Jan Smidt

Jan Hindrik Smidt

• Throws Right

• Born January 18, 1929
• Died January 2, 2019

Biographical Information

Jan Smidt was a top Dutch pitcher from the 1940s-1960s. His nephew Max Rietbergen was a player and coach and Rietbergen's grandson Rikkert Faneyte played in the majors. Smidt's sons Thijs Smidt (P) and Floris Smidt (C) both played in the Hoofdklasse as well.

A sidearm hurler, Smidt started off with SC Haarlem then played with HHC, retiring in 1966. He attended spring training with the New York Giants in 1954 alongside Han Urbanus. The Giants taught him a drop curve to compliment his fastball. He played for the Dutch national team in exhibitions starting in 1948, then in their first major tournament, the 1956 European Championship (which they won). He also helped them win the 1957 European Championship, 1958 European Championship, 1960 European Championship and 1962 European Championship as well as the 1956 Global World Series, 1957 Global World Series, a visit to the US in 1961, the 1961 Haarlem Baseball Week and 1963 Haarlem Baseball Week. He won Pitcher of the Year in 1956, usually losing out to Urbanus and Herman Beidschat. He led the 1964 Hoofdklasse with 115 strikeouts and threw no-hitters in 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1958. He was second all-time in strikeouts (over 1,800) behind Urbanus when he retired. In 1994, he played in the Senior World Series in Phoenix, AZ. He helped organize the Netherlands Baseball and Softball Museum and Hall of Fame, founded in 1983. Off the field, he was a designer and decorator.

Source: Obituary by Marco Stoovelaar