Baseball is a ball game played outdoors in teams of at least 9 players. In the Netherlands, baseball can be played in different age categories: U12 (9-12 years old), U15 (13-15 years old), U21 (16-21 years old) and seniors (>18 years old), where the age reached in a calendar year is leading for the classification in a certain category. Children as young as 5 can start with a precursor of baseball called beeball (see separate sub-page for more info). Baseball teams generally consist of boys/men, but especially among the (younger) youth, it is increasingly common for girls to play baseball as well.
A baseball game consists of so-called innings, two halves in which each team plays in the field once (defends) and at bat once (attacks). The offensive side’s goal is to have their players, after hitting a baseball – thrown overhand by the pitcher of the defending side – run over the 4 bases to score runs. The defensive side tries to prevent this by putting out batters and base runners by, for example, catching the batted ball with their glove or tagging runners with the ball before a base is reached. With 3 outs, an at bat is over and the teams change positions. The team with the most runs scored wins the game. A full baseball game covers 9 innings and lasts on average about 3 hours. However, in most youth leagues and some senior leagues, games are played with a maximum duration of 1.5 hours (U12 / U15) or 2 hours (U21 / seniors).
The baseball league in the Netherlands is organized by the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB) and runs roughly from early April through the end of September, with a short break during the summer holidays. The league is preceded by indoor practices in January and February and practice games in March.
To play baseball at HSV Adegeest it is necessary to purchase the following materials/items:
-
An Adegeest uniform (gray pants and blue/yellow jersey; available at SSK Europe in Kwintsheul); up to the age of 18 you can rent your uniform from the club, so you don’t have to buy a new uniform when you need a bigger size.
-
A baseball glove; available at special baseball stores.
-
A baseball helmet; available at special baseball stores.
-
Outdoor shoes with cleats, e.g. baseball shoes, possibly with metal cleats (>16 years) or hockey/football shoes.
-
For men: a toque.