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In 2008, Marco made his comeback with the Dutch National Softball Team after serving as the dug-out scorer for the team in 1991-1993 under then-Head Coach George Presburg. In September of 2007, Marco was named the team's Press Officer.
From 1994-1996, together with Monne Reitsma, Marco was one of co-editors-in-chief of Baseball & Softball News, the official magazine of the KNBSB.
In 1997 and 1998, Marco, Barbara Peeters and Monne Reitsma formed the editorial staff of the same magazine.
From 1992-2002, Marco was the senior columnist, covering West Europe, for International Baseball Rundown, during the entire run of this global magazine.
In his journalistic career, Marco covers baseball, softball and ice hockey for De Courant Nieuws van de Dag and De Telegraaf newspapers since 1989. Throughout the years, he also has written about baseball and softball for the magazines Inside, Double Play, Swing, PlayOff, American Sports, Baseball & Softball News and Baseball & Softball Magazine, most of which also serve as official magazine of the Dutch Federation.
Besides this all, he provides commentators of NOS Studio Sport with background information since 1986 during the (live) TV-registrations, which include the World Championships (1986 and 2005), European Championships (1995 and 2003), Haarlem Baseball Weeks (all since 1988) and World Port Tournaments (all since 1987).
Throughout the years, Marco, whose brother Ronald played and coached in the Dutch Major League for Amsterdam Pirates and participated with the Dutch National Baseball Team in the Olympic Games of 1988 in Seoul (Korea), has been involved in more than 100 international baseball and softball events.
Included therein are the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 (in attendance), in Sydney in 2000 and in Athens in 2004
(both providing information for NOS-commentators in the TV-studio in Hilversum) and all baseball World Cups since 1982.
On most of these events, Marco was at the location himself, bringing him to tournaments or events in
Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Curaçao, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, USA and of course the Netherlands.
Marco interviewed numerous people involved in (international) baseball and softball, including
ISF-President Don Porter, IBAF-Presidents Robert Smith and Aldo Notari,
Dutch National Team Coaches Jim Stoeckel, Harvey Shapiro, Pat Murphy, Tom Petroff, Jan Dick Leurs, Robert Eenhoorn (all Dutch Baseball Team),
Nol Houtkamp, Don Wedman, George Presburg, Ruud Elfers, Craig Montvidas, Rob Walgien, Gonny Farley, Liz Kelly (all Dutch Softball Team),
Silvano Ambrosioni, Giampiero Faraone (both Italy), Ernie Whitt, Terry Puhl (both Canada), Antonio Pacheco (Cuba), Davey Johnson (USA), several club coaches,
Dutch and international executives, players and umpires,
Major League-greats Minnie Minoso, Lou Piniella, Bobby Valentine, Tom Lasorda (pictured left), Don Zimmer, Jim Lefebvre, Bruce Hurst, Andruw Jones
and
Dutch Major Leaguers Win Remmerswaal, Rikkert Faneyte, Robert Eenhoorn, Ralph Milliard and Rick van den Hurk,
but also
Dutch IOC-member Anton Geesink, current NOC*NSF chairman Erica Terpstra (pictured top right),
Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruijff,
American astronaut Mike Mullane,
British TV-actor Frank Thornton (Captain Peacock in 'Are You Being Served?') (pictured bottom right),
American TV-actor Brent Jasmer (Sly Donovan in 'The Bold and the Beautiful') and
Dutch actor/gameshow-host Joost Prinsen.
Marco also made video-films, including coverage of the Dutch Baseball Team during the 1982 World Championships in Seoul (Korea), the Intercontinental Cup Baseball in Antwerp (Belgium) in 1983, the Dutch National Softball Team during the Winfield Cup in New Zealand in 1994, the Haarlem Baseball Week and three season-highlight-films of the baseball-team of Amsterdam Pirates from their road from the Second Division to the Dutch big league.
In the eighties, Marco studied journalism.
He later did all technical aspects (camera, sound, editing, lighting, directing) for a theater talkshow, which was hosted by his uncle, presenter/actor René Plemp.
In the show, wellknown Dutch celebrities as Jos Brink, Frans van Dusschoten, Martine Bijl, Barrie Stevens and Thérèse Steinmetz were being interviewed.
Besides softball and baseball, Marco's other interests include Film & TV, spaceflight and history.
2007 --- In September, Marco is added to the staff of the Dutch National Softball Team as its press officer.
2005 --- Marco is awarded the Merit of Honor by the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association.
1997 --- In November of this year, Marco launches his website Grand Slam * Stats & News, which covers (international) baseball and softball in both Dutch and English with recaps, stories and statistics.
1996 --- Marco is awarded the 'Slugger', the highest recognition by the Dutch Federation for promotional contributions and activities.
1996 - 2001 --- In these years, Marco is a member of the Organizing Committee of the Haarlem Baseball Week, handling press affair. In 1999, he was the press officer of the Haarlem Softball Week.
1991 --- Marco is the color commentator during the World Series between the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins for Screensport Television, sharing the commentator seat with Rick Bolt ---
Earlier in the year, he becomes the official librarian of the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB).
1991 - 1993 --- Marco is the dug-out scorer of the Dutch National Softball Team under then-Head Coach George Presburg ---
In 1991, the Dutch team wins the international Haarlem Softball Week, the only time it did.
1988 --- Marco becomes a member of the Scoring Committee of the KNBSB ---
Since this year, he also is one of the editors of the daily magazines, which are provided for the spectators during the Haarlem Baseball Week and the Haarlem Softball Week. In 2007, he makes his debut as one of the editors during the World Port Tournament.
1986 - 1988 --- Marco does the video-camerawork during the successful youth baseball and softball training camps of ProMotion, which are headed by coach Craig Montvidas, who currently is the Head Coach of the National Softball Team of Great Britain.
1981 --- Marco sets a world record by scoring the entire 52 hour, 12 minute, 218 inning game played by the baseball team of Amsterdam Pirates against six different teams during the Official World Endurance Record for longest baseball-game ever.
1978 - 1995 --- Marco is the dug-out scorer for the baseball team of Amsterdam Pirates, being active is more than 500 games on the big league-level.
1978 - 1993 --- Marco is one of the two editors of the weekly magazine of the Amsterdam Pirates baseball and softball club.
1977 ---Marco makes his debut as an Official Scorer in the Dutch Softball Major League at age 15, setting a record, as he becomes the youngest Official Scorer in history, a record which still stands ---
Together with Feiko Drost and Ben Goorts, Marco holds the record for most years being active as an Official Scorer, as they started their 32nd season in 2008.
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