, Pirates captures the Championship for the first time when the team defeats Neptunus in the best-of-three Holland Series.
In 1990, Pirates wins its second title when it sweeps Neptunus 3-0 in the best-of-five Championship Final.
In both seasons, the team is led by Head Coach Ted Arnold, who also leads the team in 1988 and in 1991 and 1992.
He is assisted by Dave Daniels (1987-1988), Louis Hofer and Hans Jansen de Vries (both 1990).
In 1989, former Major League-pitcher Win Remmerswaal (Head Coach) and Jaap Muts are the coaches.
In 1993, Louis Hofer takes over as Head Coach and is assisted by Randell Hannah and Anthony St. Aubyn.
The supporting staff-members in these seasons (1987-1993) are Ed Joustra (physical therapist, 1987, 1989), Paul Ram (masseur, 1987), Peter van Kampen (physical therapist, 1988), Bas Spanger (equipment manager, 1988-1989), Wil Fritz (physical therapist, 1991), Manon de Vries (physical therapist, 1993) and Marco Stoovelaar (team scorer, all seasons).
Longtime players of Amsterdam Pirates in these years (1979-1993) are Peter Boon, Tonny Cohen, Peter van Erk, Martijn Faneyte, Rikkert Faneyte, Didi Gregorius, Edsel Martis, Bas Rodermans, Ronald Stoovelaar and Jack Zijlstra.
Many others also played for the team in this 15-year period.
Amongst the players who wore the Pirates-shirt in five or less seasons were Wismar Ansjeliena, Frank Baly, Harry van der Berg, Gerard Blacquiere, André Boddendijk, Hans Bodemann, Peter Callenbach, Sherwin Cijntje, Patrick van Doorn, Jan van Gorkum, Randell Hannah, Jeroen Hessels, Mike Hofer, Raymond Hofer, Frans van Huffel, René van Huffel, Dirk van 't Klooster, Minquelito Koek, Ton van Koeverden, Frank Koot, Bob Kruijs, Peter Kwakernaak, Jan Dick Leurs, Marco Loevendie, John Loogman, John Ludenhoff, Franco Martis, Marcel Meijers, Peter Meijers, Alex Nansink, Ronald Oosterling, Nelson Orman, Laurens van der Poel, Hans van Renselaar, Ton Roest, Martin Ronnenbergh, André Smit, Anthony St. Aubyn, Martin van der Steeg, Lloyd Todman, Kees van Vegten, Marten Walsma, Byron Ward, Jan van Wieringen and Michiel Zwinkels.
Also playing for Pirates in these years were Americans Reggie Barringer, Jeffery Calderone, Dave Daniels, Jamie Doughty, Jim Ferguson, Frank Forcucci, Mark Greene, Leo Kalinowski, Scott Khoury, Jerry Lane, Frank Millerd, Kevin Spicer, Paul Stockley and Mark Sullivan (who passed away in May at age 67).
Many of these players regularly stayed or ate at the homes of the Stoovelaar-, Van Erk- and Meijers-families.
...Coen Stoovelaar (standing at right) as one of the announcers...
...during the 1983 Amsterdam Baseball Series with Kees van Vegten,...
...Maartje Nierop Groot (seated, left) and Tiny van der Poel...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In several of these seasons (1984-1985, 1991), Coen also is an baseball umpire-observer for the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB).
Other observers in 1984-1985 are Cor Blitterswijk, Willem den Boef, Henk van Dalen, Co Hetem, Henk Kempen, Bram Klijnsmit, Bert Lauer, Aad Laurens, Gé Oosterbaan, Paul Paul, Henk Ronnenbergh, Henk de Ruiter, Piet van Rijswijk, Hans Schotel, Joop Schuitemaker, Piet Schijvenaar, Gerrit Sluijters, Joop van Wendel de Joode and Leen Zuur.
