HAARLEM – Wim Oosterhof, who was active in baseball and/or softball for eighty years, passed away on Tuesday evening (May 4) at the age of 93. Over the years, Mr. Oosterhof held many positions within his club, Kinheim; he was one of the club’s icons and can rightly be called “Mr. Kinheim.” Wim Oosterhof was inducted into the Dutch Baseball and Softball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Unfortunately, this is another sad time for the Dutch baseball and softball community. Last Thursday (April 29), former Official Scorer and league official in the Amsterdam District, Fiet Aussen, passed away at the age of 92. On Tuesday morning, former KNBSB board member and former European Softball Federation (ESF) President André van Overbeek passed away at the age of 71.
Wim Oosterhof was born on January 7, 1928, in Bloemendaal. Where do you even begin when talking about Wim Oosterhof? He can truly be called a jack-of-all-trades. Wim Oosterhof was a pioneer of Dutch softball and served on the boards of his club HCK (Kinheim), the Royal Dutch Baseball Association (KNHB), the Dutch Amateur Softball Association (NASB), the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB), the European Softball Federation (ESF), and De Kieviten. Within the city of Haarlem, he served as a volunteer in many roles across some twenty organizations and foundations. Wim was always busy and took great pleasure in his administrative and organizational activities. Talking and writing about Wim Oosterhof is a journey filled with reminiscing about the rich history of baseball and softball in our country, as he worked alongside many well-known figures from our history. Although there are 24 hours in a day, Wim Oosterhof must have found extra hours somewhere when you look at the long list of things he has done over the years.
After completing his military service, Wim Oosterhof worked for a year (May 1950–May 1951) in Indonesia, which had recently gained independence after having been known as the Dutch East Indies since 1816. In Indonesia, he was stationed in the capital, Jakarta, and helped with the handover of equipment and parts from the Dutch army to the Indonesian army.
After returning to the Netherlands, Oosterhof enrolled in the police academy in Hilversum in September 1951. After successfully completing the program two years later, he initially worked in The Hague. In 1955, he became a police inspector in his hometown of Haarlem. That marked the beginning of a long career with the Haarlem Police Department. From 1981 to 1988, Wim Oosterhof served as Police Commissioner in Haarlem and also as Acting Chief Commissioner. When he retired in January 1988, the national police force was reorganized into several new regions. The then-mayor of Haarlem, Elizabeth Schmitz, asked Oosterhof to continue for another two years as regional coordinator, which he did.
Wim’s athletic career began sometime in 1942 when he started playing baseball at HCK, which stands for Honkbal Club Kinheim. Founded in 1935, Kinheim is one of the oldest clubs in the Netherlands. The club was named after Kinheimpark, which was located in Bloemendaal just across the border from Haarlem. Also in the 1940s, he played soccer for BVC Bloemendaal, which later also established a successful baseball and softball division. In 1949, Oosterhof became secretary at Bloemendaal. A long-standing board member of this club was Gerard Voogd, with whom Wim would collaborate for many years. Shortly thereafter, he became a board member of Kinheim, the club of which he would remain a member for eighty years! Over the years, Wim Oosterhof held various positions and participated in numerous activities within the club, which moved from Bloemendaal to various locations and eventually settled at its most well-known site on Badmintonpad. There, the Municipal Sports Park is located, and the baseball field is used by various clubs, including HCK. In later years, HCK, with its baseball and softball teams, became the sole user of this intimate and cozy complex. In 1973, the club opened a clubhouse. This became the site of many long post-game discussions over a drink in the “den” at the bar. Kinheim developed into a successful club. Not only with baseball, but also with the softball division, which was founded in 1948. It was Joop van Wendel de Joode and player/coach Bep van Beijmerwerdt who played important roles in the softball division. Other very active members of HCK during those years included Paul Paul, Arie van Driel Krol, Dries de Zwaan, and Cor Zandstra.
Wim Oosterhof held various positions at HCK, including managing the competition office. In the spring of 1956, he became president and led the club for many years thereafter. HCK (Kinheim) has always maintained close international ties. In the years following World War II, the club organized games against American soldiers stationed in what was then West Germany. This led to annual games against the Wiesbaden Flyers. That team was led by the well-known coach Chuck Costello, who played a key role in bringing American military teams from Europe to the field of play at the Haarlem Baseball Week in the 1960s. The Kinheim softball players played several games against teams from Springfield College in the USA. Wim Oosterhof was one of the HCK officials who oversaw these international contacts.
