Win Remmerswaal

Wilhelmus Abraham Remmerswaal (March 8, 1954 – July 24, 2022) was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Born in The Hague, Netherlands, Remmerswaal was the first European-trained player to reach the majors. He was the second Dutch-born major-leaguer of the modern (post-1900) era, with Bert Blyleven being the first. Blyleven, however, grew up and learned the game in California.

Early life Born on March 8, 1954, Remmerswaal was born to a family of athletes; his father, Jacobus (“Jaap”) played association football (soccer) with the VUC Den Haag club, while his brothers played football (including one with VV Spijkenisse). Nicknamed Win, (short for Winneke, or Winnie, inspired by Winston Churchill), Remmerswaal began playing "honkbal" with SV Wassenaar in 1970, moving to Storks a year later.

At the age of 17, he was selected to the Netherlands national baseball team. At the 1973 European Baseball Championship, the Netherlands defeated Italy for the title, and Remmerswaal was honored as the tournament’s best pitcher.

Professional career Remmerswaal signed with the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1974. He made his major league debut in 1979. In a total of innings of work, all in relief, Remmserswaal compiled a 3–1 record with 36 strikeouts and a 5.50 earned run average. Remmerswaal picked up his first major league win on August 15, 1979, when he and a series of other Boston relievers combined to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 19–5.

In total, Remmerswaal pitched in 22 games over two seasons with Boston, making his final major league appearance on October 5, 1980.

During his time in America, he became known for his eccentric behavior.

Later life In 1997, Remmerswaal lapsed into a coma after contracting double pneumonia with pleurisy. He lived in a nursing home in the Netherlands.