Adonis Kemp

Wilhem Randolph Adonis Kemp

• Height 5' 9", Weight 179 lb.

• Born January 31, 1967 in Oranjestad Aruba

Biographical Information

Outfielder Adonis Kemp played 15 years in Hoofdklasse Honkbal and 8 years for the Dutch national team. His son Dwayne Kemp played in the Chicago Cubs chain and two other sons, Urving Kemp and Tyriq Kemp, played in the Hoofdklasse. Kemp later coached and managed in Holland.

Kemp began his Dutch career in 1987 with Sparta. In 1988, Kemp played one season with Dutch second-class Feyenoord team together with some Aruban native players like Elton Wilson, Haime and Farley Wiersma. He returned to Sparta for two seasons, 1989-1990. He moved to ADO in 1991, starting a four-year run. In 1993, he joined the Dutch national squad and would play in 48 contests for them. He played in three European Championships, two Haarlem Baseball Weeks, two World Port Tournaments, a Baseball World Cup and the Olympics. In 1994, Kemp tied for the Hoofdklasse lead with 13 homers and 47 runs.

In 1993, Kemp reinforced the Red Machine of the island Aruba, with Dutch-playing Aruban natives Pierre Richardson and Richard Orman during the World Port Tournament where they became runner-up behind the USA Alumni Team. In the road to the finals, Kemp hit an important two-run walk-off home run to defeat Canada which got Red Machine closer to the tournaments finals. This tournament was Kemp’s stepping stone into the Dutch National Team. He hit .211/.375/.368 for the Dutch when they won Gold in the 1993 European Championship. In 1994, with Data Circuit ADO, Kemp became Homerun King during an International tournament in Italy where 4 of the best European teams played for the Cup of the Cups.

In the 1994 Baseball World Cup, he was 0 for 12 with four walks. He hit .400 and slugged .680 in the 1995 European Championship with 9 runs, 12 RBI and six steals in 8 games). In the 1995 Intercontinental Cup, Kemp batted .417/.533/.583 and stole five bases in five tries. He was second to Byung-kyu Lee in stolen bases in that tournament. He was 2 for 4 with a walk in the 1995 World Port Tournament. During the 1995 Hoofdklasse season, Kemp moved to Neptunus and helped them win the Holland Series, thanks to three home runs. He was named Series MVP.

Kemp played in the 1996 Olympics, batting .263/.333/.579, being the first official Aruban-born baseball player to receive an Olympic participant medal and diploma.. In the 1996 Haarlem Baseball Week, he hit .375/~.487/.906 with 12 runs, 5 homers and 10 RBI in eight games for the runner-ups. He led the tournament in both runs and home runs.

The Aruban tied Jamal Strong for the lead in the 1997 World Port Tournament with three steals; he batted .235/~.350/.412 in the event. He drove in eight runs in the 1997 European Championship, tying him for 8th place.

In the 2000 Dutch Major League season, Kemp returned to ADO was among the league leaders in doubles (9, tied for 7th), home runs (4, tied for 5th), RBI (28, tied for 8th with Rikkert Faneyte, Dirk van 't Klooster and Marcel Kruyt and steals (12, tied for sixth with Glenn Romney). In his final season as a player, 2002, the veteran ranked among the leaders in homers (6, tied for second with Sidney de Jong) and steals (9, tied for 10th).

He retired with 551 games played in Hoofdklasse, among the top 15 all-time to that point. Lifetime, he was second behind the legendary Marcel Joost with 106 home runs in his 15 years, the best of any non-native-born player.

Kemp then learned coaching at Robert Eenhoorn's baseball school and was head coach of the Neptunus farm team (DOOR Tridents) in 2005, replacing Wim Martinus. In 2006, Kemp led the Tridents to a national title in the First Division that year. Kemp was hired to manage Sparta/Feyenoord in 2007 but they finished 13-25. Neptunus brought him back as first base coach and hitting and outfielder coach for 2008. In 2013, he graduated as Top Sport Coach Level 4 at the Dutch Baseball Bond (KNBSB); he was the first Aruban born to achieve this.

Sources: Marco Stoovelaar's Dutch baseball site, IBAF site, Harry Wedemeijer's international tourney stats, Mister Baseball European Baseball statistics