In this sad era you take good Orioles news wherever you can find it. Today, the Netherlands national team shocked the mighty Dominicans 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic. Longtime Oriole Sidney Ponson pitched four solid innings and, longtime Oriole Eugene Kingsale (well, he was on the team for five years, though he racked up only about a half-seasons’ worth of playing time in all) scored what turned out to be the deciding run, reaching on a dribble of a single, advancing on an error, and scoring on a wild pitch. Not exactly Earl Weaver style, but if your lineup is such that a 33-year-old Eugene Kingsale is your leadoff man, you gotta think small-ball. Nice to see these guys in the orange and black again, even if the orange is representing the the House of Oranje-Nassau and not the Maryland state bird.
By the way, Sidney Ponson had a respectable career but is far from the greatest Dutch ballplayer; that would be Bert Blyleven, born in Zeist, and now the pitching coach for the Dutch national team.
We know Bert primarily as an announcer for the Twins on Fox Sports North. But it’s neat to hear that he’s the pitching coach for the Dutch.