Starting in the 1970s, American players regularly played on the Kinheim baseball team, which also had several American coaches. A number of these players stayed with the Oosterhof family, who have always been very hospitable. When the well-known American coach Bill Arce and his wife Nancy visited the Netherlands, they stayed with the Oosterhof family in Haarlem. Wim Oosterhof always tried to stay in touch with foreign players and guests for as long as possible. For example, Wim and his wife Hennie also stayed in touch with former player Bep van Beijmerwerdt after she emigrated to America in the 1960s. Bill Arce passed away in 2016, and Bep van Beijmerwerdt in 2019.
Following the successful 1958 European Baseball Championship, held in Amsterdam, it was Gé Hoogenbos who felt the time was ripe for a major international tournament. Hoogenbos played for the Haarlem-based HHC (and later EHS) and presented the idea to the Haarlem City Council, which immediately expressed interest. Hoogenbos was inventive and always brimming with ideas to promote baseball, and he wrote about the sport in De Telegraaf. In the 1960s, it was thanks to Hoogenbos that a merger took place between EHS and EDO, leading to the founding of Haarlem Nicols.
In 1961, it was Daaf Geluk, Haarlem’s alderman for sports, who played a key role in organizing the first International Baseball Tournament in Haarlem. The name “Haarlem Baseball Week” was introduced during the event itself. And that marked the beginning of the long history of this international tournament, which is held every two years.
Wim Oosterhof was involved in organizing the tournament from the very beginning. The first tournament took place at the Municipal Sports Field on Badmintonpad. At the time, it was used by various clubs, including Oosterhof’s club, HCK. Two years later, the Pim Mulier Stadium opened, just in time for the second tournament. This stadium is still the venue for Baseball Week and is now also the home of Kinheim. Starting in 1961, Oosterhof was either actively involved or present as a spectator at all Haarlem Baseball Weeks organized through 2018. Last year’s 30th edition had to be canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). This edition is now scheduled for 2022.
Within the Organizing Committee, Oosterhof was responsible for matters such as accommodations, as well as liaising with the municipality. He held numerous meetings with the sports councilors, including the aforementioned Daaf Geluk and, in later years, Piet Voskuilen and Ab van Schooten. These discussions, combined with Gé Hoogenbos’s plans, led to the construction of the baseball stadium in 1962–1963. At the time, it was the very first baseball stadium in Europe, complete with bleachers, a lighting system, and a scoreboard. In later years, the light poles were replaced, the outfield fence was moved back, and a new electronic scoreboard was put into use.
Following the successful first editions, the Organizing Committee had to make decisions regarding the participating teams. The Dutch National Baseball Team’s level of play improved steadily. Starting with the second edition, the semi-professional teams Sullivans and California Stags from the USA became regular participants. In later years, the national teams of the Netherlands Antilles and Italy were invited, as were stronger American college teams. Another highlight came in 1972 when the strong teams from world champion Cuba and Nicaragua came to Haarlem for the first time.
In addition to inviting strong teams, the Organizing Committee also made it a priority to ensure that the atmosphere in the stadium and among the spectators remained positive and festive. Over the years, Baseball Week became known for the enthusiastic and exuberant behavior of the thousands of spectators who enjoyed the games. The members of the Organizing Committee have also always remained approachable to everyone.
In 1963, Hennie Kooij handled the administrative work at the so-called “permanence” during the second Baseball Week and later married Wim Oosterhof. Hennie Oosterhof continued to work at the permanence until the early 1980s, serving as tournament secretary, among other roles. Like her husband, Hennie was also very active and, from the late 1970s through the 1980s, served as a member of the KNBSB’s Training and Examinations Committee, among other positions.
Wim and Hennie Oosterhof’s sons, Willem Jr. and Onno, also play baseball for Kinheim. Willem Jr. played for the first team in the Hoofdklasse for some time. He is still active with the club, serving as treasurer of the Friends of Kinheim Foundation, with Toine Jager as chairman and Kees Tromp as secretary. Toine’s father, Peter Jager, was also the club president for many years. Tromp served as secretary for many years and was the dugout scorekeeper for the baseball team for about twenty years.
