They Play Baseball In The Netherlands?

It's goofy.

What's going on in the World Baseball Classic.

The Netherlands will play Puerto Rico to determine who goes on to the next round from their pool.

Wait. The Netherlands. As in, Holland? Windmills? Wooden shoes?

Who knew they played baseball in the Netherlands? Certainly not the baseball team from the Dominican Republic.

Somehow these Dutchmen upset the heavily favored Dominicans not once, but twice. Baseball is practically the national religion for Dominicans.

Most kids in the Netherlands play soccer. They play team handball for cryin' out loud.

A piece in the New York Times from last year said baseball began to flourish in the Netherlands during the German occupation of World War II.

Dutch kids playing baseball found a way to thumb their noses at the Nazis. We were in Holland not long ago and my kids were shocked to see a couple of baseball fields.

I remember saying, "I hear they're pretty good."
By Harry Smith