Observers in 1991 include Gé van Berkel, Paul Bokern, Cees Bouterse, Willem Broertjes, Joes Gewald, Joop van Hattem, Vincent Hazel, Bram Klijnsmit, Bert Lauer, Henk Meerleveld, Dick Mos, Paul Paul, Ede Pool, Piet van Rijswijk, Joop Schuitemaker, Gerrit Sluijters, Wil Tessers, Joop van Wendel de Joode, Henk Wolffenbuttel, Karel van Zadelhoff and Leen Zuur.
Another longtime activity Coen enjoyed doing since halfway the seventies was being the public address announcer during home-games of Amsterdam Pirates, which in some seasons, he did besides being the Team Manager of the baseball-team.
In many games, he shared the microphone with Tiny van der Poel, who unfortunately passed away in February at age 93.
Coen and Tiny were announcers for almost twenty seasons and also took care of the officials before and after a game.
Another sometime-announcer was Kees van Vegten.
In later years, they were joined by Joop Dousi, who would go on to become the prime announcer since the early nineties.
Besides announcing during home-games, Coen also was one of the announcers during the Amsterdam Baseball Series, the international tournaments that Pirates organized for some years since 1983 in different age-groups (cadets, juniors, seniors).
Other announcers included Tiny van der Poel, Kees van Vegten, Joop Dousi and Maartje Nierop Groot.
In 1986, Coen also was one of the announcers during the World Championship Baseball, which then was held for the first time in the Netherlands.
Other announcers during this event included Yvonne de Vries, Maarten Evertse, Elly Visser, Karin Kort, Henk Bouwman, Erik Boshuijzen and Roel Peters.
And in 1985 and 1987, Coen was one of the announcers during the first two editions of the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam, where he shared the microphone with Karin van Aalen, the longtime voice of Neptunus.
In 1995, Coen was one of the announcers during the European Championship in Haarlem.
...Coen with Wim Joost during the...
...Haarlem Baseball Week in 2000...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Since 1996, Coen Stoovelaar was one of the many (volunteer) loyal contributors of the biennial Haarlem Baseball Week for more than 25 years (14 tournaments).
This was another activity he cleared enjoyed doing, as he was proud being part of the big Baseball Week-family.
In 1971, he attended the event for the first time as a spectator with son Ronald.
From 1972 on, Coen's wife Wil and other son Marco also were in attendance.
From 1996 through 2006 (six tournaments are played in that span), Coen formed a well-recognizable duo with Wim Joost, who handled the catering (drinks) for the teams, umpires, as well as for the official scorers, public address announcers, scoreboard operators and the media-representatives.
They looked after the umpires before and after the game in their clubhouse/locker-room and made sure they also got drinks during a game on hot days.
And they provided the teams with drinks in the dug-outs.
During the game, they also served drinks to the scorers, announcers, scoreboard operators and the media, who were all seated in the press-stands, located behind home plate.
At the field-level behind home plate, the duo also took care of the scouts, who were seated there.
Coen and Wim were always busy during a game-day, as they always walked together through the stadium, carrying drinks (or food) and talked with everyone with their characteristic humor.
Because of this, Coen and Wim were nicknamed Knabbel and Babbel, which are the Dutch names of the cartoon-characters Chip & Dale.
In 2006, Coen joined the editorial staff of Leesvoer, the daily magazine off the Haarlem Baseball Week of which son Marco is the editor-in-chief since 1990.
Coen was an editorial member from 2006 through 2018, compiling game recaps and making brief game notes.
In 2018, he was named Honorary Member of Leesvoer.
In 2020, when there only was an on-line edition (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and in 2022, Coen also made contributions to the daily magazine.
At age of almost 90 (in 2022), Coen was the oldest contributor to the event.
Editors in most of Coen's nine tournaments in the Leesvoer-staff besides son Marco also were Györgyike Horvath (eight times), Feiko Drost (six) and Jasper Roos (five).
Other editors include Henk Maurits (two), Roderick Balk, Hans Akkerman, Jan van der Sande, Michel Streur and Sander Grasman.