Wim Oosterhof served on the Organizing Committee during the first seven editions of Haarlem Baseball Week (1961–1972). Other committee members during those years included Gerard Voogd (chairman), Wout Posthuma, Piet van Deenen, Martin Bremer, Karel de Graaf, Jan Hartog, Hans de Bie, Henk de Bruin, and Jan Visser. In 1972, Dries de Zwaan and Gonny Wedemeijer were among the new board members.
Although he was no longer a member of the organizing committee after 1972, Wim Oosterhof remained active in the tournament; for many years afterward, he served as the liaison between the organizing committees and municipal authorities and continued to be involved in international relations.
In 1962, Oosterhof was also a member of the Organizing Committee when the European Baseball Championship was once again held at the OVVO complex in Amsterdam. He was also involved in the organization of the event when it took place in Haarlem in 1973, 1977, 1981, and 1985.
When the first Haarlem Softball Week was organized in 1980, Wim Oosterhof was also involved. Not as a member of the organizing committee, but he supported the board with his contacts within the municipality.
In the early 1980s, the Netherlands was awarded the right to host the World Baseball Championship, which took place in 1986. That year, the games of the global event were played in Haarlem (the main venue), Eindhoven, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. Amsterdam served as the central hub where the teams and officials stayed and also housed the main press center. From 1984 to 1987, Wim Oosterhof served as vice president of the 1986 World Baseball Championship Foundation. The other members were Guus van der Heijden (president), Piet Tromp, Theo Vleeshhouwer, Gerard Voogd, Dries de Zwaan, and Aad van der Elst. Due to their experience, the Organizing Committee was virtually the same as that of the Haarlem Baseball Week. Tromp served as its chairman, and Oosterhof was a member of the committee.
After the World Championship, Tromp will step down as chairman. After that, Wim Oosterhof returns to the Organizing Committee one last time, serving as chairman during the 1998 edition of Haarlem Baseball Week. The other committee members that year are Jaco van Ekeris, Aad van der Elst, Jan van Gennip, Theo Vleeshhouwer, Rob Spies, Peter Laanen, and Jacques Reuvers. In 1989, Oosterhof was succeeded as chairman by Piet Sikma, the former alderman for sports in Haarlem. Sikma led the tournament in 1990 with Reuvers as vice-chairman, and Reuvers took over the reins during Baseball Week 1992.
Wim Oosterhof developed his administrative and organizational skills at a young age. As mentioned, he served as board secretary for BVC Bloemendaal in 1949, and shortly thereafter became a board member at HCK (Kinheim). His talents were recognized, and in 1958, at just 29 years old, Wim Oosterhof became the new secretary of the Executive Board of the Royal Dutch Baseball Association (KNHB). At that time, Arie van Driel Krol, also a club icon at HCK, served as vice-chairman. Also new that year was chairman Wout Posthuma, who succeeded Dick Beets. Until 1960, Oosterhof served as secretary of the KNHB board, which during those years also included Wout Posthuma (chairman), Arie van Driel Krol (vice-chairman), Jan Hartog (second secretary), Ab Hordijk (treasurer), Hans Boersma (assistant treasurer), and Lou Fisser (member). In 1960, Ko Scheen succeeded Van Driel Krol, and Jan Sibille succeeded Hordijk.
During these years, Oosterhof also served on several KNHB committees. From 1958 to 1960, he served as secretary of the Disputes Committee alongside Wout Posthuma and Ab Hordijk. In 1958, he served as chairman of the Rules Committee, with Henk de Ruiter as secretary and Dick Baas as a member. And from 1958 to 1959, Oosterhof served as secretary of the Field Committee, with Hordijk as chairman.
In early 1961, Martin Bremer succeeded Wim Oosterhof, who then embarked on a new chapter in his administrative career by joining the Dutch Amateur Softball Association (NASB), which had been founded in 1951. At that time, Jules Kammeijer was the first president. He introduced softball during World War II as a variation of baseball for women. Other early board members of the Softball Association included players Riet Vermaat, Bep van Beijmerwerdt, and Hannie Berendonk, as well as Gé Hoff Sr. (chairman) and Teun Gaartman (vice-chairman).
In March 1963, Dries de Zwaan became the new treasurer of the Softball Association. Like Oosterhof, De Zwaan was also deeply committed to HCK and held many positions over the years, including at the international level. Oosterhof and De Zwaan did a great deal to promote the development of softball in our country. For many years, De Zwaan also wrote extensively about softball in the Haarlems Dagblad.
