2009 World Port Tournament

The 2009 World Port Tournament was held from July 2 through July 12, 2009 in Rotterdam. Competing teams were the Dutch national team, Cuban national team, a Japanese team (a collegiate and industrial league mix) and Taiwan (a team of industrial leaguers and minor leaguers). The US was expected to participate but withdrew at the last minute. Cuba won the event (8-1-1), with the Netherlands finishing second (4-6), followed by Taiwan (3-5-1) and Japan (3-6).

Cuba's roster was composed of Yadier Pedroso, Miguel Alfredo González, Miguel Lahera, Freddy Asiel Álvarez, Maikel Folch, Yaumier Sánchez, Noelvis Entenza, Vladimir García, Eriel Sánchez, Yulexis la Rosa, Rolando Meriño, José Dariel Abreu, Ariel Borrero, Yoilan Cercé, Rafael Valdés, Adonis García, Yorbis Borroto, Roberto Carlos Ramírez, Jorge Padrón, Leonys Martín, Liván Monteagudo, Giorvis Duvergel and Yoelvis Fiss. Aroldis Chapman was on the roster but defected right before the tourney began.

The host Dutch team consisted of David Bergman, Rob Cordemans, Robin van Doornspeek, Berry van Driel, Joey Eijpe, Kevin Heijstek, Michiel van Kampen, Diegomar Markwell, Jim Ploeger, Nick Stuifbergen, Nick Veltkamp, Pim Walsma, Sidney de Jong, Martijn Meeuwis, Jeffrey Arends, Michael Duursma, Zair Koeiman, Raily Legito, Mark-Jan Moorman, Vince Rooi, Nick Urbanus, Bryan Engelhardt, Bas de Jong, Eugène Kingsale and Danny Rombley. They were managed by Rod Delmonico with coaches Jim Stoeckel, Bill Froberg and Wim Martinus.

Taiwan's team was Wen-Yang Liao, Chen-Hua Lin, Chih-Lung Huang, Yu-Ching Lin, Wai-Jen Cheng, Ching-Ming Wang, Yi-Cheng Wang, Yen-Feng Lin, Chu-Chien Hsu, Ming-Chin Lee, Kun-Sheng Lin, Hung-Yu Lin, Hsin-Min Wang, Chia-Yu Lin, Han Lin, Chih-Hsiang Lin, Po-Yu Lo, Kuo-Min Lin, Ming-Jen Kuo, Chia-Hao Chang, Chih-Hao Chang, Tsung-Chun Wu, Keng-Wei Lin and Tai-Yung Kuo.

The Japanese squad consisted of Syogo Suenaga, Syohei Tsurata, Keisuke Sugiyama, Nobuyuki Tanaka, Yoichi Sakamoto, Ryota Takayama, Yuma Saitoh, Takehiko Tsuji, Gen Horie, Tomohisa Tsukanome, Ken Hinomoto, Kakeru Suzuki, Ryo Kitamura, Yukinori Osonoi, Kyohei Kondoh, Yohei Yamamoto, Masashi Miyazaki, Taichi Maeda, Taiga Yamamoto, Wataru Hiyane, Ryosuke Katsumi, Yuta Siozawa and Takuya Fuwa.

Games

July 2

• Taiwan 4, Japan 3. Japan led 3-2 entering the 7th, but Ming-Jen Kuo tied it with a homer in that inning. In the 11th, Kun-Sheng Lin singled in Kuo-Min Lin to give Taiwan the win.
• Cuba 1, Netherlands 0. Diegomar Markwell and Miguel Alfredo González engaged in an excellent pitching duel. Eugène Kingsale and Sidney de Jong each had two hits, but that's all the Dutch team managed against González, Yadier Pedroso and Vladimir García. Cuba got the game's lone run in the third when Rafael Valdés singled, was bunted over and scored on a two-out single by Rolando Meriño. From then on, Markwell and Berry van Driel whitewashed Cuba, but the damage had been done.

July 3

• Cuba 8, Japan 0. After a day of close matches, the second day began with a rout. Maikel Folch fanned 8 and allowed one hit in 7 shutout innings and Noelvis Entenza and Miguel Lahera each gave up a hit in a shutout frame. Cuba had a very balanced attack, with Ariel Borrero (2 for 3, R, RBI) among the leaders.
• Taiwan 8, Netherlands 3. Taiwan joined Cuba at 2-0 by routing the Dutch. Wen-Yang Liao tossed five shutout innings for the win and was supported by a balanced offense behind him. The Netherlands again got outstanding efforts from Eugène Kingsale and Sidney de Jong (3 hits apiece).

July 4

• Cuba 9, Taiwan 1. Cuba faced no challenge from the other undefeated club, as they banged out 16 hits in an easy win. Yoelvis Fiss (3 for 5, HR, 3 RBI) led the charge, while Freddy Asiel Álvarez turned in a fine game (1 R, 3H in 6 IP). Ariel Borrero also went deep for Cuba.
• Japan 6, Netherlands 0. The Netherlands continued a disappointing trend, only managing three hits against Syogo Suenaga, who went the distance in the shutout. Yohei Yamamoto went 4 for 5 with a triple and two runs out of the leadoff spot. Raily Legito had two of the three hits for the Orange.

July 5

• Cuba 10, Netherlands 6. The host team's offense wakes up, but their pitching goes flat. Adonis García goes 4 for 4 and Yoelvis Fiss falls a triple shy of the cycle, driving in four. Rolando Meriño scores three times as Joey Eijpe gives up 9 runs in just two horrendous innings. Bas de Jong goes 5 for 5 in a losing cause.
• Japan 6, Taiwan 1. Japan avenged their earlier loss to Taiwan as Ryosuke Katsumi reached base four times and Nobuyuki Tanaka tossed five shutout frames for the victory.

