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| MAKE THE DUTCH NATIONAL TEAM = YOUR OWN WHEELS... |
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| FORMER DODGER PROSPECTHAS ALSO PLAYED IN HOLLAND'S BASEBALL LEAGUE THAT HAS 10 TEAMS |
How
it that one of the smallest countries in Europe, Holland, has the most developed baseball program on the entire continent? Try
a combination of factors, including the best facilities; better coaches; and a little Caribbean influence, to name a few.
MLB scouts are eating up the talent being produced by the Dutch, which in baseball
circles is influenced by Curacao, the Caribbean island that has produced Andruw Jones. Curacao, like Aruba, is an independent
colony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which means there’s a tropical rub in Holland. You can learn more about baseball
in the Netherlands in World in a Ballpark: Baseball Goes Global, which is available for purchase at the Buy Joe's Guides page. The Netherlands is a regular participant in the World Baseball Classic, and the Kingdom is no stranger to global events, having hosted multiple events at different venues, the most outstanding
being in Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Haarlem – sites that also play host to the country’s baseball league that features
10 teams. Currently, there are about a half-dozen players raised
in Holland playing in the U.S. Minor Leagues, with more sure to follow. There's plenty more in the U.S. Minor Leagues
from Curacao and Aruba. You
can see Joe's other Europe photos by traveling to these links: European Feast; Baseball Italia; The British Are Coming!; Czech Republic This Out; French Connection; Do You Speak German?; Luck Of The Irish; From Russia, With Love; Spanish Passport and Swiss Cheese! If you want to
view a sample of the guide and how easy the guide works, visit the World Baseball Classic page. We hope
you enjoy this collage of baseball – Dutch style!
| OFTEN, THE CHAMPIONS: ROTTERDAM'S DOOR NEPTUNUS... |
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| ...ROTTERDAM, AMSTERDAM AND HAARLEM HAVE THE BEST TEAMS AND FACILITIES IN THE NETHERLANDS |
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| BALLPARK BAR IN AMSTERDAM HONORS A LOCAL... |
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| RIKKERT FANEYTE IS ONE OF ONLY A FEW DUTCH-BORN TO MAKE IT TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES |
| HONKBAL MUSEUM: DUTCH HISTORY ON DISPLAY |
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| IN HAARLEM, YOU CAN RETRACE THE GAME IN THE NETHERLANDS BACK TO THE EARLY 1900s |
| (below left) EVERT JAN HOEN, LATE OF THE ANGELS... |
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| (above right) ANOTHER LATE PROSPECT: KENNY BERKENBOSCH, A MINOR LG. PITCHER |
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| JOE GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE FORMER GIANT... |
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| EX-CENTERFIELDER PLAYED WITH BARRY BONDS |
| DUTCH BASEBALL DATES BACK A CENTURY... |
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| CHECK OUT THESE MATES SPORTING THESE OUTFITS! MORE SUITED FOR RUGBY! |
| LITTLE LEAGUE=PEANUT LEAGUE IN HOLLAND |
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| AS THIS PICTURE INDICATES, THEY START 'EM SMALL, DUTCH-SIDE |
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