In Bussum, they are all set: next Saturday, baseball club HCAW can regain the title of Dutch champion for the first time in a quarter of a century. Big fan and now also manager of top baseball Frank Mooijman (44) lives for the club and therefore also for this squatter: “HCAW has a very big place in my heart.”
HCAW ready for championship game – NH Nieuws
Last Sunday, HCAW won the third game in the best-of-seven series against Rotterdam with 1-0. Since then, the telephone has been red hot at Mooijman. “We’re really going to make a madhouse out of this on Saturday.” The top baseball manager hopes for more than 1,200 fans who will shout the baseball players from Bussum to the championship. “The loyal supporters always make themselves heard, but that will be extreme now.”
And Frank Mooijman certainly belongs to that group of supporters: “This is actually my second home. I’ve been coming here since I was born.” Due to his faithful arrival, he was once asked to take on odd jobs with the baseball team, which eventually led to his position at the club. “The baseball world in the Netherlands is just not that big. The advantage of this is that everything and everyone is very approachable.”
Champion 1998
The 44-year-old baseball fan was also there at the last championship. “We had a good batch at the end of the last century and I remember how we became champions in 1998. If that last ball wasn’t caught, I should have seen it, but it was a huge party.” Since then, HCAW has only played for the championship in 2005. “Rotterdam and Amsterdam divided the prizes every year.”
“Yes, we are 3-0 ahead, but you have to win that fourth game of course”
But that has changed with this success, although Mooijman absolutely does not want to get ahead of things: “Yes, we are 3-0 ahead and it could not have been better so far, but you have to win that fourth game. Of course,” Mooijman remains sober. “We have it in our own hands, but
Coming Saturday, HCAW will play its fourth series game at home against Rotterdam, so if the club from Bussum wins, it is Dutch champion. In the unlikely event of a loss, another match awaits in Rotterdam.