# Joop Geurts

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Dutch baseball player (1923–2009)

Baseball player

Joop Geurts Catcher Born: (1923-02-20)February 20, 1923 Haarlem, Netherlands Died: February 26, 2009(2009-02-26) (aged 86) Haarlem, Netherlands Batted: right Threw: right Medals Men's baseball Representing Netherlands European Championship 1956 Rome Team 1957 Mannheim Team 1958 Amsterdam Team 1960 Barcelona Team

**Joop Geurts** (February 20, 1923 – February 26, 2009) was a Dutch [baseball player](/source/Baseball_player) for the [Netherlands national baseball team](/source/Netherlands_national_baseball_team) in international competitions. He also played for Schoten Haarlem of the [Honkbal Hoofdklasse](/source/Honkbal_Hoofdklasse), the top Dutch baseball league.[1][2]

## Career

Geurts made his debut in the Dutch national team in 1938 as a catcher, at only 15 years of age. In 1957, he was named [most valuable player](/source/Most_valuable_player) of the Main Class. From [1956](/source/1956_European_Baseball_Championship) to [1960](/source/1960_European_Baseball_Championship), he captured the [European championship](/source/European_Men's_Baseball_Championship) four times with the Dutch team.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] He was named one of the best catchers at the 1958 championship.[3] Geurts appeared in 36 games over 23 years for the national team.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] In 1956, he was the captain of the team that visited the United States for the first time, competing in the [Global World Series](/source/1956_Global_World_Series).[1]

Geurts was also involved in an incident in 1948 with a baseball signed by [American ambassador](/source/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_States_to_the_Netherlands) [Herman B. Baruch](/source/Herman_B._Baruch). The ambassador was invited to throw the first ball at the start of a game between Haarlem and Amsterdam clubs. Baruch threw the ball to Geurts, who had Baruch sign the ball, then kept it. However, baseball league board members later asked Geurts to return the signed ball. He refused and decided to visit the American embassy in The Hague to get Baruch to sign a second ball. At an open meeting to decide Geurts' fate, he showed the two signed balls and asked the league officials to choose one, which he gave to the leagues, while keeping the other one.[4][5]

Years later, Geurts was asked by the administrators of the Netherlands Baseball Museum if he still had the ball in question. He sent his son [Tom Geurts](/source/Tom_Geurts) to the attic to search, and his son found the ball.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The Haarlem-based museum has one of the signed balls.[6]

## Personal life and death

Geurts worked for a ground boring company.[2]

Geurts died on February 26, 2009, at the age of 86 in [Haarlem](/source/Haarlem). Geurts had some health issues in the final years of his life, however the exact [cause of death](/source/Cause_of_death) was not released to the public.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) Stoovelaar, Marco (January 26, 2007). ["Former international Henk Lukkien passed away"](https://catcher.home.xs4all.nl/h0701e.htm#2601). *Grand Slam - Stats & News*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_2-1) Perry, Will (1961-06-03). ["Netherlands ball club has true national flavor"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-grand-rapids-press-netherlands-ball/189292100/). *[The Grand Rapids Press](/source/The_Grand_Rapids_Press)*. p. 16. Retrieved 2026-01-19.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Nederland weer Europees kampioen honkbal De Nieuwe en Keulemans op dreef"](https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMRHCG03:163580061:mpeg21:a00172). *Winschoter courant* (in Dutch). 1958-07-12. p. 14. Retrieved 2026-02-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Hoogenbos, Gé. ["Historie van het honkbal"](https://www.honkbalsitearchief.nl/interactief/historie.html). *Honkbalsite archief*. Retrieved 2026-01-19.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Weer een storm?"](https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:110587695:mpeg21:a0265). *[De Telegraaf](/source/De_Telegraaf)* (in Dutch). 1960-05-17. Retrieved 2026-01-19.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Hielkema, Haro (1988-08-12). ["Een museum vol honkbalhelden"](https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010826723:mpeg21:p002). *[Trouw](/source/Trouw)* (in Dutch). p. 2. Retrieved 2026-01-19.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joop Geurts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joop_Geurts) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joop_Geurts?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.