A year after De Zwaan joined the NASB board, Wim Oosterhof became chairman, a position he held until 1970. In addition to Oosterhof and De Zwaan, other board members during those years included Teun Gaartman, Piet Gabes, Janke Nijdam, Gé Hogenbirk, Line Klein-Desta, and Herman Kruijt. In 1969, Marga de Ruiter became the new secretary. She and Oosterhof, along with the other board members in 1969 and 1970, held discussions with the Royal Dutch Baseball Association (KNHB), which resulted in a merger in December 1970. On January 1, 1971, the new Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) was unveiled.
Wim Oosterhof, Marga de Ruiter, and Gé Hogenbirk were also members of the first KNBSB board, with Lex van der Stek serving as chairman. The other members were Guus van der Heijden, Martin Bremer, Freek Bos, Dirk Molenaar, John Oosterbroek, and Ton Pols. In 1972, Theo Vleeshhouwer succeeded Bremer and remained secretary of the KNBSB for many years. A year later, Van der Heijden became the new chairman, marking the beginning of a new era. In early 1974, Oosterhof was succeeded by Cees Boer Sr.
Following the merger, Wim Oosterhof (as chairman), together with Marga de Ruiter and Cor Jonker, formed a men’s softball committee. From 1971 to 1975, the new KNBSB had a special committee for international affairs. For the first three years, Oosterhof served as secretary of this committee, which was chaired by Guus van der Heijden. The other members were Jan Hartog (baseball affairs) and Willem de Ruiter (softball affairs). In 1975, Oosterhof handled softball affairs on this committee, which then consisted of Van der Heijden, Gerard Voogd, Wil Soolsma, and Jules de Pierre.
Wim Oosterhof also served as an international official for some time. In 1970 and 1971, he was vice president of the European Softball Federation (ESF), with the Italian Bruno Beneck serving as president. This federation was the predecessor of the current ESF, which was reestablished in 1976 by representatives from Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Wim Oosterhof has also been a long-standing board member of De Kieviten. This alumni association not only organizes gatherings for members who have all made a special contribution to baseball and softball, but also supports a wide range of activities to promote both sports. Oosterhof served on the board from 1982 to 1998, but in 1999 and 2000 he was vice-chairman. He rejoined the board in 2001, after which he stepped down. However, some time later he returned as vice-chairman.
Other long-serving board members of De Kieviten during these years, since Oosterhof joined in 1982, include Johan de Bie (chairman), Theo Vleeshhouwer (vice-chairman), Maartje Nierop Groot (secretary), Wim Ascherman (treasurer), Wim Endel (member), and Jan Meijer (member). Since 1990, board members have included Rob van Tuyl, Wim Broertjes, Tiny van der Poel, Piet van Rijswijk, and Dries de Zwaan.
Since leaving the Haarlem Police Department, Wim Oosterhof has remained a busy man. He is active in the National Police Sports Association and holds many volunteer positions within various organizations in his beloved Haarlem. Among these is his involvement in the celebration of Haarlem’s 750th anniversary in 1995. For two years, he served as the project leader for these celebrations.
Oosterhof is also involved with Haarlem Promotie, which is promoting the slogan “Haarlem, City of Flowers.”
Starting in the late 1990s, Wim Oosterhof was actively involved with the Molen De Adriaan Foundation for about ten years, raising funds for the reconstruction of the famous windmill on the Spaarne River in Haarlem. Dries de Zwaan has also been closely involved with this foundation for a long time. When Oosterhof steps down from the foundation, the Wim Oosterhof Bench is unveiled at the entrance.
Over the years, Kinheim has always been an ambitious club. In July 1967, Wim Oosterhof, then president of the club, was interviewed by Hans de Bie for the magazine *HonkbalBaseball*. Regarding these ambitions, Oosterhof said at the time: “I am convinced that every club must strive to achieve the best possible results using all appropriate means. At my club—and fortunately at all other clubs as well—we have a certain unique atmosphere. We constantly strive to foster interest and appreciation among our members for one another, and not just for athletic abilities. Based on this, we try to impress upon the members that they should use their talents as much as possible for the club, so that the most favorable results possible can be achieved both organizationally and athletically.”
