DOOR Neptunus
Last season, DOOR Neptunus won its seventh consecutive Dutch title to extend its own record.

...Dirk van 't Klooster... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Towards the end of last season, rumors started to go around that Neptunus was to loose a number of players in the transfer-period.
In October, those rumors became facts, as twelve players left the Dutch champion, including four regular position players (C Maikel Benner, 1B Percy Isenia, OF Dirk van 't Klooster and OF Harvey Monte), its pitching ace (RHP Rob Cordemans) and its closer (RHP Robin van Doornspeek). Cordemans was named Best Pitcher of the League in December, while Van 't Klooster not only was the Batting Champion, but also the league's Most Valuable Player.
Also leaving were OF/DH Brian Larmonie and younger players RHP Daan Baecke, RHP Bob van den Heuvel, IF Dwayne Kemp, IF Roel Koolen and OF Adrian Anthony. Six of these players choose to go to ADO: Cordemans (13-1, 1 SV, 0.77, 89 SO), Van Doornspeek (3-0, 4 SV, 2.74), Benner (.274, 21 RBI, 2 HR), Isenia (.271, 22 RBI, 1 HR), Anthony (.200) and Monte (.380, 31 RBI, 0 HR).
Two players went to Corendon Kinheim: Van 't Klooster (.403, 34 RBI, 5 HR) and Koolen (.253, 15 RBI, 1 HR), while Sparta/Feyenoord acquired Baecke (0-1, 5.59) and Kemp (.100, 2 RBI). Larmonie (.368, 17 RBI, 1 HR) will play in Germany this year.
Benner, Isenia, Van 't Klooster, Monte, Cordemans and Van Doornspeek all are members of the Dutch national team.

To fill the gaps, eleven players were acquired or added to the roster.
LHP Gregory Gustina (5-3, 2 SV, 2.14) came from Kinheim, while younger pitchers RHP Leon de Bijl (1-0, 2.00) and Kevin Heijstek (0-0, 4.50) were moved up from DOOR Tridents, its First Divsion-team. Also acquired was righthander Calvin Maduro, who was a non-roster player of Mr. Cocker HCAW, as he played professionally in the States last season.
Re-joining Neptunus from Sparta/Feyenoord, with whom the club has a working agreement, were 1B Jeffrey Arends (.264, 15 RBI) and IF Benjamin Dille (.295, 15 RBI). Added from Tridents were catchers Lennart Koster (.111, 1 RBI) and Sape Wagenaar (.188, 9 RBI), who already played for the big league-team briefly last year.
Another player coming back to Neptunus is veteran an national team-player Johnny Balentina (.277, 23 RBI, 1 HR), who last season played for Kinheim. He will be on Neptunus' roster for a third period. After making his debut with the club in 1990, the catcher/outfielder also played for the Rotterdam-team between 1992-1999.
Neptunus also added outfielder Jurriaan Korff (.252, 18 RBI), who played for Instant Holland Almere '90 in 2006 and OF Rogearvin Bernadina, who officially was on the memberlist of Sparta/Feyenoord, but is playing professionally in the States the last few seasons.
Besides the player moves, Ben Thijssen, the team's 3B and Hitting Coach also left, as he was named Head Coach of Corendon Kinheim. Returning to the Neptunus-organization is Steve Janssen, who will serve as the new 3B Coach, as well as Pitching Coach. Janssen has coached for Tridents and was Pitching Coach for the Dutch National Team until last years European Championship in the Czech Republic.

Outlook 2006

...Rob Cordemans... (Photo: Saskia Berkel)

Pitching
RHP Rob Cordemans, who has played his entire big league-career with Neptunus and last year was the league's Best Pitcher, will wear the shirt of ADO in 2006, meaning Neptunus has to do without its ace this year. RHP and Closer Robin van Doornspeek, who made his debut in a Neptunus-uniform last season, left after only one season and also will play for ADO this season.

