(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 Gino Henson new Head Coach of HCAW
Nederlands
 BUSSUM (Neth.) -
Veteran coach Gino Henson is the new Head Coach of Dutch big league-club HCAW, the Bussum-club announced on Thursday-evening (March 20).
With that, a long search is finally over for the club that reached the Holland Series last year.
...Gino Henson is the new Head Coach of HCAW...
...On the photo, he coaches Storks in 2020...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
After completion of the 2024 season, Head Coach Ronald Jaarsma stepped down, as he had earlier agreed to lead the team for only one season.
Traditionally, HCAW takes its time to search for and appoint a new Head Coach.
But tonight (March 20), three weeks before the start of the regular season, HCAW has its new coach.
Coming weekend, HCAW will travel to Bonn in Germany for a 2-game exhibition-series.
General Manager Frank Mooijman confirmed that Henson will be with team and will in charge for the first on Saturday.
HCAW opens the new season on Thursday-evening, April 10 on the road against Worldwide Pharma Logistics Hoofddorp Pioniers.
The team opens at home two days later, then completes the opening-series the following day in Hoofddorp.
Coincidentally, Henson has played for both teams in his long career.
Last year, Ronald Jaarsma was named new Head Coach in February.
He also succeeded a coach, who had stepped down after completion of its preceeding season.
In 2022, then-new Head Coach Danny Rombley guided HCAW to its first Championship-title in 24 years after sweeping Curaçao Neptunus in the best-of-seven Holland Series.
In 2023, HCAW was dethroned in the Play-Offs by Amsterdam Pirates, which went on to capture the title by also defeating Neptunus.
Rombley stepped down after the final game in the Play-Offs.
Last year, Jaarsma led HCAW back to the Holland Series, as this time the Bussum-club dethroned Pirates, but then was swept in the Final by Neptunus.
In the upcoming season, Gino Henson will be assisted by René Baltus, while Shane Gnade and René Rijst will serve as Pitching Coach.
Last year, Baltus and Gnade also were members of the coaching-staff.
With the appointment of Henson, five of the eight big league-teams will be led by a new Head Coach.
The other new Head Coaches are Aldric Dunlop RCH-Pinguïns), Elton Koeiman (UVV), Milan Lammerts (Kinheim) and Robert Ushy (Oosterhout Twins).
Returning Head Coaches are Mervin Gario (Amsterdam Pirates), Tom van Limburg (Hoofddorp Pioniers) and Greg Muller (Neptunus).
By the way, Koeiman is also returning, but with another club.
Last year, he was the Head Coach of Quick Amersfoort, which will play in the First Division this season.
Gino Henson last coached at the big league-level in 2022, which was his third and final year with The Hague-based Storks, which withdrew its team after that season.
In 2014, he made his debut as Head Coach in the big league when he led ADO Lakers after having coached youth-teams off Tsunami Baseball Academy in preceeding seasons.
Initially, Henson also was to be the Head Coach of ADO Lakers in 2015.
However, in February of that year, the club withdraw its team from the big league due to its financial situation.
Shortly thereafter, Henson became the Assistant Coach of Rik Ruts at The Hawks for the 2015 season.
But, Ruts stepped down a month before the start of the season due to working commitments and Henson took over as Head Coach.
In July of that season, The Hawks and Henson separated.
In 2018 and 2019, Henson coached the team of Wassenaar in the second highest league (then called 'Overgangsklasse').
...Gino Henson playing for...
...Sparta-Feyenoord in 2008...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Before turning his attention to coaching, the Curaçao-born Henson played 20 seasons (660 games) in the Dutch big league as an infielder and sometimes catcher.
As a player, Henson was known for his intense and passionate playing.
Before coming to the Netherlands, Henson played for some seasons in the Curaçao Baseball League for Wild Cats.
Henson made his debut in the Dutch big league in 1991 at age 20 playing for Sparta in Rotterdam.
The following year, he played one season professionally in the organization of Atlanta Braves in the Dominican Summer League at the Rookie League-level.
Hereafter, Henson returned to the Netherlands and went on to play for ADO (1993-1994), Twins Oosterhout (1995), Hoofddorp Pioniers (1996-1997), again ADO (1998-2001), HCAW (2002-2007) and Sparta-Feyenoord (2008-2009).
He initially retired after the 2009 season at age 38, but during the 2010-2011 seasons, he made a few regular season-appearances again for ADO.
With Hoofddorp Pioniers, Henson won the Dutch Championship-title in 1997.
Gino Henson also had started a career in men softball and played for the successful team of Alphians in 1995-1998, winning the Dutch championship each year.
In these seasons, he combined softball with playing baseball.
As Henson remained on the so-called memberlist of ADO, he was added to the active roster of ADO Lakers when it had to play in the Play-Downs after the 2013 season.
Henson played in four games for ADO Lakers, which won one of them.
However, it was then discovered that Henson was not eligible to play for the team, as he was listed as a so-called 'non-playing member'.
Due to this administrative omission, ADO Lakers got eight points subtracted, meaning it finished in last place, while the game that was won was declared invalid.
Therefore, the team had to play in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Offs against Twins, the champion of the 'Overgangsklasse'.
This time, Henson was listed as an active player and eligible to participate, which he did in two games.
ADO Lakers won the best-of-five 3-2, meaning the team secured its spot in the big league for the 2014 season.
In his long career, Gino Henson was known for his speed on the bases, especially in his early years in the Dutch big league.
In his second through fifth season in the highest league (1993-1996), Henson stole 20 or more bases in four consecutive seasons for three different clubs.
He stole a career-high 42 in 1994 when he was with ADO and led the league in 1993, 1994 and 1996.
Through the majority of last season, Henson was the All-Time Stolen Bases Leader with 238.
Towards the end of the 2024 season, Roelie Henrique (Amsterdam Pirates) became the new leader with 245.
However, Henson still is the recordholder with six stolen bases in a single game.
In 2001, Henson participated with the Netherlands Baseball Team in the European Championship, capturing the title.
Henson played in seven official games for the Orange-squad during the Championship, which then was held in Germany.
Most games were played in Bonn.
And on that same site, Henson will make his debut as HCAW-coach coming Saturday.
(March 20)
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