| This is a
custom
designed trip for baseball players.
It's the only one of it's
kind to provide a baseball vacation in the Netherlands. In
addition, you'll have many opportunities to
interact with Dutch nationals.
Baseball is very big in the Netherlands with lots of amateur leagues
for all ages. Baseball is a new medium between our cultures, even
if you don't speak Dutch you'll be able to interact with the
locals. We'll eat at
some
great restaurants, be entertained by a full time agenda, see some great
sights and Play Baseball, Dutch style.
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Trip is open
to any adult person who plays baseball.
The average age of
our
teams is usually in the mid 40's with players ranging in their 20's
through their 60's. Since this tournament is a 40+ tournament,
you need to be at least 40 years old. This may drive the average
age of our team up but that is OK as we will be playing teams of
similar ages. The trip is scheduled for
late September of 2006 so we can participate in a local
tournament in Eindhoven. Players, wives, family
members, kids and tourists
are all welcome. We'll be limiting ourselves to a maximum of 15
players.
We will need 3-4 good pitchers, a couple of catchers and some good
position
players. Come as a team or come as a pool player and join the
team.
You will
need a valid passport.
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| The
trip is more economical than any travel agent could or would do. This
is a unique opportunity that we have the Old Slobs Baseball Team sponsor
us and give us use of their fields and ball parks. No travel
agency
could put together a trip like this. The Netherlands is a fairly expensive
place to visit like many developed European countries but we'll be going at a reasonable cost that includes quality
treatment in every step of the way. The trip will include
all
lodging, ground transportation, all baseball, all tours, lots of
sightseeing,
shopping sprees, full time guide and some meals. Our trip is customized with us in mind
at a reasonable price of less than $2,000 not including airfare.
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Most
every day
we'll tour a different area, see the local attractions and play a local
baseball team. Some evenings will have group outings or
dinners.
Occasionally there may be joint meals with the local teams that
will
allow the Dutch and USA players to get together, exchange ideas and
make
new friends. You'll find baseball enthusiasts of a variety of age
groups and levels.
They are eager to meet and play ball with you.
Don't
be just
a tourist, be an International Baseball Ambassador, get to know
the people not just the postcards.
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Baseball
Baseball
has
only
been played for many years in the Netherlands. Recently, they had
a team in the World Baseball Classic, you remember Andreu Jones of the
Braves. Many of those players were from Aruba which is part of
the Dutch Indies in the Caribbean. They often have teams at the MSBL World Series in Phoenix each year. I've played against them a couple of times. Over the last few decades, baseball has been growing as a major amateur sport in the Netherlands. They now
have youth leagues, adult leagues, local, national and European
tournaments. There best teams are probably low college
level though we'll not be playing against them.
We'll be starting our trip with a game or 2 in the Amsterdam area as we make our way to Eindhoven for the tournament. This
will give a couple of practice games and a chance to see other parts of
the country. While in Eindhoven, we'll be playing at least 5
games. The games will have a 90 min. time limit so they will
probably end up being 5 inning games. After sweeping the
tournament, we'll head back to the big city for our departure back
home. Though
there are no big professional stadiums,the
fields look very nice and we'll be using their best facilities.
Transportation
You'll need to
make
your own airline reservations to and from Amsterdam. Once there,
you'll be met at the airport and transported to our hotel for check
in.
We will have a team bus
that will transport us
from
the different venues and tours while in the Netherlands. Upon
departure,
you'll
be transported to the airport and assisted by our tour guides.
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Food
Breakfasts
will
be included with the rooms at the hotels. Lunches and dinners
will
be at your own expense. At least 1 welcoming dinner and 1 final
dinner banquet
is included.
There may also be some dinner or lunch get together with the local teams.
Restaurants are in our hotels and others within easy walking
distance.
Food in
the Netherlands varies from French, Italian, Japanese, American, Chinese and more. They are also famous for great beers,
which I am sure we'll be sampling quite often. You won't go hungry and probably won't lose weight.
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Entertainment
Both Amsterdam
and outlying areas have centuries of history filled with old churches, castles,
beautiful squares and monuments. There are plenty
of restaurants, bars,
discos,
night
clubs and other
activities to keep
you busy each day or night, the Dutch rock!
With the baseball, tours and your own outings, you'll be exhausted by the end of the week.
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Sightseeing
After our
first
day of arrival, we'll be doing extensive
sight
seeing each day and then evening baseball game or two as we make our way to Eindhoven. We'll
visit some of the most attractive and interesting places of these
historic areas and their surroundings. Our hotel will be located close to the tourist sites so you'll have easy access to major tourist
attractions and city life.
