With Baseball Week approaching, we take a weekly look back at Baseball Week through the years with the “How is it now with….” column; memories from (former) players, umpires, volunteers, and fans.
“How is Johnny Balentina now?”
Catcher and outfielder, played for several major league clubs and the Dutch national team for decades.
Fondest memory of Baseball Week:
“Maybe a few of those, too? Anyway, the packed stadium on Wednesday nights. An enthusiastic crowd, music, songs were made and sung. For me, they had written lyrics to ‘Oh Sjonnie’ by Tante Leen. And every time I stepped onto the field, the crowd would start singing, ‘Oh Sjonnie, save a hit for me alone, oh Sjonnie, because for us you are the only number 23.’ It was something like that—it didn’t rhyme, but it gave me goosebumps every time. My selection as MVP of the tournament in 2004 was also very special. Talking about it makes me want to go to Baseball Week this summer all over again. Who knows….”
Favorite player and coach:
“Back then, I looked up to guys like Marcel Joost and Robert Eenhoorn. Now I’m a big fan of Didi Gregorius. I’ve had a lot of coaches in my career and of course you take something from every coach. I think I got the most from Charles Urbanus, who gave me a lot of opportunities, especially in my early days. David Daniels—we called him Double D—made me look at baseball in a different way and saw a leader in me. He encouraged me to take on that role. Finally, Robert Unicorn. He had just returned from the Major Leagues and had seen and done the real big stuff. The fact that he had a lot of confidence in me has been very important to me.”
Are you still involved in baseball?
“Yeah, right! You never unlearn that either, haha. I’m now living in Curaçao again and I’m the manager of the Wildcats, the champions of Curaçao. Former Major Leaguer Yurendell de Caster just signed with us, so we’re gaining a lot of experience. I also coach the youth and organize baseball camps. And I still play fanatically on a veterans’ team. Because yes, once a baseball player, always a baseball player.”