...Diegomar Markwell... (Photo: Ron Wicklert)

LHP Diegomar Markwell (6-3, 2.28) will return to Rotterdam, unless he signs a professional contract in the States. But when Markwell comes back, he will be the new pitching ace.
Gregory Gustina, another lefthander, who last year made his national team-debut, comes to Rotterdam from Kinheim and also will be one of the starters. Rookie righthander Kevin Heijstek probably will be the third starter in the rotation.
RHP Martijn Nijhoff (4-2, 5.31) will be used as middle reliever, but also is available as starting pitcher, while LHP Jan Naterop (3-3, 2 SV, 2.97) will be in the bull-pen all games. ,,He can pitch everyday'', Jan Collins, one of the three coaches with Neptunus.
Ferenc Jongejan, the fourth lefthander in the Neptunus pitching-staff, almost surely will make his comeback on the mound this season and then be used as closer. A professional career in the States, he reached Triple-A with the Chicago Cubs, was cut short because of an injury and he didn't pitch the entire season last year.
Veteran RHP Ken Brauckmiller (0-0, 1.35), who came out of retirement at the end of last season and appeared in three games, will be available again most of the season this year. ,,Ken just is crazy about this game and will be available completely, so he propably will be used in relief, but he can also start when needed'', says Collins.
Neptunus has two more pitching options. Australian RHP Tom Becker (1-0, 0.79) is still a member of the club. Last year, he was brought back to pitch during part of the season and the European Cup. Also on its roster is RHP Calvin Maduro, who last year played professionally in the New York Yankees-organization, but currently has no contract. In 2004, he made his Dutch debut with Mr. Cocker HCAW and also pitched for the Dutch national team. Collins: ,,Tom Becker indeed is an option, as is Calvin Maduro when he has no contract''.

Catching
Sape Wagenaar and Lennart Koster, two young players will share the catching spot, which was left vacated when veteran Maikel Benner left for ADO.
Both played in the national junior team the last few years. ,,They are both very talented'', Catching Coach Jan Collins said. ,,If needed we always have veteran Johnny Balentina as a back-up.''

Infield
Last years championship starting infield will have to without 1B Percy Isenia, one of six players that opted to go to ADO.

...IF Evert-Jan 't Hoen... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Probable Line-Up 2006 Starters-RHP Leon de Bijl, LHP Gregory Gustina, RHP Kevin Heijstek, LHP Diegomar Markwell Relievers-RHP Ken Brauckmiller, LHP Jan Naterop, RHP Martijn Nijhoff Closer-LHP Ferenc Jongejan C-Sape Wagenaar / Lennart Koster 1B-Jeffrey Arends / Evert-Jan 't Hoen 2B-Benjamin Dille / Evert-Jan 't Hoen 3B-Evert-Jan 't Hoen / Jeroen Sluijter SS-Raily Legito OF-Johnny Balentina / Melfried Comenencia / Jurriaan Korff / Lennart Koster / Sape Wagenaar DH-experienced players

Neptunus got 1B Jeffrey Arends back from Sparta/Feyenoord and he will take over at first base. In 2004, Arends already filled in for Isenia when he was injured. When Isenia returned for the 2005 season, Arends went to Sparta/Feyenoord, with whom Neptunus has a working agreement.
At second base, Benjamin Dille, another former Neptunian who played for Sparta/Feyenoord last season, will see action. Veteran Evert-Jan 't Hoen (.297, 35 RBI, 3 HR) will share both first and second base with Arends and Dille, as he will be used as in Utility Infielder and also will see action on third base and as Designated Hitter.
At third base, Evert-Jan 't Hoen will share the position with regular third baseman Jeroen Sluijter (.213, 17 RBI, 0 HR).
Starting at short stop is again Raily Legito (.343, 32 RBI, 1 HR). Neptunus lost back-up infielder Roel Koolen to Kinheim.