Eindhoven is similar to much of the Dutch outlying areas. It is much smaller scale than the big cities, sans tourists and
much less expensive. As you can see from the photos, it has lots
of beautiful buildings and scenery. We'll be visiting some of the
more interesting places each day before we play our baseball games.
At typical day will
consist of day time tours and afternoon or evening games. Each
day will consist of tours to different places so you'll have lot's of
opportunities to see the cities and the surrounding areas.
On tournament days, we'll be playing double headers with evening meals.
There will be one full day off
for touring where we'll take a day trip to some places outside of the urban areas. This will give us a break from
the big city and get a chance to rest before our final games
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Accommodations
When you
travel a long distance to a foreign land, you want a comfortable place
to stay. The Netherlands has lots of hotels so we'll be choosing
one that is close to various tourist activities and easy to get to and
from our various events, hopefully one that is not too expensive. It's nice being close enough to local
attractions, bars, restaurants, discos, fields etc. so that it is a short walk
or taxi drive. We'll probably be
staying
in at least 3, maybe 4 star hotels, depending on who rates them. The hotels look very modern with the necessities and amenities you are accustomed
to. Like most European countries, rooms are generally pretty
small compared to US standards.
Estherea, Avenue, Blue Wave House Boats, NH City Center, Hotels Amsterdam
Actual locations will be determined as we get closer to
the trip based on cost, comfort and convenience.
Requirements
This trip is for
amateur baseball players. Most our players are members of local
amateur baseball leagues. Ages ranging in the 20's through the
60's. Average age of the teams is generally in the
mid-40's. This trip is for a 40+ tournament so you need to be at least that old. Wives, family
members, kids or
other tourists
may also attend as this is a family friendly trip. You will need a valid passport and visa.
We'll
get into more detail on this as we get closer. Players need to bring a dozen baseballs.
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Schedule
and Agenda
Mid September is usually a very good month weather wise and the local teams will still be
playing baseball. We'll start the
trip when you arrive at the airport. You'll be met at the
airport by one of the travel agents who will help you get to the hotel
for check in. Most flights
will
arrive morning or early afternoon. You will have the afternoon
off for
decompression. In the evening, we'll have a welcoming dinner at
the hotel or close by restaurant. Official departure will also be
on the
following week. You are, of course, welcome to come earlier or
stay later on your own. If you do, you'll be responsible for your
own transportation, accommodations and any other costs during those times. A
preliminary detailed agenda is shown
below.
The 1st day, you'll depart the US. You'll loose a day on the way.
The 2nd day will be arrival, hotel check-in and a welcoming dinner party.
On the 3rd day, we'll take a boat cruise along the Amsterdam River
to get aquatinted with the local area. We'll have lunch at a
local restaurant and continue the afternoon by enjoying some of the
sites of Amsterdam. That evening, we'll head to the ballpark for Game #1 against the local teams and have dinner on your own a a local restaurant afterwards.
On the 4th day, we'll see more of the sites of Amsterdam. We'll
have lunch and continue to tour the area and sites. Evening we'll
have a night out on the town for dinner and local entertainment.
On the 5th day we'll start our trek to Einhoven.
On the way, we'll have a chance to see some of the beautiful flowered
country side, windmills and quaint towns. We'll have lunch on the
way and continue to enjoy the local scenery. When we arrive in
Eindhoven, we'll have a dinner with the local baseball federation at a
pre
tournament dinner and enjoy the local night life.
On the 6th day we'll start the tournament. After breakfast, we'll head for the ball field for Game #2 and our first victory of the tournament. We'll have lunch and then Game #3 as the second game of a double header. Later, we'll have dinner out on the town to celebrate our victories.
Day 7 we'll continue our victories with another double header. We'll have breakfast and then it's off to the ballparks again for Game #4, lunch and Game #5. This evening, we'll sample more of the local atmosphere before we complete the sweep of the tournament.
Day 8 will be playing early. We'll have breakfast again, check out of the hotel and off to our final victory in championship Game #6.
After collecting all our awards and trophies, we'll celebrate with a
lunch bar b que with local teams and then head back to Amsterdam.
We'll check into a local hotel close to the airport and have a victory
dinner that evening.
Day 9 will be get away day. We'll have breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport and off the the USA, a new and enlightened person.
All in all, between the baseball
and the tours,
this will be a very
busy schedule that will give you a great experience and a chance to see
lots of the Netherlands. You'll have lots of opportunities for
evenings out after the games and there will be some nights where
we'll go out as a group or you are welcome to go on your own.
