IN MEMORIAM ...Eddy Tromp... (1951 - 2025) (© Photo: Fotopersbureau De Boer/ Noord-Hollands Archief (Poppe de Boer))

Legendary former Big League- and National Team-player Eddy Tromp passed away
Nederlands

PALM BEACH (Aruba) - Eddy Tromp, who played in eleven seasons (1977-1978; 1980-1984; 1988-1991) in the Dutch big league for five different teams and was named Most Valuable Player twice, passed away on Sunday, August 31 at the age of 74 in his home-town on Aruba. Tromp became a legendary two-way player, known for his offensive power as a hitter and his performances on the mound. The pitcher/first baseman/designated hitter also was a driving force in the Netherlands National Baseball Team in the late seventies/early eighties.

The memorial and cremation service for Eddy Tromp will be held on Thursday, September 4 from 9:00 - 11:00 AM (local time) at Aurora Funeral Home, located at Cumana 76, Watty Vos Blvd in Oranjestad, Aruba. During and after the memorial service, it is possible to offer condolences to the family. A livestream of the service will be available on the Facebook-page Obituary Aruba.

Eduardo Angel Martinus (Eddy) Tromp was born on July 24, 1951 in San Nicolas, Aruba. At age 17, in 1968, Eddy moved to the Netherlands with his mother and brother Johnny. There, they initially lived with an aunt in Sittard in the southern province of Limburg and Eddy studied to become a welder.

On Aruba, Eddy already was a talented baseball-player. He was selected to represent Aruba during the Pan American Games, but was unable to do so because of his emigration to the Netherlands. In Limburg, Eddy went on to play baseball for Kangaroes in Roermond. It was in this city that Eddy also met the love of his life, Josje. They married in December 1972 and later went on to live in Weert, where their house coincidentally located in the Tromp-street. Eddy and Josje got three children, daughters Yvette and Vivian and son Orlando.

After having played for Kangaroes for two seasons (1969-1970), Eddy played two years (1971-1972) for Tomsons in Maastricht. He then continued his baseball-career at PSV, one of the leading clubs in the province of Noord-Brabant in the south of the country. Eddy played four seasons (1973-1976) for the Eindhoven-based club, which then played in the First Division.

From 1977 on, through 1991, Eddy Tromp had a long career in the top-level leagues in the Netherlands, including eleven seasons in the big league. In the highest league, he played for HCAW, Neptunus, Sparta, PSV and Quick Amersfoort.

While playing for Neptunus, Tromp had his two best seasons in 1980 and 1981. In both years, he was named Most Valuable Player of the Dutch big league.

In these years, Eddy also played in the First Division for PSV and DOS '32. He also played abroad. Not only in two (winter-)seasons for Marlboro in Aruba (1983-1984), but also for Firenze in Italy (1985) and Limeil-Brévannes in France (1986).

Towards the end of his career, Tromp turned to coaching. While playing for Quick Amersfoort in 1990 and 1991, Eddy also was the team's Pitching Coach. Several years later, in 2001, he began as Pitching Coach of the big league-team of PSV, but took over as Head Coach during the season.

...Eddy Tromp with the Netherlands Team during... ...the 1982 World Championship in South Korea... (© Photo: Archive Eddy Tromp)

From 1992 on, Eddy was mostly active as a coach in the south of the country. For 15 years, he coached youth-teams in both baseball and softball for Indians in his hometown Weert, but also at MULO in Helmond, where he also led the main-team. Next, Eddy Tromp was the Head Coach of Gryphons (2007) in Rosmalen and Jeka (2008) in Breda in the First Division. Hereafter, he led the Third Division-team of All-In in Veldhoven in four seasons (2009-2012). In 2008, Eddy was the Pitching Coach of the National Team of Portugal.

In 1978, Eddy made his debut in the Netherlands National Team during the Haarlem Baseball Week. After not having played in the Orange-squad in 1979, he returned in 1980 and went on to represent the Netherlands through 1983.

In five Orange-years, Tromp participated in three World Championships (1978, Italy; 1980, Japan; 1982, South Korea), two European Championships (1981, Netherlands; 1983, Italy), one Intercontinental Cup (1983, Belgium) and three Haarlem Baseball Weeks (1978, 1980, 1982). He played in 54 official international games for the Netherlands Team.

As their daughters had moved to Aruba in the early 2000s, Eddy and his wife decided in 2013 also decided to emigrate from Weert to Aruba, after having lived in the Netherlands for 45 years. On Aruba, he continued his passion for baseball as a youth-coach and attending games of the Aruban Baseball League. Many of them with good friend Louis Jacobs, who also had played many years in the Netherlands and had been a teammate of Eddy at HCAW and the Orange-squad. Eddy also regularly played golf and participated in several (local) tournaments. And from 2013 through 2017, Eddy was a boardmember of Aruba North Little League.

During his long career, Eddy Tromp became a legendary, colorful and charismatic personality, who always had a smile on his face. He had a lot of humor, was well-respected by teammates and opponents and was very caring of his family, with whom he spent a lot of time. With his family, he regularly went on holidays, including taking several cruise-trips, which were favorites of Eddy and Josje. They also travled to New York a few times, where games were attended of New York Yankees, Eddy's favorite Major League-team. Eddy will surely be missed by many of us.

A more extended version of this In Memoriam, including highlights of his career in the Netherlands and the National Team, will be added soon.

The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News offers his condolences to Eddy's wife Josje, daughters Yvette and Vivian, sons in law Le Roy and Pascal, grandchildren Novi-Lou and Avelíe, other family and friends and wishes them a lot of strength with this big loss.

(September 2)