Santo Domingo. The clashes between the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, although not a traditional rivalry, have forged surprising and memorable moments in the history of the tournament.
The first encounter between both teams occurred in the 2009 edition. The Dominican team, considered the favorite and with figures like Albert Pujols, David Ortiz and Hanley Ramírez, was surprised by the Netherlands, which achieved two victories with scores of 3-2 and 2-1, the latter in an exciting eleven-inning game, eliminating the Dominican Republic in the first round.
In the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the Dominican Republic team sought revenge. With Robinson Canó, Nelson Cruz, and José Bautista leading the team, the Caribbean team defeated the Netherlands twice, both with a score of 4-1. The first victory was in the second round and the second in the semi-final in San Francisco, where a home run by Nelson Cruz secured the victory. The history between both teams shows a tie with two victories for each in the World Baseball Classic. Dominican Republic has scored a total of 11 runs, compared to the 7 of the Netherlands in the direct confrontations. Despite its short history, the duel has been relevant to international baseball. The unexpected victory of the Netherlands in 2009 highlighted the growth of baseball in territories such as Curaçao and Aruba, while the Dominican Republic’s response in 2013 contributed to the path towards one of the most dominant championships of the tournament, when the Dominican Republic conquered the title undefeated.
