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After 5 years of abstinence, Curacao Neptunus returned to victory in the finals of the Lucky Day Hoofdklasse with a round 4-0 against HCAW Bussum. The team from Rotterdam had won the first three matches of the 2024 Holland Series by winning the first at home 5-3, the second on Sunday afternoon in Bussum by 3-2 (live on the first channel of NOS TV) and the third race again in Rotterdam for 16-6. Leading 3-0, Neptunus could aim for a sweep in game four at Bussum or win the championship in game 5 at home. By the time of playball at 2pm on Saturday in Bussum, it was already clear how it would end, given that Tom de Blok, the number one in the Neptunus weekly rotation, had been lined up on the pitching mound. The club of American manager Greg Muller wanted to achieve the winning streak while avoiding a possible return of the HCAW in the final series. For the third time in four matches, the decisive point in the score was scored in the last half, giving the advantage to the blue and white of Neptunus (1-5 for captain Stijn van der Meer’s line-up). It is the first national title for the new president Mark Herbold and the twentieth title for Frans van Aalen, the 84-year-old founder and leader of the modern club since the first in 1981.
Frans Van Aalen in the press room and VIP area of the Rob Hoffman Vallei stadium in Bussum spoke about his youth in Rotterdam: “I started playing football in Neptunus after the Second World War on the same complex where the baseball stadium is now located and other additional baseball and softball fields. We have won 20 national titles in baseball and our softball won its first just a year ago. I think we are the first Dutch club to lose the football section after the growth of baseball and softball. For me the football section had the right to stay with us, but the club preferred to merge with another club in Rotterdam. In the first decades after the war, Neptunus Baseball – which had been founded in 1943 – was the third club in Rotterdam behind the famous Sparta and the competitor Feijenoord, but in the seventies we began to improve our quality and rise from the third level to the first. We made our debut in the Hoofdklasse in 1981 and immediately won the national championship. Our European debut took place in Parma in September 1981 in the Champions Cup tournament. Receiver Jan Collins was already with us, and he always remained as coach, coach and manager of our teams. I also remained in the company, but as President or manager in some role. I’m so happy to see the twentieth title arrive after my time in hospital and recovery!”
Challenges number 1, 2 and 4 of the Holland Series were of excellent continental quality with excellent starting pitchers such as Tom de Blok and Shairon Martis for Neptunus, Lars Huijer and Kaj Timmermans for HCAW. The favorites Neptunus had to fight to recover and win matches 1 and 3 in nine rounds, while game 2 in Bussum ended in 11 rounds. Despite two pitching victories – including a complete one – for Tom de Blok, it was 35-year-old outfielder Christian Diaz of Neptunus Rotterdam who was named Holland Series MVP. In his 4 Holland Series games he batted .625 (10/16 including 3 doubles), 4 home runs and a slugging average of .818. In the decisive game, the Neptunus lineup consisted of captain Stijn van der Meer (3/5, 3 RBI), Darryl Collins (0/4), Christian Diaz (2/4), Dwayne Kemp (1/4), Arthur Bonevacia (0/3, 1 RBI), Vincent Ahrens (0/4), Kevin Dirksen (0/2), Sheadion Jamanika (1/2) and Jesse Aussems (0/4). In the ninth inning, Rayshelon Carolina made it 4-1 for Neptunus and as a center fielder struck out the final batter for HCAW (5-1). The two pitchers Tom de Blok and Lars Huijer completed their 9 at-bats with 127 pitches including 79 strikes (De Blok) and 133 pitches including 78 strikes (Huijer) respectively. For Greg Muller, American manager of Neptunus, this Dutch national title is the first ever in two years as skipper in Rotterdam. In the closing ceremony the new president of the Dutch federation Gregor Rossen assisted in the awarding of the Neptunus, applauded by the two former federal presidents Theo Reitsma and Ruud van Zetten.
Neptunus Rotterdam’s twenty national titles:
1981 Kok Juwelier Neptunus
1991 – 1993 – 1995 Levi’s Neptune,
1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2009 – 2010 – 2013 – 2014 BY Neptunus,
2015 – 2016 – 2017 – 2018 – 2024 Curacao Neptunus
The Hoofdklasse season began on April 11th and ended on October 12th, avoiding an extension until game 7 on October 20th. Selected players continue to make their availability for the Netherlands national team, participating as number 7 in the world ranking at the Premier 12 in November.
