L&D Amsterdam Pirates signs Joey Bats
In desperate need of an extra outfielder, L&D Amsterdam Pirates made a bold move by hauling in José Bautista and bolster their lineup for the 2018 season. The move can be explained by the thin number of outfielders after Gilmer Lampe left for Fortitudo Bologna and Kalian Sams will head to Canada again soon.
According to the L&D Amsterdam Pirates spokesman, Bautista will be a major reinforcement. Not only is he a major home run threat, he will be also a formidable force in right field with a strong arm. Even though José just hit a modest .203 last season, he was still able to mash 23 long balls.
You may wonder why Bautista opted for the Netherlands instead of countries like Japan or Korea, where he can earn a lot more. When asked, Bautista replied: “I am a multi-millionaire already, so I don’t need the money anymore. I want to see the world and play in a different culture. And since I am a big admirer of Dutch masters like Van Gogh and Rembrandt, Amsterdam is the perfect place for me as art hotbed. Besides that, I thought it would be fun to play for the Dutch namesake of the club where my professional baseball career started.”
When asked what the expectations will be, the L&D Amsterdam Pirates spokesperson said: “We all know that the level of the Dutch hoofdklasse doesn’t come close to that of the Major League. Even though José never surpassed .300, he must be able to hit .300 in the Netherlands at least. His power bat will be a tremendous threat for Dutch pitchers.”
In the Majors, Bautista is a .250 lifetime hitter with a slugging percentage of .480.
Bautista is expected to join the team mid-April.
Oh, when you tend to believe this blog post, look at today’s date.