Netherlands Game

Here come the Dutch!

This is John Lembo, sports writer with The Bradenton Herald, and today should prove interesting at McKechnie Field, where the Pittsburgh Pirates play host to the Netherlands team competing in the World Baseball Classic.

Here are the lineups, and yes, they are some familiar faces for the Netherlands squad:
Eugene Kingsale, rf
Sharlon Shoop, 2b
Randall Simon, 1b
Greg Halman, cf
Sharnol Adriana, dh
Yurendell DeCaster, 3b
Brian Englehardt, lf
Kenley Jansen, c
Hainley Statia, ss
Sidney Ponson, p

Sir Sidney toes the rubber, under the tutelage of pitching coach Burt Blyleven. Simon is a former Pirate perhaps best known for whacking a sausage with a bat during Miller Park's famed Sausage Race. And Kingsale played with the Orioles, Mariners, Padres and Tigers.

Pirates:
Anderson Machado, ss
Luis Cruz, 2b
Craig Monroe, dh
Garrett Jones, rf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Andy Phillips, 1b
Jeff Salazar, cf
Ruben Gotay, lf
Erik Kratz, c
Ross Ohlendorf, p

FYI - Kratz holds the record for most career doubles in the history of Division III. And Alvarez is the team's first round draft pick getting plenty of looks this spring. Let's see how he handles third.