It was fifty-five years ago that the Cuban representative Elefantes de Cienfuegos won the last Caribbean Series in which the island participated. After Fidel Castro overthrew the regime of dictator Bautista, the island withdrew from the tournament, making it disappear for ten years. In 1970 the series were reborn and the Dominican Republic took Cuba’s…
After years without a Cuban representative the Caribbean Series added a Cuban team to the lineup of teams in 2014. Cuba lost all games but one and did not reach the semi-finals. This year the Cubans sent their national champion Pinar de Rio. But unlike last year, this year’s Cuban team was heavily fortified with…
This morning I read at Fox Sports.com that the new MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is willing to open the door of Cooperstown for Pete Rose. Normally Pete Rose would have been a fix for the Hall of Fame, but in his role as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, he bet on games in which his…
You could wait for this after the St. Louis Cardinals bought their AAA Pacific Coast League franchise last year. The Memphis Redbirds have changed their logo into a more Cardinal like one. I know that I have not been too keen on adopting the parent club’s identity in the recent past, but I think this…
In the previous edition of Baseball in the Netherlands: Not always a story about heroics, I wrote about the upcoming special meeting of AdoLakers from the Hague. The club got into financial trouble and the members had to vote about the future of the club. Well that special meeting was last night. The outcome? 2/3…
After two years in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball League) Andruw Jones is trying to sign a deal with a Major League team. According to his agent Scott Bora$$, at least two teams have shown interest. The 37-year old outfielder probably has to settle with a minor league deal. In two years with the Tohoku…
With spring training around the corner, I thought it would be nice to give an overview of Dutch and Netherlands Antillian players who play in the US at various levels. I will drag those players into the spotlight that play on MLB, AAA, AA, A Advanced, A Full Season, A Short Season and Rookie (Appalachian…
Rick van den Hurk arrived in Japan yesterday to join his new team, the Softbank Hawks from Fukuoka. Shortly after his arrival he joined a training session and introduced himself to his new team members. Today the six time Japnanese champion organized a press conference to introduce the 29-year old Dutch RHP. During the last…
The first signs of a thawed relationship between Cuba and the USA are getting visible. Tim Bennett is negotiating with a Cuban delegation to play a few exhibition games vs Cuban teams. The intention is to have two Cuban teams to come over to Biloxi. The intention is to play the games in late summer…
In an article built around an interview with the Baltimore Sun, previous commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig, said the following: After nearly 22 1/2 years that began with unprecedented labor unrest, unfolded with rapid innovation and ended with unparalleled prosperity,he predicted a future filled with more transformation, perhaps with expansion to other countries….