At the time of the interview, Oosterhof is also president of the Dutch Softball Association. He loves both baseball and softball, but sees a bright future for softball. He says: “I am convinced that both sports will have to go hand in hand in promoting this type of sport.” In America, the number of softball players exceeds the number of baseball players, but baseball gets the most attention. Organized softball in our country is growing rather slowly, but I believe that in the more recreational and educational spheres, softball is and will be played more than baseball.”
In 1978, a dream came true and the club’s ambitions became a reality when Kinheim won the national baseball championship for the first time in its history. Players on the team that season included Hans Augustinus, Nol Beenders, Frank Breek, Hans van Driel Krol, Fokke Jelsma, Frank van der Putten, and Ron Vader. The team’s head coach was Karel Crouwel. This was the first of five championships, as the team went on to win the title again in 1994, 2006, 2007, and 2012.
Wim Oosterhof has received numerous awards for his various activities.
When he stepped down as a board member in 1974, Wim Oosterhof was named an Honorary Member of the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB).
In 1996, he received the Medal of Honor from the City of Haarlem for his role in organizing the celebrations marking Haarlem’s 750th anniversary. The Medal of Honor is awarded to individuals for administrative achievements, but in later years it was also awarded to figures from the arts, culture, and sports. The award has been presented to, among others, the mayors of Haarlem Oscar Cremers (1969), Jan Reehorst (1984), Elizabeth Schmitz (1994), Jaap Pop (2006), and Bernt Schneiders (2016), as well as to aldermen Daaf Geluk (1970), Piet Voskuilen (1978), Ab van Schooten (1990), and Piet Sikma (1990), and painter Kees Verwey (1985), Olympic speed skating champion Yvonne van Gennip (1988), filmmaker/illustrator Gerrit van Dijk (1998), author Louis Ferron (2002), and singer/songwriter Boudewijn de Groot (2011).
In recognition of his many contributions to Kinheim, Wim Oosterhof was named Honorary Chairman and Honorary Member. He was also named an Honorary Member of De Kieviten.
Another highlight came on July 27, 2008, when he was officially inducted into the Dutch Baseball and Softball Hall of Fame, alongside Jules de Pierre. The ceremony took place during Haarlem Baseball Week.
In 2018, Kinheim organized a baseball tournament in preparation for the new season. A year later, the club decided to name the tournament after Wim Oosterhof. Unfortunately, the tournament had to be canceled both last year and this year due to coronavirus restrictions.
Anyone who has met Wim and Hennie Oosterhof can attest to the fact that they have always been exceptionally kind, hospitable, and caring. The two are deeply loved, not only within the Kinheim family, but by others as well. As for the author of this story, I can say that I have had the pleasure of knowing both of them for 45 years. Hennie was the secretary of the Exam Committee when I took my exam as an Official Scorer in 1977. After having met Wim regularly at Kinheim, I worked with him for the first time during the 1988 Haarlem Baseball Week, when he was chairman of the Organizing Committee and I was editor of the daily tournament magazine (Leesvoer) for the first time. Whenever we ran into each other over the years, we always stopped for a chat, and the friendship has endured.
Unfortunately, Wim had been struggling with health issues in recent years and had to use a wheelchair. He was always lovingly cared for by Hennie, and the two of them attended Kinheim’s matches as often as possible. They always had a smile on their faces and remained positive.
Wim Oosterhof was a remarkable and distinctive figure. A man with a long and impressive career in baseball and softball. Someone who enjoyed everything he did, yet always remained humble about what he had done (or was doing) for the sports, for Kinheim, and for the city of Haarlem. He will be missed by many.
The board and all volunteers of Haarlem Baseball Week extend their deepest condolences to Wim’s wife Hennie, their sons Willem Jr. and Onno, their grandchildren, and other family members and friends, and wish them strength in coping with this great loss.
The funeral service for Wim Oosterhof, who was an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau, will take place on Wednesday, May 12, at 3:30 p.m. at the Sterrenheuvel Funeral Home and Crematorium in Haarlem. Due to current restrictions, attendance will be limited, but the service can be viewed via a livestream at http://www.sterrenheuvel.nl/ . The login code is 317502.
(Text: Marco Stoovelaar; Photos: North Holland Archives/Fotoburo de Boer/Poppe de Boer, Kinheim, De Kieviten & Marco Stoovelaar, Sander Grasman)