Denny Beljaards

Denny Beljaards

• Bats Left, Throws Left

• Born June 4, 1983

Biographical Information

Denny Beljaards has played in the Hoofdklasse and for the Dutch national team. He is a nephew of Patrick Beljaards and Richard Beljaards.

Denny made his Hoofdklasse debut in 2002 with Kinheim. The teenager hit three triples, tying Ken Brauckmiller, Myron Wijman and Norbert Lokhorst for second in the circuit. In 2003, he hit 9 doubles, tying for fourth in the league. He played in the 2003 World Port Tournament but Danny Rombley replaced him on the roster for the 2003 European Championship and Olympic qualifiers.

In 2004, the young flyhawk hit .323 for Kinheim, 9th in the loop between René Cremer and Johnny Balentina. He tied for first with four triples and ranked 9th with 23 RBI, between Balentina and former big leaguer Ralph Milliard. Denny hit .254/.371/.296 for Kinheim in 2005 and excelled in right field, with five assists and no errors in 42 games. He was 6th in the circuit with 25 walks and tied for 6th (with Mike Duursma and Ronald Jaarsma) with 9 steals. He tied for third in outfield assists, two behind leader Dirk van 't Klooster, and led in fielding among outfielders. He played one game for the Netherlands in the 2005 European Championship, going 0 for 1 with a walk.

Beljaards improved to .290/.431/.405 in 2006. He tied Benjamin Dille for sixth with 28 RBI, was third with 32 walks (one behind co-leaders Mike Duursma and Mark Duursma), was 8th in OBP (between Yuji Nerei and Dille) and tied Mark Duursma for second with four triples, one behind leader Martijn Meeuwis. He fielded .991, tying former AA player Rombley behind only van 't Klooster in the outfield. In the 2006 Holland Series, he was a big key in Kinheim's title run, going 8 for 17 with a double, three walks and four runs in five games. Only Mark Duursma had a better average in the Series.

In 2007, the 23/24-year-old produced at a .319/.416/.444 rate for Kinheim. He tied Dè Flanegin for 8th with 23 walks, tied for 10th with 28 runs (even with Fausto Alvarez, Raily Legito and Norbert Lokhorst) and tied Legito for 8th with ten doubles. He played error-free ball in left, finishing second in fielding among outfielders to Shaldimar Daantji (also error-free, but in more total chances). He was 2 for 10 with four walks and three runs in the 2007 Holland Series, won by Kinheim. He also helped Kinheim win the 2007 European Cup, its first European Cup title ever.

Beljaards hit .303/.430/.361 in 2008, tying for 7th in the circuit with 27 walks and tying Flanegin for 8th in OBP. He was just 1 for 8 with two walks in the 2008 Holland Series, which Kinheim lost to the Amsterdam Pirates. In the 2008 European Cup in Grosseto, he hit .462/.632/.568 with 8 runs in five games and took MVP honors. He led the Cup in runs and was third in average behind Richard Montiel and Willie Vasquez.

Denny did not play in the Hoofdklasse in 2009 or 2010.