Haarlem Baseball Week in Netherlands returns to the international calendar
Haarlem Baseball Week is set to return to the international calendar in 2022. The 30th edition of the invitational tournament, sanctioned by WBSC, will open on Friday, 8 July, at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, Netherlands. The final is scheduled for Friday, 15 July.
The six participating National Teams are world No. 1 Japan, No. 5 USA, No. 8 Netherlands, No. 9 Cuba, No. 17 Italy and No. 60 Curaçao. Both Japan and the US will field collegiate teams.
The organising committee decided to follow the course set by the WBSC and stage seven-game innings. This will make it possible to play three games per day and add more possibilities for entertainment, organisers said.
Guus van Dee, chairman of the tournament, commented: "Baseball (games are) the focal point, but the tournament has also room for innovative elements, such as an All-Star Game, a Home Run Derby or other enrichments."
Haarlem Week played its inaugural edition in 1961. It has been held every other year in even-numbered years since 1972.
Japan won the 2018 edition and will be enter the 2022 tourney as the defending champion. The 2020 edition was cancelled amid the COVID-19 outbreak.