- Pioniers
-
Konica Minolta Pioniers League Honkbal Hoofdklasse Location Hoofddorp Ballpark Sportpark Toolenburg Year Founded 1966 League championships None 2010 22-20, .524 (4th place) Lost Holland Series to Kinheim Uniforms Pioniers is a baseball and softball team based in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. The club is currently sponsored by Raamsdonkveer-based construction company Vaessen BV and the team is officially known as the Vaessen Pioniers.[1]
Pioniers baseball team plays in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the top level of professional baseball in the Netherlands. The club's most successful year was 1997 they reached the Holland Series for the first time in the club's history by beating reigning champions DOOR Neptunus in the play-offs. In the Holland Series they claimed a 3-2 victory over Mr. Cocker HCAW, making them Dutch champions. In 2006 Pioniers finished third in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse and were just like in 1997 able to upset Neptunus in the play-offs, gaining themselves entrance to the 2006 Holland Series.[2] In those series they twice took the lead, to eventually lose to Corendon Kinheim 3-2.
The team is attempting to attract three Major League Baseball regular season games for the opening of its new stadium in 2014. The stadium will be capable of expanding to temporarily accommodate 30,000.[3]
Current roster
Vaessen Pioniers roster - 2011 Honkbal Hoofdklasse seasonCatchers
- 19 Mark Duursma
- 49 Skip Visser
Infielders
- 7 Zerzinho Croes
- 17 Kevin Dirksen
- 8 Michael Duursma
- 30 Dé Flanegin
- 2 Mervin Gario
- 15 Norbert Lokhorst
- 18 Mark-Jan Moorman
- 11 Jason Orman
Outfielders
- 27 Linoy Croes
- 23 Tino van Erk
- 10 Nik Gumeson
- 24 Jefferson Muzo
Manager
- 32 Robert Klaver
Coaches
- 26 Peter Barentsen
- 13 Theo Geerman
External links
References
- ^ "New Main Sponsor for Hoofddorp Pioniers." Mister-Baseball.com. March 19, 2011. Accessed March 22, 2011. http://www.mister-baseball.com/main-sponsor-hoofddorp-pioniers/
- ^ 2006 Holland Series, at honkbalsite.com
- ^ van Nes, Pim. "MLB: 'Netherlands in Pole Position for first Major League game in Europe.'" Mister-Baseball.com. March 22, 2011. Accessed March 22, 2011. http://www.mister-baseball.com/mlb-netherlands-pole-position-major-league-game-europe/
Honkbal Hoofdklasse 2009 • 2010 • 2011Current teams ADO Den Haag • Corendon Kinheim • L&D Amsterdam • DOOR Neptunus • Mr. Cocker HCAW • Sparta/Feyenoord • UVV Utrecht • Vaessen PioniersRelated baseball leagues Honkbal Rookie League • Honkbal OvergangsklasseThis article about sports in the Netherlands is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.