Kalian Sams

Kalian Rivalino Sams (born 25 August 1986) is a Dutch former professional baseball outfielder who reached Triple-A in Minor League Baseball and played professionally in other countries. He also played more than 100 games for the Netherlands national team in international baseball tournaments.

Professional career ADO Sams participated in the youth baseball academy with ADO in his hometown of The Hague. He debuted with the club's team in Dutch professional Honkbal Hoofdklasse in 2004.

Seattle Mariners Sams signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners on 2 July 2006. He said he was offered contracts by several American teams but chose the Mariners in part because fellow Dutch ballplayer Greg Halman had previously signed with the Mariners.

Sams made his American debut in 2007 with the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers but was demoted to the Everett Aquasox in June when the Short-Season A season began.

San Diego Padres On 5 May 2013, Sams signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres. He began the minor league seasion with the Double-A San Antonio Missions. After hitting 10 home runs in 26 games, Sams was promoted in June to the Triple-A Tucson Padres, the highest level of affiliated baseball he would reach. However, his hot hitting did not continue. On 20 July, Sams was released by the Padres. In 50 games in the Padres organization, Sams hit .215 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI. then for Algodoneros de Guasave in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

Sams re-signed a minor league contract with the Rangers in November 2013. However, Texas released him on 23 March 2014, prior to the start of the 2014 season. He did not play in affiliated American baseball again.

Camden Riversharks (second stint) On 8 April 2014, Sams re-signed with the Camden Riversharks. He played in 16 games for Camden in 2014, hitting .232 with 2 home runs. He batted .279/.374/.534 with 16 home runs, 65 RBI, and 32 stolen bases in 61 games and was named the team's most valuable player. Sams also appeared in five games for the Kinheim in the Dutch Honkbal Hoofdklasse, hitting .429.

Upon his retirement, Sams said he rediscovered his love for baseball when he played in Canada.

High Point Rockers On 21 March 2019, Sams signed with the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League. He batted .203/.292/.297 before being released on 7 July 2019. He hit .278/.353/.467 in 24 games before he was released on 15 August 2019.

Amsterdam Pirates On 19 August 2019, Sams signed with the Amsterdam Pirates of the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, and played in 1 game for the club, going hitless in 2 plate appearances. Sams played in 20 games for Amsterdam in 2020, slashing .359/.516/.813 with 8 home runs and 27 RBI. He remained with the club to begin the 2021 season. He helped Amsterdam win the Holland Series in 2019 and 2021.

On 27 October 2022, Sams announced his retirement from professional baseball on Instagram. He said that his age and shoulder injuries contributed to his decision.

International career Sams played more than 100 games for the Netherlands national baseball team. He debuted with the national team in 2006 and played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and 2017 WBC. He helped the Dutch win the 2011 Baseball World Cup and European Baseball Championships in 2014, 2016, and 2019. He also played in the 2015 WBSC Premier12, 2019 WBSC Premier12, and Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament. He has two children, one son and one daughter. He also became a motivational speaker.