MIAMI/WILLEMSTAD – The Netherlands Kingdom team will participate in the World Baseball Classic starting tomorrow, the world’s largest international baseball tournament. The roster once again consists largely of players with roots in Curaçao and Aruba, who together with players from European Netherlands form the Kingdom team.
The tournament is played at multiple locations. The Kingdom team will play its games in Pool D in Miami, where it will face baseball powerhouses Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, as well as Israel and Nicaragua.
The World Baseball Classic is considered the most important international baseball tournament outside the Olympic Games and brings together national teams from more than twenty countries.
Strong Caribbean Contribution
The Kingdom team is traditionally known for its strong Caribbean core. Baseball is extremely popular in Curaçao and Aruba, which means many players from these islands form the backbone of the roster.
The upcoming edition’s roster also features major names from Major League Baseball, including Ozzie Albies, Xander Bogaerts, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Didi Gregorius.
However, the roster has also been affected by developments involving two well-known Curaçaoan internationals. Outfielder Jurickson Profar would normally play an important role for the Kingdom team, but his participation has been ruled out following a recent positive drug test, which could result in a full season suspension.
At the same time, infielder Jonathan Schoop is also absent from the roster. The 34-year-old player is detained in Curaçao as part of a criminal investigation into illegal weapons possession, preventing manager Andruw Jones from including him in the team for the Miami tournament.
Under Andruw Jones’ Leadership
The team is led by manager Andruw Jones, the baseball legend from Curaçao who was himself among the world’s elite for years. Under his leadership, the team aims to once again play a significant role in the tournament.
The Kingdom team has shown in previous editions that it can compete with the major baseball nations. With a mix of experienced Major League players and young talent, the team hopes to make another deep run in the tournament.
