IN MEMORIAM ...Fred Pasman... (1955 - 2026) (© Photo: Private Photo)

Former Dutch softball-coach Fred Pasman passed away
Nederlands

HEERHUGOWAARD (Neth.) - Fred Pasman, who was a passionate softball-coach for several years, has passed away on Saturday, January 17 at the age of 70 in his home-town Heerhugowaard. Pasman, who unfortunately battled health-problems in recent years, led the women's softball-teams of Wassenaar and Amsterdam Pirates in the Dutch big league and DSS in the First Division.

The memorial-ceremony for Fred Pasman was held on Saturday, January 24 in Heerhugowaard.

Unfortunately, this marks the fifth time in two weeks that the Dutch baseball/softball-community had to say goodbye to a wellknown person.
On Wednesday, January 7, Netherlands Team-coach and former player Sidney de Jong unexpectedly passed away at the much too young age of 46. On Thursday, January 8, baseball-legend Hamilton Richardson passed away at age 85. On Sunday, January 11, Carlos van Heyningen, a legendary player from the 70s/80s-era, passed away at age 75. And also on Saturday, January 17, sports-journalist Monne Reitsma passed away at the far too young age of 55.

Frederik (Fred) Pasman was born on May 29, 1955 in The Hague. In this city, Fred began playing baseball at age 10 at local club Laakkwartier. Fred was a longtime player and became very involved in this club, where he was a contributor for some thirty years. Fred played in the main baseball-team, which he also coached, and served as chairman of the club's board. And he helped coaching the club's softball-team. Eventually, coaching softball would become a prime activity of Fred, who loved being on a field, working with players and sharing his knowledge. But when he first was approached to coach a softball-team at the national level, he not only had never done so before, he also had not much softball-experience.

How did it all began?
After the 1986 season and en route to the competition in 1987, the women's softball-team of Amsterdam Pirates was in search of a new coach. Wim Joost, who passed away in December 2023, had led the Pirates-team in 1985 and 1986 in the national First Division, but had to step down due to busy working commitments, which he couldn't anymore with coaching. Amongst the players in the Pirates-team in these two seasons was Carla van Wissen, who had played for Wassenaar before coming to Amsterdam. When Pirates still had no coach in March 1987, she suggested Fred, who was her boss at work in a postal office in The Hague and of whom she knew played baseball and coached at Laakkwartier. And so, then Pirates-chairman Henk van Ede contacted Pasman.

In the 'Pirates Year in Review 1987', which then was compiled annually by Kees van Vegten, Marco Stoovelaar and Ger Lange, Fred Pasman looked back to this telephone-call and his unexpected beginning in softball. Fred: ,,With the chairman of Pirates in Amsterdam. We got your name through word of mouth. We're without a coach for our first women's team, perhaps we could get to know each other better and discuss a few things. I hung up the phone, and there I was, a bewildered Hague native. Was it all a joke? I drove to Amsterdam the next day anyway. It was true! After a few conversations with the board, everything was arranged smoothly. Now I just needed a meeting with the players. They must have thought, what are we going to do? Someone who knows little to nothing about softball. A Hague accent, can we understand that? Let's give it a try. We agreed on mutual respect and honesty. During my vacation (before the season), I secretly brought some softball books with me. I started training and coaching in mid-April, two weeks before the start of the season!"

...The softball-team of Amsterdam Pirates that promoted... ...to the highest league in 1988; Fred stands 3rd from right... ...Back: Els Dorenbos (Team Scorer), Judith van Erk, Petra Smorenburg,... ...Monique Valies, Irma van Erk, Fred, Monique Geel and Jolanda Blok... ...Front: Carla van Wissen, Ellen de Groot, Marieke Sijmons,... ...Sheritsa Stroop and Laura van Ede; bat-boy is Johnny Gregorius... (© Photo: Archive Amsterdam Pirates/Marco Stoovelaar)

Two months later, halfway June, the Pirates-team is the undefeated league-leader, having won all twelve games played up to that moment!

Fred was the Head Coach of Amsterdam Pirates in 1987 and 1988 when the team again played in the First Division. In the first season, Pirates finished in second place with a 25-10 record, six points behind S.H.E.L.L., also from Amsterdam, which promotes to the big league.

In 1988, Pirates has another good season and is more successful, as the team promotes to the highest league. Pirates opens the season with an 1-0 win (7th inning) in an away-game against Tex Town Tigers. A crucial win, as TTT proved to be the lone contender. In August, Pirates shuts out Run '71 10-0 to capture the title in Pool A of the First Division. Pirates is 29-5 (one tie) and pitcher Marieke Sijmons sets a club-record with 25 wins. The champion in Pool B is Wassenaar.