July 6

• Netherlands 8, Japan 0. The Netherlands finally shows signs of life, as Rob Cordemans allows one hit and no runs in 7 strong innings. Bryan Engelhardt goes 4 for 4 with 3 runs and 3 RBI and Bas de Jong adds 3 hits (2 doubles) in a good offensive show.

July 8

• Cuba 10, Japan 0. Miguel Alfredo González and Yadier Pedroso combine to allow just one hit in 7 shutout innings as Japan suffers its second straight rout. Four Cuban players score multiple runs and Leonys Martín homers.
• Netherlands 2, Taiwan 1. Diegomar Markwell has another excellent outing, going 7 2/3 shutout innings. Eugène Kingsale reached against Chih-Lung Huang to open the game and was driven in two batters later by Raily Legito. In the fifth, Zair Koeiman pulled off a steal of home for a 2-0 Dutch lead. Taiwan rallied in the 9th with an unearned run off of Nick Stuifbergen but they could get no closer.

July 9

• Cuba 1, Taiwan 1. Maikel Folch did not allow an earned run in 7 innings but made two errors led to an unearned score. Cuba got their only run in the fifth when Yoelvis Fiss drove home Leonys Martín. It was Cuba's first non-win of the tourney. The game was a makeup of a July 7 rain-out.
• Cuba 5, Taiwan 4. Taiwan again put Cuba to the ropes but fell short this try. Taiwan even led 4-2 entering the 8th but former A ball hurler Yen-Feng Lin gave up 3 straight hits, capped by a 2-run double from Eriel Sánchez. Giorvis Duvergel singled him in for a 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the 8th, Taiwan loaded the bases against Miguel Lahera but Chih-Hsiang Lin hit into a double play.
• Netherlands 4, Japan 3. Ryota Takayama tossed five shutout innings and David Bergman gave up 3 runs in 6 2/3 IP. In the bottom of the 8th, the Netherlands was trailing 3-1. Raily Legito walked, stole second and scored on a Bas de Jong single to close the gap to one. In the 9th, Martijn Meeuwis opened with a hit off Syogo Suenaga (who had shut out the Dutch in their first match). Nick Urbanus hit into a force at second. Eugène Kingsale coaxed a walk and Vince Rooi hit a game-tying single. Legito walked to load the bases. Sidney de Jong then singled home Kingsale with the winner. Michiel van Kampen got the decision. After a 0-4 start, the Netherlands had won three straight to pass both Asian teams for second place.

July 10

• Taiwan 8, Japan 1. Chu-Chien Hsu and Chen-Hua Lin combine to hold Japan to five hits and one run in an easy win. Hung-Yu Lin and Keng-Wei Lin each bang out three hits for Taiwan.
• Cuba 8, Netherlands 2. Yaumier Sánchez walked six in 7 innings but fanned 9 and allowed only two hits (one a Vince Rooi homer). Ariel Borrero (3 for 3, 2 2B, R, RBI) and Leonys Martín (3 for 5, 2B, R, RBI) led Cuba's offense.

July 11

• Japan 2, Cuba 1. Syogo Suenaga tossed his second complete game of the tournament, holding the mighty Cubans to a single score (an unearned one at that). Noelvis Entenza gave up both Japanese runs in 7 innings in a solid outing which lacked offensive support as Cuba took its first loss.
• Netherlands 6, Taiwan 5. With a spot in the finale up for grabs, Chih-Lung Huang outdueled Rob Cordemans for the first five innings, leaving with a 3-1 lead; he was yanked due in part to six walks. The Netherlands came alive off Wen-Yang Liao, scoring once in the sixth and four more in the 7th to pull away with the win. Raily Legito was 2 for 3 with two walks, a steal, a homer, 2 runs and a RBI from the 3rd slot in the order.

July 12

• Cuba 9, Netherlands 3. In the finale, the host country faced off with the top-ranked team from the triple round-robin. The Dutch scored first off Miguel A. González. In the second, Martijn Meeuwis drove home Bas de Jong. The lead was short-lived as Cuba scored in the bottom of the inning when Diegomar Markwell put the first three men on followed by a fielder's choice.

The game was deadlocked at one until the fifth, when Eriel Sánchez clubbed a 2-run homer off reliever David Bergman. The Orange tied it once more, on a 2-run shot of their own in the top of the 6th, by Sidney de Jong off González. Maikel Folch relieved and tossed shutout ball for the next four innings to get the win.

Cuba went ahead for good in the sixth when Yorbis Borroto doubled off Michiel van Kampen and scored on a Giorvis Duvergel single. Van Kampen surrendered two more in the 7th and Nick Veltkamp and Berry van Driel were charged with 3 runs in the 8th. Sánchez and Ariel Borrero each finished with three hits for Cuba.

Awards were presented to:

• Best Contact Hitter: Adonis García, Cuba (.471)
• Best Pitcher: Maikel Folch, Cuba (2-0, 0.00)
• Home Run King: Yoelvis Fiss, Cuba (2 home runs, .625 slugging)
• MVP: Yoelvis Fiss, Cuba (.425, 13 RBI, 2 HR)
• Most Popular Player: Nick Urbanus, Netherlands
• Best Rookie: Nick Urbanus, Netherlands
• Press Award: Bas de Jong, Netherlands