Dave Draijer

Dave Draijer
Draijer in 1996
Pitcher
Born: (1973-09-30) 30 September 1973
Heemstede, Netherlands
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Netherlands
Intercontinental Cup
Silver medal – second place2006 TaiwanNational team
European Baseball Championship
Gold medal – first place2001 GermanyNational team
Gold medal – first place2003 NetherlandsNational team
Gold medal – first place2005 Czech RepublicNational team
Gold medal – first place2007 SpainNational team
Silver medal – second place2010 GermanyNational team

Dorotheus Wilhelmus "Dave" Draijer (born 30 September 1973) is a Dutch former professional baseball pitcher. Draijer played for the Netherlands national team in two Summer Olympics.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the Dutch team finished sixth. Draijer threw 2+2⁄3 innings, allowing two unearned runs.[1] Originally, he was not selected for the 2008 Summer Olympics but joined the team after an injury to fellow reliever Loek van Mil[2][3] Draijer pitched in three games, allowing one run in 1+2⁄3 innings as the Dutch finished in seventh place.[4][5]

Draijer pitched in one 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC) game, allowing a home run to Carlos Beltrán of Puerto Rico. Draijer hit the next batter, Javy López, which drew a warning from the umpire. Draijer escaped the inning without allowing any more runs.[6][7] He trained with the team ahead of the 2009 WBC but was not selected for the final roster.[8]

Draijer joined the Dutch national team in 2001, pitching in the World Port Tournament and European championship. He won European championships with the Netherlands in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007.[8] He was named the best pitcher at the 2006 Haarlem Baseball Week tournament after earning three saves in three games.[9] He pitched the final inning of a seven-inning no-hitter against France in the 2010 European championship, allowing one walk.[10][11] He also was part of the team in the 2005 and 2007 Baseball World Cup, 2006 Intercontinental Cup, and several other Haarlem Baseball Week tournaments.[8]

Draijer also pitched in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the top Dutch baseball league. He was a bat boy for RCH-Pinguins growing up. In 1999, he moved to HCAW, and in 2005, he joined Pioniers,[8] primarily working as a reliever. Aside from one season with RCH-Pinguins in 2009, he pitched with the Hoofddorp club through 2013, then made one appearance for RCH-Pinguins in August 2023.[12][13] He was also a pitching coach with Pioniers from 2011 to 2014.[14][15]

Several of Draijer's relatives also played baseball, including Max Draijer, who also won the NAIA World Series with the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs in 2021.[16][17][18]

References

  1. ↑ "2004 Summer Olympics Official Results". LA84 Foundation. p. 91. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
  2. ↑ Nystrom, Thor (2008-08-11). "Twins' Van Mil injured at Olympics". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Dave Draijer replaces injured Loek van Mil in Beijing". mister-baseball.com. 2008-08-09. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  4. ↑ "2004 Summer Olympics Official Results". LA84 Foundation. p. 91. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
  5. ↑ "Dave Draijer". Olympedia. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  6. ↑ "WBC Stats | WBC Team Stats | Kingdom of the Netherlands (2006)". MLB.com. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
  7. ↑ Stoovelaar, Marco (March 8, 2006). "Baseball Recap Netherlands vs. Puerto Rico". Grand Slam - Stats & News. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Dave Draijer". Honkbalsite Archief (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  9. ↑ "Zes prijzen naar Nederland". Honkbalsite archief. 30 July 2006. Retrieved 2026-01-08. [nl]
  10. ↑ "EC 2010 Neuenburg: Dutch Team no-hits France in Opener". mister-baseball.com. 2010-07-24. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  11. ↑ Stoovelaar, Marco (September 14, 2014). "Bolsenbroek throws Perfect Game in Dutch win vs. Greece". Grand Slam * Stats & News Netherlands. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  12. ↑ "Dave Draijer Career Stats Leagues Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  13. ↑ van der Breggen, Milan (16 August 2023). "Veel inhaalwedstrijden in Lucky Day Hoofdklasse". HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch).
  14. ↑ "Major Changes at Hoofddorp Pioniers". mister-baseball.com. 2010-10-25. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  15. ↑ "Eric de Vries new Pitching Coach for Vaessen Pioniers". mister-baseball.com. 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  16. ↑ "HCAW completes sweep vs. RCH-Pinguins with small win". Grand Slam * Stats & News Netherlands. April 30, 2023. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  17. ↑ "Clubinfo - RCH Pinguins" (in Dutch). 2023-02-17. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  18. ↑ van Zon, Rogier (1 June 2019). "Max Draijer wint NAIA World Series". HonkbalSoftbal.nl (in Dutch).
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