After the successful 1988 season, Fred Pasman stepped down as coach. In the 'Pirates Year in Review 1988', he explains why. Fred: ,,After careful consideration with the board, I've decided to end my successful, lightning-fast career as a softball-coach at Pirates. I think it's good for everyone to learn to appreciate their own strengths. However, I don't think I'm ready to coach in the big league yet.''

Fred was succeeded by experienced coach Hannie Joosten, who led the Pirates-team in the 1989 big league-season.

The players in Fred's two seasons in Amsterdam were Jolanda Blok, Evelien Bode, Marina Braam, Alice Degens, Laura van Ede, Irma van Erk, Judith van Erk, Monique Geel, Ellen de Groot, Monique Joost, Marie-Susan de Lint, Mirjam Sluijters, Petra Smorenburg, Sheritsa Stroop (the mother of future Major Leaguer Didi Gregorius), Marieke Sijmons, Monique Valies and Carla van Wissen. Els Dorenbos was Team Manager/Scorer, Ger Lange also was Team Scorer in the 1988 season.

Fred returned to Laakkwartier, but after the 1989 season, he was appointed new Head Coach of Wassenaar, which then played in the softball big league. This time, he accepted the opportunity to coach in the highest league. Fred succeeded Jaap Braakman, who had become the new coach of the women's team of Alphians (Second Division), while his assistant Piet Pannen had decided to coach a youth-team of Wassenaar.

In his big league-debut in 1990, Fred, and his assistant Dick Verboon, had a tough season with Wassenaar, due to injuries and several 'bad luck'-games, which resulted in some unnecessary losses. Amongst the players who were sidelined with an injury was pitching-ace Sonja Pannen. In some games, the righthander played while being injured and therefore of course was less effective.

...The softball-team of DSS that promoted to the... ...First Division in 2007; Fred stands at right... ...Back: Werner Angermann (Coach), Tippy Vink, Sonja Pannen, Eva Halman,... ...Marit van Opzeeland, Susanne van Kampen, Barbara van de Sanden,... ...Lesley-Ann Hartman, Mieke van Kampen (Team Scorer) and Fred... ...Front: Vita Angermann, Marinka Gooijer, Marijke van Veen,... ...Jacqueline Wesselink and Stephanie Kensen... (© Photo: Archive DSS/Tippy Vink)

In August, towards the end of the season, Wassenaar finally had a successful double-header when the team faced league-leader DSC '74 (predecessor of Olympia Haarlem) and won twice. In the first game, Ellen Pannen dominated as pitcher. In six innings, she threw a Perfect Game, then gave up two hits in the seventh inning, but Wassenaar recorded a convincing 5-0 shutout-win. The second game stayed scoreless in seven innings. Wassenaar won 1-0 in the ninth inning on a basesloaded, walk-off single by Gitta Pont.

Wassenaar finishes with a 21-24 record and secures its place in the highest league via the Promotion/Relegation Pool. After his first big league-season, Fred Pasman stepped down and was succeeded by Piet Pannen. In the coming years, Fred and Piet would remain close friends and would cross paths frequently on the softball-fields. Their careers would have several resemblances.

Amongst the players in Fred's lone season at Wassenaar were Astrid Bekooy, Judy Grünewald, José Oliehoek, Ellen Pannen, Sonja Pannen, Ellen Parlevliet, Marjolein Pauw, Gitta Pont, Ingrid Schouten, Karina Spanhaak, Carla van Wissen and Karin Zandstra.

Like he did after having coached Amsterdam Pirates in 1987 and 1988, Fred returned to Laakkwartier after his lone season with Wassenaar in 1990. But during the 1994 season, Fred Pasman returned to the big league and to Amsterdam Pirates.

In 1992, former National Softball Team Head Coach Nol Houtkamp led Pirates for the first time. The veteran coach did the same in 1993. But halfway the 1994 season, Pirates and Houtkamp (who passed away in February 2018) separated at the end of June. In July, Carolien Theunissen acted as interim-coach, but from August on, through the remainder of the season, Fred filled in as Acting Head Coach. Pirates finishes in fifth place.

American Todd Fleming was the new Head Coach of Pirates in 1995. However, another separation followed during the 1995 season and again Fred took over as interim-coach for the remainder of the season. This time, Pirates finishes in fourth place to qualify for the Play-Offs, but then is eliminated.

Amongst the players in these two seasons in Amsterdam were Evelien Bode, Judith van Erk, Bianca Hageraats, Jenny Kruijs, Kerensa van der Molen, Sonja Pannen, Cynthia Pieneman, Paulien van Rijnbach, Petra Smorenburg, Karina Spanhaak, Carolien Theunissen and Monique Valies.

