DSS/Kinheim

DSS/Kinheim
Information
LeagueHonkbal Hoofdklasse
LocationHaarlem, the Netherlands
BallparkPim Mulier Stadium [nl], 2,500 capacity
Founded2020
202415–33 (fourth place)
Lost in playoff round to Neptunus
ManagerEtienne Meijer

DSS/Kinheim is a baseball team in Haarlem, the Netherlands that competes in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse. The team is a combination of two Haarlem sports clubs, DSS and Kinheim, which merged in 2020 after DSS had defeated Kinheim in a promotion/relegation playoff. DSS, however, faced financial difficulties staying in the top Dutch baseball league.[1] Kinheim had won Dutch and European titles, but the club abruptly withdrew from the Hoofdklasse in 2016[2] and could not return to the top league via the promotion playoff.

The team plays at Pim Mulier Stadium [nl] in Haarlem. DSS/Kinheim also fields a combined second team that competes in the second-highest Dutch baseball league, the Honkbal Eerste Klaase.[3][4] Former Kinheim manager and Dutch national player Michael Crouwel [nl] was DSS/Kinheim's first manager.[5] He was replaced by Etienne Meijer after the 2022 season.[6]

The combined club played its first game on 23 July 20220, a 4–3 win over Hoofddorp Pioniers.[7][8] The 2020 season was delayed and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10] The team scuffled in its first season, finishing in seventh place out of eight teams in the regular season. However, the team finished first in the "bottom four" pool.[11]

In the 2021 season, DSS/Kinheim finished in fifth place and again won the "bottom four" pool.[12] Outfielder Jason Jakobus tied for the league lead with four triples.[13] The next season was a repeat, with the team again placing fifth in the regular season and winning the now-expanded "bottom five" pool in 2022. The team lost all five of its wildcard and placing round playoff games.[14] Catcher Koen Halderman led the league with a .379 batting average and was in the top five in doubles, runs batted in, and on-base and slugging percentages.[15] He won the league's Best Hitter award.[16][17]

On 20 April 2023, three DSS/Kinheim pitchers combined for an eight-inning no-hitter in a 12–4 victory over RCH-Pinguins [nl].[18] The team finished the 2023 regular season in sixth place, followed by a second place finish in the "bottom five" pool and a 1–2 record in the bottom wildcard playoff.[19] Catcher Sem Kuijper, who also played on the Netherlands' U23 baseball team, received the Guus van der Heijden Award as the best Dutch international player under the age of 23.[20] Kuijper supplanted Halderman, who hit just .136 in the follow-up to his award-winning season and retired after the 2023 season.[21][22]

In 2024, DSS/Kinheim finished advanced to the "top four" pool, finishing the first portion of the regular season in fourth place, three points clear of the lower pool.[23] The club's first season in the "top four" pool went poorly, with 3 wins and 23 losses and a negative 113 run differential.[24] In the wildcard playoff, the Haarlem team defeated the Oosterhout Twins, 2 games to 1, the combined franchise's first postseason series win. DSS/Kinheim had two extra-inning walk-off victories, with outfielder Colin Broers clinching the series with a single in the bottom of the 10th inning.[25][26] DSS/Kinheim was swept in two games in the final four Playoff Round by Neptunus and failed to advance to the Holland Series.[27] Ibrahin Redan, who pitched in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system a decade prior,[28] led the team with a .322 average and .839 on-base plus slugging for the year.[29] However, he and brother Irving Redan[30] both ranked in the top three in the league in strikeouts.[31]

In August 2024, DSS and Kinheim announced a change to their operating agreement beginning in 2025. Kinheim would field a team in the Hoofdklasse, and DSS would compete in the lower Eerste Klasse. The clubs stated that the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB), the national governing body for baseball, supported the change.[32][33]