Outfield
It will be a strange sight when the Outfielders take the field without regulars Dirk van 't Klooster and Harvey Monte. The experienced Van 't Klooster, who played in centerfield and rightfield, will play for Corendon Kinheim this season, so Neptunus has not only to without its best hitter of last season, but also the league's leading hitter and most valuable player. Monte, who also shared rightfield and centerfield, is one of the players that went to ADO.
Only Melfried Comenencia (.259, 17 RBI, 0 HR), who primarily played in leftfield, remains from last years outfield and will get company from newcomers Jurriaan Korff and veteran Johnny Balentina, who is coming back for his third stint with the team from Rotterdam.
,,We haven't decided yet who will play in centerfield'', Coach Jan Collins said. ,,Youngsters Sape Wagenaar and Lennart Koster probably also will be used in the outfield.''
Neptunus also saw back-up outfielder and DH Brian Larmonie leave. He will play in Germany this year.
One of the newcomers to Neptunus is Rogearvin Bernadina, who played briefly in the Dutch big league for Sparta/Feyenoord, but will return to the States this year to continue his professional career. Collins: ,,Bernadina currently plays in Venezuela and in the case he is without a contract in the States, he will be one of out outfielders''.

Designated Hitter
Infielders Evert-Jan 't Hoen and Jeroen Sluijter also will be used this season as Designated Hitter.
Collins: ,,We want to use experienced players as Designated Hitter''.

...Jan Collins... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

General
Jan Collins: ,,A lot of people had problems with the fact that a lot of players left us after last season, but I don't have any problems with that. Some of those players said that they wanted to have another challenge. I cannot look into their minds. It's their choice. I think, it will be fun to do something else and work with younger guys. The last few years, I already knew after two innings that we would won a game. This new situation will make us coaches and players more sharper, more focussed. Of course, we will miss the best pitcher in Rob and the best hitter of the league in Dirk. We will have to take care of that. We will have to work harder, but I think it will be a fun-season again. Because of this, the competition will only be better. Yes, this year will be different, it will not go automatically anymore. We will have to remain concentrated right from the start and have to be more on guard for all opponents.
Offensively, we didn't bunt that much the last seasons, sometimes in the late innings. Now, I will use all weapons, bunting, hit-and-run. I will use all tricks trying to move runners and score runs. It will be different this season. Defensively, our infield will be tight and solid with Evert-Jan, Jeroen and Raily. We will have young catchers and we hope the pitching will do good.
A plus for this team is that during all indoor practices so far, everyone was there. That means that all (new) players can get used to each other. Raily is working a lot with the younger players, he's a great guy and will have a leading role this season.
We might have a problem when someone gets injured, as we have a small selection. But there are no plans to add a foreign player. We don't want to have too much players on our roster. I think we have a solid team.
The three coaches are talking a lot with each other. We know what we have, there are no discussions''.

Who will reach the Play-Offs?
Collins: ,,We have to work harder, but for sure, Neptunus will be one of the four teams. Kinheim and HCAW also will reach the Play-Offs. I'm not sure about the fourth team, either ADO or Pioniers or maybe Almere''.

DOOR Neptunus opens the season on the road against Amsterdam Pirates on Saturday, April 15.
Neptunus' first home game will be on Sunday, April 16 when Pirates comes to Rotterdam.

Neptunus-related transfer stories
Changes in players at Neptunus. (October 11)
Steve Janssen joins Neptunus-staff. (October 14)
Cordemans, Monte also leave Neptunus. (October 20)
Four national team-players join Kinheim. (October 24)
Three veterans leave Sparta/Feyenoord. (October 31)
Neptunus, Kinheim add active pros. (October 31)

COMING UP ON SATURDAY PART TWO: MR. COCKER HCAW

other episodes:
Part Two: Mr. Cocker HCAW (January 21)
Part Three: Konica Minolta Pioniers (February 4)
Part Four: Sparta/Feyenoord (March 2)
Part Five: ADO (March 11)
Part Six: Corendon Kinheim (March 19)
Part Seven: Amsterdam Pirates (March 27)
Part Eight: Instant Holland Almere '90 (April 11)

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