.jpg) Netherlands players Arnold Smit and Charles Urbanus Jr. playing defense against Italy | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | The Netherlands |
| City | Haarlem |
| Dates | 30 June–8 July |
| Teams | 6 |
| Defending champions |  Netherlands |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Netherlands (10th title) |
| Runners-up |  Italy |
| Third place |  Spain |
| Fourth place |  Belgium |
| Awards | |
| MVP | Hamilton Richardson |
The 1973 European Baseball Championship was held in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The host Netherlands team won and Italy finished in second for the third consecutive championship. The Dutch team went undefeated, after losing its first game ever in a European championship in 1971.[1]
Future Boston Red Sox pitcher Win Remmerswal starred for the Dutch. He won the first game against Italy and was named the best pitcher of the tournament.[2][1] The top two teams were both managed by American college baseball coaches, with Ron Fraser coaching the Netherlands and Bill Arce, who had coached the Dutch in the previous championship, managing Italy.[3]
West Germany decided not to compete in the tournament after the schedule had been set, requiring changes from the organizers. The German team later similarly pulled out of the 1977 championship, also in Haarlem.
Major League Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn attended the tournament.[1]
Spain's first win over Belgium was delayed due to fog and eventually suspended after the fifth inning, with a final score of 1–0.[4]
Standings
[edit]| Pos. | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands
|
8–0 |
| 2 | Italy
|
6–2 |
| 3 | Spain
|
4–4 |
| 4 | Belgium
|
1–7 |
| 5 |  Sweden
|
3–4 |
| 6 |  France
|
1–7 |
Awards
[edit]_(cropped).jpg)
- Most valuable player and best hitter:
Hamilton Richardson - Best pitcher: Win Remmerswal[1]
- Most home runs:
Giorgio Castelli, 2 - Unluckiest player:
Henri Hendrickx, who broke his little finger sliding during Belgium's first game[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Chetwynd, Josh (2019). Baseball in Europe: A Country by Country History. McFarland, Inc. pp. 242–244. ISBN 9780786437245. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
- ^ "Remmerswal naar Amerika". Trouw (in Dutch). 1973-07-16. pp. T6/K7. Retrieved 2026-01-23. Remmerswaal, winnend pitcher tijden een van twee duels Italië bij het Europese kampionschap in haarlem [Remmerswaal, winning pitcher during one of Italy's two matches at the European Championship in Haarlem]
- ^ Köhler, Joop (1973-07-05). "Remmerswaal houdt Italië in bedwang". De tijd: dagblad voor Nederland. p. 10. Retrieved 2026-01-23. Bill Arce, de coach van de Italianen had geen komedie gespeeld... En Ron Fraser: „Op dat moment was mijn grootste zorg of de jongens dit te boven zouden komen. Een 4—o voorsprong omgezet in een 6—4 achterstand is niet zo leuk en het was ze nog nooit tegen een Italiaanse ploeg overkomen. Maar waar ik nu zo trots op ben, is dat ze het wel hebben kunnen verwerken. En hoe!" [Bill Arce, the Italian coach, hadn't been acting... And Ron Fraser: "At that moment, my biggest concern was whether the boys would overcome this. Turning a 4-0 lead into a 6-4 deficit isn't fun, and they'd never had that happen against an Italian team before. But what I'm so proud of now is that they were able to overcome it. And how!"]
- ^ Pernas López, Julio (March 2019). BALL!… El béisbol en España de 1961 a 1975 (PDF) (in Spanish). Real Federación Española de Béisbol y Sófbol. p. 192 – via World Baseball Softball Confederation.
- ^ "Baseball - European Championships 1973 - Calendar & Results". the-sports.org. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
- ^ "Archief Europees kampioenschap". honkbalsite archief (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-01-23.
- ^ "Remmerswaal beste werper in Haarlem". Trouw (in Dutch). 1973-07-09. Retrieved 2026-01-23. De meeste homeruns werden geslagen door de Italiaan Giorgio Castelli (2), waardoor m werd uitgeroepen tot 'homerunkoning. De Belg Henri Hendrickx, die in de eerste wedstrijd van zijn land bij sliding zijn pink brak, kreeg van de supportersvereniging 'Het Derde Honk' een bekker voor de meest ongelukkige speler van het toernooi. [The most home runs were hit by the Italian Giorgio Castelli (2), which made him the 'home run king'. The Belgian Henri Henrdrickx, who broke his little finger sliding in his country's first game, received a trophy from the supporters' association 'Het Derde Honk' for the unluckiest player of the tournament.]
External links
[edit]"Rosters of top three teams at the European Championship". www.sport-komplett.de (in German). Retrieved 2026-01-23.