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Day 18: No game today, but on the field anyhow
SOUTH BELOIT / ROSCOE / CHICAGO (Illinois, USA) - As everyone was in a playing mode for today's opener of the 4-game series against Rockford Thunder, it was a big disappointment that today's game was postponed. The postponement already was announced yesterday-evening, as the field in SportsCore One Stadium was unavailable due to heavy thunderstorms last weekend. Because of flooding of Rock River, which runs by the field, the stadium got flooded also. It was not possible to find another location for today's game on a short notice, so the game was re-scheduled for next Saturday as the first game of a double-header. On Tuesday-evening, it was also announced that all games will be played in Players Park in Roscoe (Illinois), instead of the home field in Rockford. For logistical reasons, it was not possible to make Players Park available for an eventual game today, as there were also Little League baseball-games scheduled to be played here later in the afternoon. For coming days, these have been moved, making the field available for the softball-games.
Despite not having a game today, the Dutch National Softball Team was back on the field. It was sunny and humid, but nevertheless a good day for softball.
Instead of playing, the team held an additional practice session, which was done on Players Park in Roscoe, the location for the upcoming games against Rockford.
For today's practice, Darwin Tolzin came by again to assist the coaching staff and hit fly balls and throw batting practice.
After completion of the practice session, everyone went back to the hotel, where George Presburg and his son Dennis, the boyfriend of pitcher Judith van Kampen, had arrived. The two had been in Boston some days ago and spent yesterday in Chicago, before traveling to South Beloit, where they will be the next few days.
George Presburg was the Head Coach of the Dutch National Softball Team from 1991-1993 and is the only coach, who won the international Haarlem Softball Week in the Netherlands with the national squad.
As there was no game tonight, some of the players had the option to do some shopping, while others opted to go a game of the Beloit Snappers, the Single-A team of the Minnesota Twins, who played against the Cedar Rapids Kernels.
Coincidentally, one of the players for Beloit is Dutch pitcher Loek van Mil, who is on the preliminary roster for the Netherlands Olympic Baseball Team.
Yesterday-evening, Media Officer Marco Stoovelaar, together with Assistant Coach Rob Walgien, already went to see the last four innings of the Snappers vs. the Kernels and held an interview with Loek van Mil, which will be published later.
Tonight, Marco went to Chicago with George Presburg to see a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves.
Scheduled to start for the Braves was Antillian pitcher Jair Jurrjens, who also is on the Dutch Olympic roster, so an interview with him was in the making.
Unfortunately, Jurrjens twisted his ankle the night before, didn't start and wasn't in the clubhouse. Jeff Bennett started instead for the Braves.
In the second inning, Bennett hit Cubs-leftfielder Alfonso Soriano on his left hand, who went to the hospital for X-rays and it was diagnosed he had broken a bone in his left hand and will be out for six weeks.
The Cubs won 7-2. By the way, the Snappers lost 4-0 and Loek didn't pitch.
The team warms up before the practice session
As always, when practice started, a team-meeting was held
Double batting practice: Coaches Mary-Ann Hatt and Rob Walgien
throw to Rebecca Soumeru and Marloes Fellinger
Coach Linda Wells works on grounders
Coaches Rob Walgien (left) and Mary-Ann Hatt hit grounders
Catching are Nathalie Timmermans (left) and Ellen Venker
Sandra Gouverneur (left) and Petra van Heijst handle grounders
Noémi Boekel fields and throws to first base
Darwin Tolzin hits one for the outfielders
Head Coach Liz Kelly goes over the details with Chantal Versluis
Pitchers Dagmar Bloeming (left) and Kristi de Vries in full motion and concentration
Lynn Geertman awaits a pitch during batting practice
Running completed today's practice session
Dutch pitcher Loek van Mil, reliever for the Beloit Snappers (Single-A, Minnesota Twins)
The main entrance of Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs
More than 41.000 spectators were in Wrigley Field for the Cubs-Braves game in the evening
Chicago Cubs Stadium Organist Gary Pressy
The press box in Wrigley Field
Former National Team Head Coach George Presburg watches the game in Chicago
Kosuke Fukudome hit a 3-run homerun in the first inning to give Chicago a 3-0 lead
Winning pitcher Ryan Dempster (right) is greeted by Manager Lou Piniella and other coaches after
throwing his first complete game since September 25, 2002
Media Officer Marco Stoovelaar with ESPN sideline-reporter Erin Andrews at the Interview Room
(photo taken by George Presburg)
Go back to the schedule of the 2nd USA Tour
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