[Oranjestad] For the first year we will feature baseball players from the Netherlands who are playing in MLB (Major League Baseball).
The Netherlands is located in Europe; however, it has six countries in the Caribbean that are part of their governing system. Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire are known as the ABC Islands. Due to the climate Aruba and Curacao long ago embraced the sport of baseball. A new dimension of Netherlands pride was created in 2013, as 21-year-old Xander Bogaerts who hailed from the Lago Heights community of Aruba staked his greatness as the starting shortstop for the Boston Red Sox. Coincidently, the Red Sox surprised many by going all the way and winning the World Series. Currently there are seven players from the Netherlands who are part of MLB. Four are from Curacao, one is from Aruba and one is from the Netherlands.
During my recent visit to Aruba I came across a new eatery just adjacent downtown called Parada. There I encountered Mr. Humphrey Mohammed who is passionate and knowledgeable about the game. He proudly stated, “there is great talent in Aruba and Curacao and we are very pleased of the way they are representing our country. I am fortunate as I have access to the MLB channel so I can stay informed of the progress.”
While the sport of baseball….is baseball, games in the Caribbean/Latin America are a bit different than the USA brand. And, that is not a bad thing but it boils down to your perspective of understanding the game and the cultures who have adopted it. There is lots of emotion and fan engagement featuring bands, horns and other devices and instruments presenting enthusiastic sounds.
Currently Netherlands is ranked 8th determined from the World Baseball Confederation.
This year’s edition has been expanded to include the 40-man roster instead of the 25-man roster. This was done since technically they are eligible to play at a moment’s notice.
To understand the difference please read here
25 player roster – known as the Active Roster – A club’s 25-man roster is its full roster of active Major League players.
40 player roster – The 40 Man roster is the group of players who are eligible to be added to the active (25 man) roster.
| NETHERLANDS NATIONAL PLAYERS ON MLB 40 MAN ROSTER | ||||
| Teams | 2019 | |||
| TOTALS>>> | 7 | |||
| Arizona Diamondbacks | ||||
| Atlanta Braves | 1 | |||
| Baltimore Orioles | ||||
| Boston Red Sox | 1 | |||
| Chicago Cubs | ||||
| Chicago White Sox | ||||
| Cincinatti Reds | ||||
| Cleveland Indians | ||||
| Colorado Rockies | ||||
| Detriot Tigers | ||||
| Houston Astros | ||||
| Kansas City Royals | ||||
| Los Angeles Angels | 1 | |||
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 1 | |||
| Miami Marlins | ||||
| Milwaukee Brewers | ||||
| Minnesota Twins | 1 | |||
| New York Mets | ||||
| New York Yankees | 1 | |||
| Oakland Athletics | 1 | |||
| Philadelphia Phillies | ||||
| Pittsburgh Pirates | ||||
| San Diego Padres | ||||
| San Francisco Giants | ||||
| Seattle Mariners | ||||
| St. Louis Cardinals | ||||
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | ||||
| Texas Rangers | ||||
| Toronto Blue Jays | ||||
| Washington Nationals | ||||
Thomas Reports 