A Guide to the Netherlands

Or, more accurately, a guide to the Netherlands baseball team.

The title borrows the classic line from Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid...

Who are these guys?

Astute baseball fans remember Randall Simon, they've heard of Sidney Ponson, and they might even know about Gene Kingsale's seven-year stint in the Major Leagues that ended in 2003.

But even the most serious ball geeks have to shake their seamheads at the rest of the roster of The Netherlands team that has turned this World Baseball Classic on its head by eliminating the star-studded Dominican Republic team.

Call me a geek. Here are players on the Dutch team -- with profiles in the story -- you may have seen play in the Midwest League...

Kenley Jansen, C: The 21-year-old catcher from Curacao played in 2008 for the Single-A Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Jansen as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Jansen batted .227 in 2008 but hit nine homers and drove in 27 runs in 247 at-bats over 79 games.

Gregory Halman, OF: Netherlands native Halman, 21, was named the Seattle Mariners' Minor League Player of the Year in 2008 after hitting .272 with 95 runs scored, 29 doubles, five triples, 29 home runs, 83 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 128 games combined between Single-A High Desert and Double-A West Tennessee. Halman, who was signed by Seattle as an undrafted free agent in June 2004, was rated the No. 13 prospect in the California League by Baseball America.

Not getting profile treatment, but perhaps familiar to Midwest league observers:

Pitcher Alexander Smit (Beloit, '05, 06; Dayton '07)
Infielder Curt Smith (Quad Cities, '08)
Infielder Hainley Statia (Cedar Rapids, '06)