News Archive Netherlands
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 |17:52 |Age: 3 yrs
Dutch National Team Star Kenley Jansen debuts for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Category: 
22-year-old Dutch National Team star Kenley Jansen made his MLB debut on Saturday 24th
July in the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 win over the New York Mets. In his first appearance,
Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two of the batters. Only a day later, again coming
on in relief to pitch against the Mets, Jansen recorded his first Major League save when he
repeated his stellar performance, retiring all three batters he faced and adding another two
strikeouts to his total. The Dodgers won Sunday’s game 1-0.
The 6’6”, 220lb Jansen’s outstanding performance comes less than a year after he began
pitching—until the middle of last season, he was a catcher with a strong arm. Signed to the
Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent nearly six years ago, Jansen was the starting catcher for
Team Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, throwing Willy Taveras out in the
ninth inning of the team’s shock upset of the Dominican Republic.
Clive Russell, Managing Director of Major League Baseball Europe, Middle East, and Africa,
said “Dutch participation in the World Baseball Classic, particularly their wins over the
Dominican Republic, has shown that Dutch players can compete against the best in the
world. Jansen’s promotion and immediate success only further confirm this situation.”
Robert Eenhoorn, former New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels player as well as former
manager of the Dutch national team, said “Kenley is an amazing story. We’ve always known
he is blessed with a great arm, and even as a catcher he knew how to call a game. Now he’s
got the ball in his own hands and to be able to step on the mound and move up this fast is
fantastic.”
There are currently 55 players with Dutch nationality signed to professional MLB contracts
with teams including the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox. MLB is
proud to support the Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond and its successful
development of baseball in the Netherlands.
See Kenley Jansen play in future Dodgers games on ESPN America, broadcaster of MLB in
the Netherlands.
Contact Megan McNamara at MLB for additional information megan.mcnamara@mlbi.co.uk
Contact Virginie Bernon at ESPN America for additional ESPN information virginie.bernon@espn.com
