Tjerk Smeets

Who is Tjerk Smeets?

Tjerk Smeets is a Dutch baseball player who currently plays for Kinheim and the Dutch national team. He is the son of Dutch radio and television personality, writer, and columnist Mart Smeets.

Smeets played his college baseball in the United States. In 1999, he homered in his only at-bat and drew two walks. In 2000, he was one for two with a RBI. In 2001, he hit .159/.256/.304 in 30 games. He did homer in a game in which Middle Tennessee State set a school record with 8 circuit clouts. Smeets played for the Dutch team in the 2003 World Port Tournament, going 1 for 2 with a 2-run homer. As it was one of just two home runs in the event, Smeets won the World Port Tournament Home Run King award. In 2005, he hit .326/.433/.439 for the Amsterdam Pirates to finish 6th in the Hoofdklasse in average, 7th in OBP and 8th in slugging. He was 8th in walks and tied for third with 3 homers, trailing Ivanon Coffie and Dirk van 't Klooster. He played for the Netherlands in the 2005 European Championship.

Smeets moved to Corendon Kinheim in 2006 and batted .349/.446/.454 with 36 RBI in 41 games and fielded .996 at catcher. He was 7th in average, 6th in slugging, third in OBP, tied Reily Legito for the RBI lead, was third with 13 doubles, tied Kingsale, Roel Koolen and Evert-Jan 't Hoen for 5th with 27 walks and tied Nerei for 5th with 53 hits. He hit .482 with runners in scoring position. Smeets won the Hoofdklasse MVP award, the 4th catcher so honored. He was 2 for 12 in the playoffs but 9 for 21 with 3 walks and five runs in five games in the Holland Series as Kinheim won the title.