Accounting for the lay-out in these years were Lesley Ann Hartman, Marijke van Veen, Tamara Scheers, Jasper Roos and Mick van der Ven.
Amongst the photographers were Arthur van der Velde, Rick Meijaard, Robert Bos and Henk Seppen.
Besides being active for Leesvoer, Coen also frequently joined Joost Lub, who was the attendant of the backstop-seating area for scouts, amongst others.
In the early 2000s, Coen was a voluntarily contributor at the Head Office of the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB) after it had moved from Santpoort to Nieuwegein.
In those years, son Marco worked on both locations at the Head Office.
Coen Stoovelaar always has been a music-lover.
He very much liked big bands and jazz and in the fifties, he frequently attended the famous nightly concerts in the Amsterdam Concert Building by jazz-greats like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, Lionel Hampton, Stan Getz and Rita Reys.
Another big idol of Coen was Frank Sinatra.
He was very proud when he was able to be in attendance during a concert of the famous American singer, sitting in one of the front rows in the wellknown Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in 1977.
...Coen on the field in Shea Stadium in New York (USA) in 1993 with...
...at right then-Manager Don Baylor of Colorado Rockies...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Coen also very much liked traveling.
In 1977 and 1979, he traveled with his wife and sons to the USA, participating in trips organized by baseball/softball-magazine Inside, which then was the official magazine of the KNBSB.
The entire family also always traveled abroad when son Ronald participated with the Netherlands Team in European Championships and World Championships or other (club-team) tournaments in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy and Czechia.
In the nineties, Coen made some travels to the USA with son Marco, where he enjoyed being on the playing field and in the locker room in for instance Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees), Shea Stadium (New York Mets) and Oriole Park at Camden Yard (Baltimore Orioles), being able to talk talk to Major League-players and -coaches.
Coen and Marco also traveled to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta (USA).
And while attending the European Championship and World Championship in Italy in 1998 and 1999, Coen very much enjoyed chatting before and after games with Netherlands Team-coaches Jan Dick Leurs, Leo Naaktgeboren and Huub Kohl and staff-members Willem van Geijlswijk, Ad Hendrikse and Cees Herkemij.
In many recent years, Coen always accompanied Marco to his games as official scorer in the Dutch big league baseball and softball.
As such, Coen became a wellknown personality at many playing sites, where he always enjoyed chatting with acquaintances.
And because of that, he knew a lot of people amongst players, coaches, officials and spectators.
And yes, when needed, he could grumble sometimes, regarding a situation on the field, or a decision by a player, coach, umpire or official scorer.
But always in a positive way.
Coen was always very-much liked on whatever site he was and surely will be missed on the fields.
Coen also regularly attended games of grandson Bram (baseball) and granddaughter Ilse (gymnastics, softball) and son Ronald when he coached the second team of Hoofddorp Pioniers.
By the way, Bram and Ilse belong to a small and unique group of players, as both their parents (Ronald and Judith) not only played in the Dutch big league, but also both in the Netherlands Team.
And of course, Grandpa Coen was a proud follower of the studies and work-choices Bram and Ilse made.
Coen was very knowledgeable of the game-rules, as well as the umpiring methodology and scoring.
On each game-day, he followed the live play-by-plays and afterward closely read all box scores.
Something he had also done a few days before he fell ill.
As can be concluded via this In Memoriam, my father had a productive and full live.
As mentioned, he very-much liked (many) sports, jazz music and traveling, but he also liked watching game-shows (like 'De Slimste Mens') and reading (all kind of books, including about Amsterdam, newspaper, news-sites).
And he loved to laugh, as he had a good sense of humor.
And although he enjoyed being on a baseball- or softball-field regularly or making a trip abroad, he always very much enjoyed being back home in 'his' Amsterdam.
But above all, Coen Stoovelaar was a proud husband, a proud father and a proud grandfather.
We will miss you very, very much.
(October 19; November 12)
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