"Its a Miracle"

The men who play for the Netherlands this World Baseball Classic had no expectations. Their best potential player, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens, opted not to play, saying that, "I don’t want to go there for one game and come back." They were group of misfits, outcasts, and youngsters. No one expected them to compete, not with a group of has beens featuring the likes of washed up major leaguers Randall Simon and Sidney Ponson. This was a team with a no name manager and roster full of players from the Hoofdklasse, the Dutch professional league, where salaries average out to about $2000 a month.

Their opponent was a powerhouse Dominican Republic squad which featured MLB All Stars David Ortiz, Jose Reyes, Carlos Marmol, and Hanley Ramirez, and led by former major leaguer and former Expos and Giants manager Felipe Alou. To say that this was a lopsided battle would be an understatement.

Players from the Hoofdklasse don't get hits off an All Star reliever in extra innings. They don't win games behind starting pitching led by an overweight pitcher who ate his way out of the majo leagues, and they certainly don't beat a national team from a country dubbed the Baseball Republic.

But somehow they did. Led by a few has beens and a bunch of never wases, the Dutch managed to pull the greatest upset in international baseball history prompting the "no name manager" to say that, “It’s a miracle. That’s all I can tell you. Our guys came together as a team, and miraculously we won. It’s not because we’re better than they are. They’re one of the best teams in the world. Collectively we just played hard, and it happened. I can’t tell you. Other than it’s a miracle.”

At Hiram Bithorn Stadium, this overmatched, undertalented Dutch team beat a powerhouse squad featuring numerous All Stars in front of a hostile crowd, yet the euphoria goes far beyond this upset of epic proportions. It was chance for redemption for some, a chance to prove themselves for others. This redemption comes for former All Star Randall Simon who is now known best as the guy who slugged the sausage race participant in Milwaukee a few summers ago. It comes for a pitcher, once promising, who is now out of a job as he neglected to grow up and simply couldn't push the plate away. The chance to prove remains for the many youngsters on the roster who are chasing major league dreams and others who wouldn't stand a chance to crack the roster of most other teams in the WBC.

After their first victory over the Dominican Republic, a 3-2 victory behind Sidney Ponson, most wrote the victory off as opening game rust for the powerful Dominican squad. No more. With their 2-1 win in 11 innings, the Dutch have eliminated one of the most talented teams in the WBC and move onto the second round in Miami. More importantly, this vindicates the WBC, and adds renewed fevor to a lagging tournament.

Games like this give hope to underdogs everywhere, not to sound cliche. This wasn't even a case of David v Goliath. At least David had a sling shot. This was heart over talent, this was Princeton over UCLA, George Mason in the Final Four, and "Do you believe in miracles?!" all rolled into one. This was epic, as epic as a baseball game can be.

So here's to the Netherlands. Here's to Randall Simon, Sidney Ponson, and Yurendell DeCaster. Here's to the little guy. Go Dutch.