 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) - L&D Amsterdam, the big league-team of the Amsterdam Pirates Club, opened its new campaign with a convincing 13-2 victory vs. ADO, but initially faced a 2-0 deficit after a shaky first inning.
...Former Skating World Champion and Olympian participant...
...Jeroen Straathof throws out the ceremonial first pitch...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Before the game, the club traditionally opened the new season with the introduction of the players of both ADO and Amsterdam. Hereafter, Fausto Álvarez Rizo and Sidney de Jong were honored. After last season, Álvarez was named the Most Valuable Player of the Dutch big league and already was the Homerun King. However, he was not able to attend the Awards Ceremony in Nieuwegein in December, so he now received his awards. De Jong was honored for being named to the All Star Team of the World Cup in Taiwan in November as the Best Catcher of the tournament.
The ceremonial first pitch was then thrown by former speedskater and cyclist Jeroen Straathof, the first athlete in the world to participate in the Olympic Summer Games, Olympic Winter Games and Paralympics. He currently is a member of the Athletes Commission of the Dutch Olympic Committee.
ADO initially took a 2-0 lead in the first at bat, but Amsterdam turned the game around in the third bat. The team collected 17 basehits, led by Wesley Connor and Fausto Álvarez Rizo, who both went 4-for-4. Both also homered, while Álvarez added two doubles. Combined, they scored seven runs and had five RBI's. For Connor it was his first big league-season since 2004. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Connor played professionally in the organization of the Minnesota Twins, but was released after last season. Álvarez started his third season with the Amsterdam-club and became the oldest player ever to play in the Dutch big league. With his 47 years and five months, Álvarez breaks the record, which was set in 1992 when former Major League-pitcher Stan Bahnsen pitched for Haarlem Nicols and opened the season at 47 years and four months. Bahnsen pitched 16 seasons in the Majors between 1966 and 1982 for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Montreal Expos, California Angels and Philadelphia Phillies and was the 1968 American League Rookie of the Year. While pitching for Nicols, Bahnsen finished with a 3-8 record, appearing in 16 games. The only still active player who faced Bahnsen in the 1992 season is Ralph Milliard, who plays for Mr. Cocker HCAW. Eight other players from that season, are currently active in the Dutch big league as a coach.
The crowded opening game began shaky for the home team, as ADO scored twice in the first at bat. Lead-off batter Quensley Bazoer popped up the ball to short, but there new short stop Marvin Bleij (who last year played for ADO) dropped the ball. Bazoer then advanced on a sac-bunt by Dimitri Leon. Next, Amsterdam-starter Kenny Berkenbosch hit Haily de Palm with a pitch in his first-ever big league at bat. Berkenbosch recovered by striking out Bobbie van Duuren, but after Bazoer had stolen third base, he walked Michel Korzeniewski. Dave Steward, the son of ADO's new Head Coach Ron Steward, then followed with a 2-run double to give ADO an early lead, but the inning ended when Korzeniewski was thrown out at the plate, as he also was waved home, trying to score.
...Powerful tandem: Wesley Connor & Fausto Álvarez Rizo...
...8-for-8, 2 doubles, 2 homeruns, 7 Runs, 5 RBI's...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Amsterdam reacted right away in their first at bat. Wesley Connor led off with an infield-hit and advanced on a sac-bunt by Maikel Benner. After Sidney de Jong flied out, Ryan Murphy reached on a fielding error by short stop Dimitri Leon. With runners on first and third base, Fausto Álvarez Rizo singled into short centerfield, resulting in a run, but as centerfielder Quensley Bazoer led the ball pass by him, Murphy advanced to third base and might even had a scoring chance, but was stopped at third base. The inning then ended when Bas de Jong grounded out.
Amsterdam took charge of the game with a 4-run rally in the third inning and it again started with Wesley Connor. The centerfielder led off with a single, stole second base, then scored the tying run when an error was made on a grounder by Maikel Benner (who also played for ADO last season). With two outs, Fausto Álvarez Rizo doubled and Bas de Jong followed with a single, bringing in two runs to give Pirates a 4-2 lead. After Marvin Bleij walked, the fourth run in the inning was scored by De Jong on a single by Roy Harteveld, which happened shortly before Bleij was tagged out at third base, trying to advance.
In the fourth inning, Wesley Connor hit an one-out homerun, then Amsterdam added two runs in the fifth inning. Fausto Álvarez Rizo led off with a double, then Bas de Jong walked. Marvin Bleij followed with an RBI-single, which marked the end for ADO-starter Alex Smith. His reliever Erik Remmerswaal (who last season pitched for Instant Holland Almere '90) started with a double play-grounder, but that enabled De Jong to score a run and increase the lead to 8-2.
Another productive at bat followed in the sixth inning, as the home team scored five runs. Again, it was Wesley Connor, who set things into motion. He hit his third lead-off single in the game, then scored when Maikel Benner drove the ball into rightfield for an RBI-triple. Benner then scored himself on an infield-hit by Sidney de Jong, which bounced away from third baseman Jaďr Roseburg. Next, Ryan Murphy doubled and Fausto Álvarez Rizo followed with a 3-run homerun to deep centerfield to make it 13-2.
After scoring twice in the first inning, ADO reached base eight more times. Seven of these batters stranded (the eighth was forced out). In the second inning, Amsterdam-starter Kenny Berkenbosch hit Rodrinov Faries on the leftside of his helmet, but then retired the next eight batters in order. After being hit Faries was a little dizzy and left the game out of precaution, but afterwards, he was doing OK. In the fourth, Berkenbosch gave up two singles with two outs, but then ended the at bat with a strikeout. In the sixth, Michel Korzeniewski led off with a double and Gregory Hassell walked with one out. Korzeniewski then became ADO's lone runner to reach third base after the first inning when he advanced on a flyout, but was left behind after a groundout. In the seventh, Dimitri Leon doubled with one out, but then Berkenbosch retired two pinch-hitters to end the game, which was stopped because of the 10-run mercy rule.
(April 12)
Box Score
...Opening Day 2008 in Amsterdam...
(Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
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