Story Photos
 Pim Walsma, a member of the Dutch National Team competing at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, was 2-3 with a 3.27 ERA for Lower Columbia College in 2007. Daily News file photo
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Former LCC pitcher takes mound at Olympics
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 5:34 PM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleIt’s a big leap over a huge pond, going from Amsterdam to Longview. The jump gets even larger when you add Beijing into the mix. That’s exactly what former Lower Columbia College baseball pitcher Pim Walsma has done, spending the past month in China as a member of the Dutch National Baseball Team.
For Walsma, the past two seasons have filled him with enough baseball experiences to last several lifetimes. As the team competes in the Summer Olympics, his journey continues.
“The Olympic feeling came to me when we arrived in the Olympic Village and saw all of the athletes and the great facilities,” the 20-year-old Walsma said via e-mail from Beijing. “You got the idea at the Opening Ceremonies that you were participating in one of the biggest events on the planet, and I’m just enjoying every moment of it.”
But Walsma, who had a 2-3 record with a 3.27 earned run average at LCC in 2007, might not have had the opportunity to pitch in the Olympics if he hadn’t returned home after his freshman season.
“After my year at LCC, in which I learned a lot, I decided to stay home for several reasons,” he said. “I went back to play for my club team (L&D Amsterdam Pirates) and did really well in the first half of the season. After the third game of our league, our National coach (Robert Eenhoorn) invited me to practice with the Dutch National Team.”
Walsma was selected to stay with the team after pitching two solid outings for the Dutch Nationals during the annual Honkbal International Tournament held in Haarlem, located near Amsterdam.
“I pitched five innings against the Cuban Olympic Team and allowed one run on five hits,” he said. “After the tournament, the team was announced, and it included some Dutch players who were playing in the minor leagues in the United States. To my surprise, I got the news that I was going to Beijing to participate in the Olympics.”
Walsma is one of 10 pitchers on The Netherlands roster, which includes minor league players Shairon Martis (Class AAA Washington), Loek van Mil (Class A Minnesota), Alexander Smit (Class A Cincinnati) and Juan Carlos Sulbaran (American Heritage Stallions of Florida). Yurendell de Caster, who plays infield for the Class AAA Washington Nationals farm team, is also with the Dutch Nationals.
“At first I didn’t even think I had a shot (at making the team), with all the experience already on the team,” he said. “I thought I was just there to play at a higher level and get some experience on the international stage. After the Cuba game I knew I did well, but I still thought I had only about a 10 percent chance of making the team.”
After winning the European Tournament and earning a berth in the Olympics, the Dutch Nationals flew to South Korea in late July and played five warm-up games with the Korean Olympic Team. They later played a pair of scrimmage games with the Canadian Olympic squad on Aug. 8 when they arrived in Beijing.
Walsma and the Dutch Nationals have had mixed results in the Olympics. After being shut out in successive games by Chinese Taipei (5-0), the United States (7-0) and Japan (5-0), the Dutch slipped past host China 6-4 before falling to the powerhouse Cuban team (14-3) and Canada (4-0).
Walsma was roughed up in his Olympics debut against the United States, allowing two runs on two hits and three wild pitches while striking out one in two innings.
He also threw two innings of relief against Cuba, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two. In Walsma’s defense, Cuba swatted 16 hits off four Dutch pitchers.
Off the field, Walsma and his teammates planned to visit The Great Wall and The Forbidden City, and he has met Team USA basketball players Kobe Bryant and LeBron James while standing in line at the food court. He also has been impressed with the positive enthusiasm of the Olympic volunteers.
Even though his team’s chances of bringing home the gold are gone, he said the memories he’ll pack back home gleam just as bright as any medal.
From seeing tennis players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, getting a gander at the giant Yao Ming or having dinner with the gold-winning Dutch women’s swimming relay, the list of precious recollections goes on and on.
“These are experiences I’ll never forget,” he said.
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