Miscellaneous

Since the end of last year, there were problems within the Board, leading to an unworkable situation, tensions between some Boardmembers and conflicts between some members with the Head Office and clubs. An independent and external office was asked to review the situation and look into the way of working and functioning of both the Board and the Head Office. Boardmembers Guus van Dee (school sports), in December, and Leo Smallegange (secretary), in January, didn't await the conclusions and stepped down. After their stepping down, Chairman Jan Rijpstra last month proposed that the remaining members also stepped down collectively, as the compilation of the Board differed too much from that which was installed in March of last year. In the last few weeks, Rijpstra and his colleague Gijs Langevoort (top baseball / commercial affairs) were criticized. It was stated that Rijpstra ,,has no vision'' and that Langevoort has a ,,conflict of interests''. When the independent report was released in January, a third Boardmember Charles van der Meijs (development) stepped down, as he didn't agree with the contents. The four remaining members thereafter continued with a temporarily status.
,,We have chosen to release the entire report without any restrictions'', Rijpstra said yesterday after the meeting. ,,We agree that some cases didn't went well, but there are different circumstances that led to that. The council has adopted the analysis and guidelines of the report. Therefore, we can make a complete new start and can do things differently. We've agreed to improve on better communications towards the members, which are the clubs. There is clearing up now.''
A temporary commission for 'Good sportsmanagement' will now search for additional Boardmembers and hopes to present a new Board on the regular meeting on March 25.
(February 11)

Dutch Baseball

The big difference with other Fantasy Leagues is that in Baseball Manager of the Year you can select Dutch players. In other words, recognizable for everyone (in Holland). Just as in other Fantasy Leagues you have to form your own team in Baseball Manager of the Year, but in this case you can make a choice from all players from the Dutch Major League for this season. Every player has been awarded a (fictive) value. Every Baseball Manager has a maximun of € 5.000.000 to 'buy' players for his or her team. For every game in the regular season, players will receive points for different categories (such as basehits and RBI's for the hitters and strikeouts for the pitchers). The Baseball Manager of the Year is that person whose team collected the most points at the end of the season. The first prize is a tournament ticket for the World Port Tournament 2007 in Rotterdam. Other prizes include participation in the training camps of 'Playball' Baseball Academy.

Registering as a Baseball Manager is free. The registration can be completed through the website www.honkbalmanager.nl. When someone decides to participate in this game with a team, a small amount of only € 5,- per team is required.
A club even can earn money with this game. As said, a small amount of € 5,- is required for every team that plays in the game. When a participant registers through a club, that club receives 20% of that amount back on its account! On the website more information is available how a club can join this action. Also promotional material for clubmagazines and the clubs' website is available there.

More information of the exciting game Baseball Manager of the Year can be found on the website www.honkbalmanager.nl. For questions you can mail to info@honkbalmanager.nl.
(February 26)

Dutch champion DOOR Neptunus is playing in a tough pool in the European Cup-tournament, which will be played June 13-17 in the Italian city Grosseto.
The team from Rotterdam opens the tournament in Pool A against Italian champion Italeri Bologna on June 13. The next day, Neptunus will face T&A San Marino, which last season lost the best-of-seven Italian Series to Bologna, 4-3. On June 15, Neptunus will close the preliminary round against Marlins Puerto Cruz Tenerife, a team which officially comes from the Canary Islands and represents Spain.
In Pool B, Cupholder Prink Grosseto (Italy) will meet Kranski Lisjaki (Slovenia), Balashikha Tornados (Russia) and Paderborn Untouchables (Germany).
On June 16, the semi-finals are scheduled, the finals the next day.

The tournament for the CupWinners Cup will be hosted by Krc Altron Praha in the Czech capitol Prague on the same complex where the final round of last years European Championships was being played.
Konica Minolta Pioniers is representing the Netherlands in this tournament in which also Antwerp Eagles (Belgium), Bracknell Blazers (Great Britain), FC Barcelona (Spain), Lituanica Kaunas (Lituania), Savigny-sur-Orge Lions (France), host Krc Altron Prague and Cupholder Rojos de Tenerife (Spain) will participate.
(February 26)

Dutch champion DOOR Neptunus opens the exhibition season on Saturday at home against its citymen from Rotterdam, Sparta/Feyenoord. On Sunday, the two teams will play at the site of Sparta/Feyenoord.
Amsterdam Pirates, which is being led by new Head Coach Louis Hofer, will travel to First Divisionist Alcmaria Victrix in Alkmaar on Saturday and host that team on Sunday at home.

The following weekend, March 11-12, the remaining five teams also will play their first games.
Complete Exhibition Schedule
(February 26)

Thank you for visiting.

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