Comments on: Rick VandenHurk plans to sign with a “foreign club”

By: cktai

cktai — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:14:08 +0000

*Stats are incomplete from 1999 to 2012. I could only find the win-loss records of 1999-2000, 2002-2003, and 2005-2012; the ER’s, K’s and IP for 2003, 2005-2012

By: cktai

cktai — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:11:06 +0000

Despite only having 8 teams, there is quite a big gap in talent in the Dutch baseball league, between players but also between teams. The regular season champions usually get a win% of over 75%, sometimes as high as 90%.

In terms of players, Rob Cordemans, probably the best pitcher in the league, has a 108-20 record with a 1.05 ERA and 9.65 K/9*. He was a succesful college pitcher before returning to the Netherlands.

Some of the best players in the league have played AAA (Gene Kingsale, Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen) or AA (Vince Rooi, Danny Rombley, Leon Boyd, Diego Markwell). the worst would probably struggle to keep up with Rookie leagues.

The thing is that you cannot really play professional baseball here. Attendance in the biggest games is about 1000. You will get some financial compensation for playing, but not enough to go without a full-time job on the side.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 18:31:01 +0000

Not sure what promises residents of Port Huron Michigan actually make. From our side of the border, it does not look like the promised land.

By: historiophiliac

historiophiliac — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 18:07:31 +0000

You mean “the promised land.” lol

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 18:04:22 +0000

No, but one of my cousin’s has a beach front house at the bottom end of Lake Huron and can see the State of Michigan from her back yard.

By: historiophiliac

historiophiliac — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:59:33 +0000

Can you see Comerica from your house?

By: jwbiii

jwbiii — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:16:09 +0000

VandenHurk to Korea with the Samsung Lions.
http://www.mykbo.net/KBO_news/january5thsrandomkbonews

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 13:36:44 +0000

….and a brain from a jar marked “Abbie Normal.”

By: samu0034

samu0034 — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 13:33:22 +0000

I think it’s probably more accurate to say that there is A Dutch baseball league. I bet 80% of people in Holland don’t even know that the league exists. There are 8 teams, they play a 42 game season. It’s probably the best league in Europe, so I’m not saying I could play for them, but good High School players in the US certainly could. Bert Blyleven (and I guess Vandenhurk) being the notable exception, a lot of the good Dutch players are from the Dutch protectorate countries in the Caribbean (e.g. Andruw Jones from Curacao).

By: brazcubas

brazcubas — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 13:28:42 +0000

It’s a shame when players fail to live up to their name. Rick VandenHurk sounds as if he should be as dominant as Randy Johnson, but with C.C. Sabathia’s body type and John Kruk’s beard and mullet.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 12:56:38 +0000

Nice try, but as far as I am concerned there 29 foreign teams in MLB.

By: blacksables

blacksables — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 12:01:10 +0000

There’s an excellent Dutch baseball league. That’s why they were able to beat the Domincans twice in the last World Baseball Classic and advance to the second round.

But he’s not going to get paid at the same level as he will somewhere else.

By: tuberippin

tuberippin — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 06:00:21 +0000

Is there a Dutch baseball league?

If so, he could be their Bert Blyleven.

By: historiophiliac

historiophiliac — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 05:14:00 +0000

Toronto then?