  1. ^ Zon, Rogier van (11 February 2020). "'Kinheim en DSS hebben elkaar nu nodig'" ["Kinheim and DSS need each other now"]. HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. ^ Würfel, Philipp (1 November 2016). "Kinheim withdraws from Dutch Hoofdklasse". mister-baseball.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Honkbal 1e klasse". KNBSB (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  4. ^ "DSS Kinheim 2". DSSHonkSoftbal (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  5. ^ Stoovelaar, Marco (15 November 2019). "Michael Crouwel to coach DSS/Kinheim-combination in big league". Grand Slam * Stats & News Netherlands. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Nieuwe hoofdcoach voor Hoofdklasse team DSS/Kinheim seizoen 2023 |" [New head coach for Hoofdklasse team DSS/Kinheim in 2023 season]. Kinheim (in Dutch). 27 October 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  7. ^ Zon, Rogier van (24 July 2020). "Hoofdklasse honkbal is terug". HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  8. ^ "HOOFDDORP PIONIERS vs DSS/KINHEIM (Jul 23, 2020)". www.knbsbstats.nl. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  9. ^ Plasschaert, Theo (28 June 2020). "Honkballers blij dat competitie over enkele weken toch kan beginnen" [Baseball players happy that competition can start in a few weeks]. Haarlems Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  10. ^ Stoovelaar, Marco (25 June 2020). "Dutch baseball-season to open on July 23; Softball-season on July 18". Grand Slam * Stats & News Netherlands. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Grand Slam Baseball * Stats & News 2020". catcher.home.xs4all.nl. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Standings". KNBSB Stats. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  13. ^ "2021 Stats". KNBSB Stats. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ^ "2022 Standings". KNBSB Stats. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  15. ^ "KNBSB - Hoofdklasse Honkbal 2022". KNBSB Stats. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Lars Huijer beste werper, Koen Halderman beste slagman" [Lars Huijer best pitcher, Koen Halderman best hitter]. Haarlems Dagblad (in Dutch). 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  17. ^ Visser, Seb (10 September 2022). "Huijer, Martina en Halderman winnen KNBSB Award" [Huijer, Martina and Halderman win KNBSB Award]. HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  18. ^ Breggen, Milan van der (21 April 2023). "Twee no-hitters in Honkbal Hoofdklasse, Huijer en DSS/Kinheim" [Two no-hitters in Honkbal Hoofdklasse, Huijer and DSS/Kinheim]. HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  19. ^ "2023 Standings". KNBSB Stats. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  20. ^ Visser, Seb (8 October 2023). "KNBSB Awards voor Selassa, Huijer, Ruben en Richardson – HonkbalSoftbal.nl". honkbalsoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  21. ^ "KNBSB". KNBSB Stats. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  22. ^ Visser, Seb (16 November 2023). "Overzicht overschrijvingen in Lucky Day Honkbal Hoofdklasse". HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Honkbal Lucky Day Honkbal Hoofdklasse". KNBSB (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  24. ^ "Standen Vervolgcompetitie Bovenste 4" [Standings Follow-up Competition Upper 4]. KNBSB (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  25. ^ Breggen, Milan van der (23 September 2024). "HCAW en DSS/Kinheim bereiken playoffs via wild card serie – HonkbalSoftbal.nl". HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Oosterhout Twins@DSS/Kinheim - Lucky Day Hoofdklasse Honkbal 2024". stats.knbsbstats.nl. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  27. ^ Breggen, Milan van der (28 September 2024). "HCAW en Neptunus gaan strijden voor de titel in de Holland Series – HonkbalSoftbal.nl" [HCAW and Neptunus will compete for the title in the Holland Series]. honkbalsoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Ibrahin Redan Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  29. ^ "2024 Stats". KNBSB Stats. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  30. ^ Stoovelaar, Marco (3 April 2022). "Quick Amersfoort closes exhibition season with walk-off win". Grand Slam * Stats & News Netherlands. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  31. ^ "KNBSB - Lucky Day Hoofdklasse Honkbal 2024". KNBSB Stats. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  32. ^ "Bekendmaking: DSS en Kinheim gaan samenwerking op een andere manier invullen" [Announcement: DSS and Kinheim will work together in a different way]. Kinheim (in Dutch). 14 August 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  33. ^ Visser, Seb (14 August 2024). "DSS en Kinheim gaan samenwerking op een andere manier invullen". HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2024.