Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation

Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation
Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond
AbbreviationKNBSB
Formation1912
TypeInternational sport federation
PurposeSport governing body
HeadquartersNieuwegein, Netherlands
Membership18,467 (2024)
Official language
Dutch, English
Chairman
Gregor Rossen
AffiliationsWorld Baseball Softball Confederation
Budget1.7M EUR (2024)
Websiteknbsb.nl

The Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation (Dutch: Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond, KNBSB) is the national governing body of baseball and softball in the Netherlands. Baseball is widely played in the Netherlands but has struggled to become a major spectator sport due to the dominance of soccer, in which the Netherlands has always been one of the leading nations. School-aged children are generally encouraged to play soccer rather than baseball.

The precursor to the KNBSB, the Dutch Baseball (Dutch: Nederlandsche Honkbal Bond) (NHB) was founded in 1912.[1] The Royal Dutch Baseball Association was founded by Queen Juliana in 1952.[2] The baseball and softball federations merged in 1971 to form the KNBSB.[3] The KNBSB had 18,467 members and an annual budget of €1,700,000 in 2024.[4]

The national major league in the Netherlands, the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, was established in 1922.[5] Notable Dutch baseball players include Hensley Meulens, Robert Eenhoorn, Andruw Jones, and Didi Gregorius.

The KNBSB gives out annual awards for both baseball and softball. Past winners include Gregorius, Xander Bogaerts, Greg Halman, Evert-Jan 't Hoen, and Saskia Kosterink.[6] The KNBSB established a hall of fame, the first baseball hall of fame in Europe and first sport-specific hall of fame in the Netherlands, in 1983.[7] The hall is part of the Dutch Baseball and Softball Museum at Pim Mulier Stadium [nl] in Haarlem.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Onze sporten | Geschiedenis". KNBSB (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  2. ^ Gershen, Marty (1961-09-02). "Haarlem: Take me out to the honkbal game". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  3. ^ Hoogenbos, Gé. "Historie van het honkbal". Honkbalsite archief. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  4. ^ "Jaarverslag 2024" [Annual report 2024] (PDF) (in Dutch). KNBSB. 4 April 2025. pp. 9, 13.
  5. ^ Cano, Jesús (February 28, 2023). "Netherlands baseball history". MLB.com. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  6. ^ "Over ons | Onderscheidingen | Awards". KNBSB (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  7. ^ "Over ons | Onderscheidingen | Eregalerij". KNBSB (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-01-27.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koninklijke_Nederlandse_Baseball_en_Softball_Bond