...The DSS softball-team in the First Division in 2008; Fred stands at left... ...Back: Fred, Sonja Pannen, Floor Trippelvitz, Lesley-Ann Hartman,... ...Marinka Gooijer, Jacqueline Wesselink, Kimberly Scholtes,... ...Tippy Vink and Werner Angermann (Coach)... ...Front: Marijke van Veen, Yvette Krooder, Judith van Tiel,... ...Fania Konijn and Janeille Nickels... (© Photo: Archive DSS/Tippy Vink)

Somewhere halfway the nineties, Fred moved to Heerhugowaard, where he resided since. With that, he not only left The Hague, but also Laakkwartier, the club where he had been active for some thirty years.

Since he had moved to Heerhugowaard, Fred had not been active in club-coaching for several years, although he overlooked some youth-practices. For some ten years, with his daughter Malu, Fred was overseeing the peanutball (tee-ball) section at The Herons.

In the meantime, Fred had remained in contact with his good friend Piet Pannen and regularly visited softball-games. And then Fred 'came out of retirement' in 2007 after last having coached a club-team in 1995. In 2006, Pannen was the Head Coach of Haarlem-based DSS, while his daughter Sonja was one of the pitchers. Pannen was about to stop after the season. As father and daughter Pannen knew Fred as coach, he was proposed for the vacant position. And so, in 2007, Fred was the Head Coach of DSS, which then played in the Second Division, and was assisted by Werner Angermann. It marked the first time that Fred coached a full season since 1990.

With that, Piet Pannen and Fred Pasman now both had been Head Coach of Wassenaar, Amsterdam Pirates and DSS. Besides that, Sonja Pannen had been the pitching-ace of all three teams. And at all three teams, both her father and Fred had been her coach. Sonja briefly played for the Netherlands Softball Team, including participating in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta (USA), while she played for Pirates.

In his first season back as coach, Fred immediately is successful again. He guides DSS to a 16-6-2 record to capture the title in Pool B of the Second Division and qualify for the Promotion Pool. Second placed Bandadikas Danger II and third placed Sparks Haarlem 2 also qualify. Advancing from Pool A are De Zuidvogels, DVH and Hoofddorp Pioniers. In the Promotion Pool, DSS finishes in second place, four points behind Bandadikas Danger II, which therefore promotes to the First Division. Shortly after completion of the competition, Almere '90 withdraws from the First Division. As second placed team in the Promotion Pool, DSS is approached and asked whether it is interested to fill the vacant spot. DSS accepts and so, the Haarlem-based team also promotes to the First Division.

Pasman and Angermann return in 2008. In that First Division-season, DSS is 23-18 with one tie and finishes in fourth place. After the season, Fred retires and is succeeded by Berend Mannessen. Werner Angermann also steps down. Piet Pannen returns as coach, but this time as assistant of Mannessen. Angermann would return as assistant coach in 2011 when DSS was led by Dennis Presburg.

...Fred in a characteristic pose... (© Photo: Archive DSS/Tippy Vink)

The players in Fred's two seasons in Haarlem were Vita Angermann, Marinka Gooijer, Eva Halman, Lesley-Ann Hartman, Susanne van Kampen, Stephanie Kensen, Fania Konijn, Yvette Krooder, Janeille Nickels, Marit van Opzeeland, Sonja Pannen, Barbara van de Sanden, Kimberly Scholtes, Judith van Tiel, Floor Trippelvitz, Marijke van Veen, Tippy Vink, Jacqueline Wesselink and Michelle Wesselink. Mieke van Kampen was the Team Scorer and of course, club-icons Hélène Angermann (who passed away in 2021) and Peter Vink always were around the team to secure everything was arranged for players, coaches and staff-members.

Besides being a driven and enthusiastic softball-coach, Fred also was an avid hockey-fan. He frequently visited games of HIJS HOKY The Hague in 'De Uithof' in The Hague and later also attended games of Amstel Tigers in the Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam.

After his peculiar entrance in softball in 1987, Fred coached in only five full seasons on the national level, and in parts of two others, in a 22-year span. But in all these seasons, Fred was successful and left a left a positive impression on his players and everyone he worked with. In his five full seasons, he coached 181 games and won 114 of them. Twice he led a team to promotion.

Fred Pasman was a colourful person with a lot of humor. Another characteristic side of him was talking with a very recognizable dialect from The Hague. Fred was very social, always looking after the persons he worked with and taking care of his players. During his stay at DSS, Fred and wife Ada acted as host-family for American player Janeille Nickels, who stayed at their home during the season. In following years, they remained in contact.

Fred will surely be missed by everyone who have known him.

The webmaster of Grand Slam * Stats & News offers his condolences to Fred's wife Ada, son Kevin, daughter Malu, other family and friends and wishes them a lot of strength with this huge loss.

(January 29)

(with thanks to Tippy Vink for additional information and photos of DSS)