Outline
of Schedule for 8-days, 7 nights
Day
1
Sunday
Sept. 17
|
Depart
US
Lose a day |
Day 2
Monday
Sept. 18
|
Arrive Amsterdam Airport
Transfer to Hotel
Afternoon Off
Welcome Dinner Party
Accommodations at Local Hotel
|
Day 3
Tuesday
Sept. 19
|
Breakfast at Hotel
Morning boat ride on the canals
Lunch
Afternoon tours of Amsterdam
Transfer to ballpark for Game #1
Dinner at Local Restaurant
Accommodations at Local Hotel
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Day 4
Wednesday
Sept. 20
|
Breakfast at Hotel
Morning tours of Amsterdam
Lunch in Amsterdam
Afternoon tours of Amsterdam
Evening dinner and entertainment
Accommodations at Local Hotel
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Day 5
Thursday
Sept. 21
|
Breakfast at Hotel
Check out of Hotel
Explore Dutch Country Side
Lunch at Local Restaurant
Transfer to Eindhoven
Dinner at Local Restaurant
Accommodations at Local Hotel
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Day 6
Friday
Sept. 22
|
Breakfast at Hotel
Transfer to ballpark for Game #2
Lunch at Local Restaurant
Game #3
Transfer to Hotel
Dinner at local restaurant or with local team
Accommodations at Local Hotel
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Day 7
Saturday
Sept. 23
|
Breakfast at Hotel
Transfer to ballpark for Game #4
Lunch at Local Restaurant
Game #5
Transfer to Hotel
Dinner at local restaurant or with local team
Accommodations at Local Hotel
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Day 8
Sunday
Sept. 24
|
Breakfast at Hotel
Check out of Hotel
Transfer to ballpark for Game #6
Lunch Bar B Que
Transfer to Amsterdam
Victory Dinner at local restaurant
Accommodations at Local Hotel
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Day
9
Monday
Sept. 25 |
Breakfast at Hotel
Transfer to Airport
Return Flight to USA |
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Dates
Sept. 18-Sept. 25, 2006, note these are preliminary dates
We'll start the
trip when you arrive on a Monday. You'll be met at the
airport by one of the travel agents who will help you get to the hotel
for check in. Most
flights
will
arrive morning or early afternoon. You will have the afternoon
off for
decompression as Amsterdam is 6-9 hours ahead of the US. In the
evening, we'll have a welcoming dinner at
the hotel or close by restaurant. Scheduled departure will be on the
following Monday. You are, of course, welcome to come earlier or
stay later on your own. I usually come a few days early or stay
an extra day or so. If you do, you'll be responsible for your
own transportation, accommodations or any other costs during those times.
Cost
We need at least 10
people for this trip to happen, plus any additional non players. Costs are
currently being worked out. Look for something in the $1600-$2000
range. These
costs will be based on staying at 3-4 star hotels in double
occupancy. If you want a room to yourself, add around $400-500.
Airfare
to and from Amsterdam is not included. Current prices from San
Francisco are
about
$850-$1050. From New York about $650-$750. There are always
deals around for those who look and prices vary depending on when you
book.
Universal
Currency #1
Currency
Converter #2
Current Exchange Rates
Weather in Amsterdam
If you would like
more information on playing in the Netherlands send an email to Dennis@DennisMc.com
Included is:
Transfer to and from Airport
Hotel accommodation for 7
nights.
All local transport to scheduled activities via tour bus.
Admission to scheduled tourist
attractions.
All Breakfasts at hotel
2 Dinners
All baseball costs (umpires, fields, etc.)
Translator/Guide at all scheduled tours |
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Not Included is:
Air Fare to and from the Netherlands
Non-scheduled trips (taxis, buses, trains, etc.)
Lunches and most dinners.
Each player to bring 6 leather baseballs.Each player to bring their own playing gear & uniforms
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Visa, International Travel, import or other similar costs
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Contact
Dennis McCroskey
P.O. Box 707
Mendocino, CA 95460
707-937-4478
707-937-2349 fax
email: Dennis@DennisMc.com
Sign
Up
To sign up for this
trip you need to fill
out the application form and send a $500 deposit. The balance
of funds will be due by August 1,
2006. If for some
reason, if the trip does not happen, all deposits will be returned in full.
This trip is for amateur baseball players.
Wives, girl friends, family members or other tourists may also
attend. You will
need a valid passport, a visa is not required.
Roster
We need a minimum of 10 players with a maximum of
15. Friends, relatives, girlfriends, kid and others may also attend.
Roster of Interested
Participants
| Player |
Status |
Positions
|
Dennis
McCroskey
Scott Gladish
Peter Canada
Peters Friend
Mike Keith
Tony Hatch
Ed Garelick
Brian Schlatter
Randy Taylor
|
Yes
Yes
Maybe
Maybe
Maybe
Maybe
Maybe
Maybe
|
P,IF
P,1B,OF
IF
P,IF
P,IF
|
Non Players
|
Status
|
Positions
|
|
|
|
|
We need a catcher, some pitches plus several
position players. |
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