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 was a participant in the World Baseball Classic, and the kingdom is no stranger to global events, having hosted the 2005 amateur World Cup at five 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!
