With the end of the transaction period in Belgian baseball (just) behind us, it is time to pay attention to the several clubs in Division 1 and to the players they acquired and those who they lost. Today, we pay attention to the nine-time and current Belgian champions Hoboken Pioneers.
After a successful season in which Hoboken Pioneers clinched its third consecutive Belgian title and made it to the finals of the Confederation Cup, in which it lost to Rouen Huskies, the club will lose several players. The most notably are Kenny van den Branden and Thomas de Wolf. But also Michael Somerlinck, a respected member of the team, and talented Toon Hendrickx hung up their spikes. Toon cannot combine playing baseball at the highest Belgian level with obligations at work.
For the rest, the club managed to keep the flagship team together and addressed its needs during the transaction period. The Brussels Kangaroos lost most of its players, and Kevin Desmedt was one of those who could be signed by Hoboken. The submarine pitcher is a good addition to its pitching staff.
Utility player Lucas Rizzi comes over from Brasschaat Braves and is the second player from that club to join Hoboken in a two-year time span.
The third and final addition is Drew Janssen, even though he has played for Hoboken in previous seasons already, after being eliminated in the German championship with his club Heidenheim Heideköpfe. But apparently, Drew has committed to Hoboken for the entire 2023 season. Drew can pitch out of the bullpen and is a valid infielder on the left side.
I would like to thank Pioneers’ manager T.J. Antonacci once again for providing the much-needed information to write this blog post. Your help is appreciated as always.
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