(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Fred Versluis & Marco Stoovelaar)
 Karin Tuk MVP, Dagmar Bloeming Best Pitcher, more awards
Nederlands
...Karin Tuk...
...Most Valuable Player, Best Hitter, Most Homeruns...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Karin Tuk is the Most Valuable Player of the 2014 season in the Dutch big league and Dagmar Bloeming is this years Best Pitcher.
Both played for Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem.
It marks the sixth consecutive year that the Most Valuable Player comes from Sparks Haarlem.
The winners were announced tonight (Saturday-evening, December 13) during the Star Awards at the Van der Valk Hotel Rotterdam-Blijdorp in Rotterdam during the annual European Baseball & Softball Coach Clinic of the KNBSB.
It was the sixth time, the awards were handed out in Rotterdam, but the first time in the Van der Valk Hotel.
Tonight, the best baseball-players also were honored.
Also tonight, Robert Eenhoorn was honored by the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB).
In October, Eenhoorn left as Technical Director to become the General Manager of AZ (professional soccer).
For his great contribution to Dutch baseball, Eenhoorn was named Honorary Member of the KNBSB, which was handed out by Acting President Frits Mulder.
He also got the Erasmusspeld of the City of Rotterdam.
(photo gallery Star Awards)
It marks the first time in history that the MVP and Best Pitcher are coming from the same club in four consecutive years.
In 2011, Areke Spel (MVP) and Kirsten Scheele (Pitcher) were crowned, in 2012 Nathalie Gosewehr (MVP) and Dagmar Bloeming (Pitcher).
Last year, the honors went to Leigh Godfrey and Rebecca Soumeru.
Karin Tuk this season led the league in batting average (.548), slugging average (1.113), on base average (.652), runs batted in (45), homeruns (9) and total bases (69).
It is the sixth year in a row that a player of Sparks Haarlem is named Most Valuable Player.
The previous MVPs coming from Sparks Haarlem were Marloes Fellinger (2009), Kim Kluijskens (2010), Areke Spel (2011), Nathalie Gosewehr (2012) and Leigh Godfrey (2013).
Also nominated were Jessie van Aalst (Hotel Ambassador Haarlem Terrasvogels), Dinet Oosting (FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem) and Chelsea Schoenfeldt (UVV).
Dagmar Bloeming was named Best Pitcher for the second time in her career.
She also won in 2012.
Bloeming remained unbeaten and led the league in ERA (0.52) and won the most games (15), while finishing in second place with 99 strikeouts.
Also nominated were Lindsey Meadows (FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem), Kirsten Scheele (Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem) and Ginger de Weert (Hotel Ambassador Haarlem Terrasvogels), who also were nominated last year.
...Dagmar Bloeming...
...Best Pitcher...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
As mentioned, Karin Tuk had the best batting average of the season, finishing with a .548 average (34-for-62).
For the first time in history, the Best Hitter comes from the same club in four consecutive years.
Last year, Sparks Haarlem had equaled that record, which was set by Terrasvogels in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
In 2011, Areke Spel was the Best Hitter, in 2012 Virginie Anneveld and last season Leigh Godfrey.
Karin Tuk again won the trophy for hitting the most homeruns.
After setting a season-record with 10 in 2013, the catcher hit nine this season.
It is the third year in a row that she leads the league in this category.
It also marks the sixth year in a row that the Homerun Queen comes from the same club.
...Chantal Versluis...
...Holland Series MVP & Most Stolen Bases...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
Chantal Versluis (Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem) again stole the most bases.
This year, she stole 24 bases, after having set a new league-record with 43 last year.
Versluis won the award for the fifth consecutive season and sixth time in the last seven years.
She also won in 2008, then teammate Saskia Kosterink won in 2009.
And so, the stolen base award went to a player of Sparks Haarlem for the seventh year in a row.
After completion of this years Holland Series, Chantal Versluis of Dutch champion Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem was named Series MVP.
Her award was handed out tonight, but as she was abroad, the award was picked up by teammate Maxime van Dalen.
The Egbert van der Sluis Memorial Trophy for Best National Team Player under 23 went to Jessie van Aalst of Hotel Ambassador Haarlem Terrasvogels.
Two years ago, she made her debut in the Netherlands National Team.
After missing part of the 2013 season due to an injury, this year she became an important player, not only for Terrasvogels, but also for the National Team.
During the World Championship in August, she earned a starting position and became the number 3 batter in the line-up.
Jessie was also nominated tonight for the MVP Award.
Quincey Castburg (DSS) won the Riet Vermaat Trophy for best junior-pitcher, while Isa Los (Tex Town Tigers) was named best junior-player, winning the Bep van Beijmerwerdt Trophy.
The Nol Houtkamp Award is handed out annually to someone who is involved in player development for many years.
This year, the award went to two persons, Fred Remmers and Bart van Knegsel.
The duo won the award for their involvement in a special project, involving the Dutch National Teams (Oranje BV), creating a new competition-format and developing new ideas.
Juni Francisca was named Coach of the Year.
This season, Francisca led Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem to the Dutch championship and also won the European Cup Winners Cup in Italy.
The team remained unbeaten in the entire season!
It was the second time that Francisca won the award, he also won in 2011.
Also tonight, the Slugger was handed out for the first time again since 1999.
The Slugger is the highest recognition of the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) for a person, or group, or organisation for promotional activiies.
The award was handed to the Organizing Committee of the World Championship Softball Women, which was held in Haarlem (Netherlands) in August.
...Juni Francisca...
...Coach of the Year... | 
...Jessie van Aalst...
...Egbert van der Sluis Memorial... | 
...Quincey Catsburg...
...Riet Vermaat Trophy... |
| (© Photo: Fred Versluis) | (© Photos: Marco Stoovelaar) |
PHOTO GALLERY STAR AWARDS
(December 13)
|
