Sidney de Jong
| Sidney de Jong | |
|---|---|
de Jong in 2001 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: 14 April 1979 Amsterdam, Netherlands | |
| Died: 7 January 2026 (aged 46) Almere, Netherlands | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Medals |
Sidney de Jong (14 April 1979 – 7 January 2026) was a Dutch professional baseball catcher and coach. He played for the Netherlands national team in international tournaments, including the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics and 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic tournaments.
Career
de Jong played 15 seasons in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse from 1998 to 2011. In his debut season with Amsterdam Pirates, he played in 40 games and hit .450. He went on to play with Pirates (1998–2000), Kinheim (2001–2002), HCAW (2003–2006) and again Amsterdam Pirates (2007–2012), winning championships with Amsterdam in 2008 and 2011.[1] In 2001, de Jong played college baseball at the College of Southern Idaho in the United States, leading the team with a .358 batting average.[2] In 2002, he was the most valuable player in the Hoofdklasse.[3] He batted .300 or higher in 14 of his 15 seasons in the Hoofdklasse. After retiring as a player, he managed Pirates during the 2013 season.[1]
de Jong represented the Netherlands at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where the Dutch finished sixth. Following the Dutch winning the 2011 Baseball World Cup, he and teammates, including Didi Gregorius and Xander Bogaerts, were knighted.[4][1][5] He was named the best catcher of the 2005 European Championship, after hitting a grand slam in the championship game, and the 2007 Baseball World Cup.[6][7][8]
During his international career, de Jong appeared in 203 games, including two Olympic Games (2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing), two World Baseball Classics (2006 and 2009), five World Cups (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011), five European championships (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2010), and three Intercontinental Cups (2002, 2006, and 2010).[1]
After his retirement as a player, de Jong was a coach for the Netherlands starting in 2014 under managers Steve Janssen (2014–2017), Hensley Meulens (2015–2019), and Evert-Jan 't Hoen (since 2018). In 2017, de Jong acted as national team manager during the World Port Tournament.[1] That year, he also became the coach of the national under-23 team, which he coached through 2024.[9][10]
Death
de Jong died on 7 January 2026, at the age of 46.[11] A public memorial was held for de Jong at the Amsterdam Pirates' ballpark.[12] Prior to his death, he was expected to be a coach for the Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e Stoovelaar, Marco (8 January 2026). "Netherlands Team Coach and playing-legend Sidney de Jong unexpectedly passed away". Grand Slam Stats & News. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "2009 CSI Golden Eagle Baseball Media Guide" (PDF). College of Southern Idaho. pp. 27, 28.
- ^ "Sidney de Jong gekozen tot MVP". Honkbalsite archief (in Dutch). 6 December 2002. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ a b Clair, Michael. "Netherlands legend and WBC star de Jong passes away at 46". MLB.com. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "That's 'Sir Xander Bogaerts' to you!". Yahoo Sports. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Sidney de Jong". Honkbalsite archief (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ Stoovelaar, Marco (17 July 2005). "Dutch again European Champion!". Grand Slam - Stats & News. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Baseball World Cup: Allstar Team". mister-baseball.com. 19 November 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ Visser, Seb (8 January 2026). "Honkballegende Sidney de Jong (46) plotseling overleden". HonkbalSoftbal.nl.
- ^ "International Baseball mourns the sudden passing of Sidney de Jong". World Baseball Softball Confederation. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Voormalig honkballer en coach Sidney de Jong (46) plotseling overleden". NU.nl (in Dutch). 8 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ Visser, Seb (10 January 2026). "Herdenking van Sidney de Jong". HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch).
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- de Jong at the Dutch Olympic Archive (Archived)
- Videos and photos of de Jong from HonkbalSoftbal.tv