Chicho Jesurun
Encyclopedia
Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles
Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 140,000. The historic centre of...
, Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, 10 July 1947 - d. Almere
Almere
Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus .Almere is the youngest city in the...
, 16 December 2006) was a Netherlands-Antillian
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and coach who reached worldwide fame.
During his playing career he played for several teams. He started in Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
with the Korporaal Cardinals, later, in the 1960s he was one of the founders and players of the Caribe from Groningen in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. In that period he also started his coaching career as a coach at the Rayon Het Noorden team.
In the 1970s and 80s he was working as a baseball coach in his native Curaçao with the Wildcats Felipe II and the Curaçao national baseball team. With this team he reached the second spot in the national league, before winning the league in three consecutive years. Later he also became a referee in the sport. He also featured as a scout for several Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams like the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
.
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
to the team. He also worked for Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n professional team Los Tiburones de la Guairia, where he managed to become "assistant to the owner". Other teams he managed were the Amsterdam Pirates
Amsterdam Pirates
Amsterdam Pirates is a baseball and softball team in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded as an expansion of the soccer club S.V. RAP. In the first years it was known as the RAP Pirates, but after a few years the club changed its name according to American tradition and became the Amsterdam...
and Almere '90.
He also worked in other functions at Dutch clubs Pioniers
Pioniers
Pioniers is a baseball and softball team based in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. The club is currently sponsored by Raamsdonkveer-based construction company Vaessen BV and the team is officially known as the Vaessen Pioniers....
and SV ADO
SV ADO
SV ADO are a baseball team in Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the Netherlands's professional baseball league.-External links:*...
. In the years prior to his death he was a bench coach at Mr. Cocker HCAW
HCAW
HCAW or Mr. Cocker HCAW , in full Honkbalclub Allen Weerbaar, is a Dutch baseball club from Bussum. It is one of the largest baseball and softball clubs in the Netherlands and its teams play in all major domestic leagues....
. The period in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
came after he worked for the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. The two teams became partners and the Pirates changed their name temporary to Amsterdam Expos, managed by Jesurun for four years. Besides Jones for the Braves he contracted players like Vince Rooi
Vince Rooi
McVince Alleza "Vince" Rooi is a Dutch baseball player who currently plays for Amsterdam Pirates and the Dutch national team. Rooi played for the Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.-Baseball career:...
, Danny Rombley
Danny Rombley
Danny Rombley is a Dutch baseball player who currently plays for Kinheim and the Dutch national team. He also played six years in the US minor leagues....
, Tim van Pareren, Rogearvin Bernadina (all Expos), Rick VandenHurk
Rick VandenHurk
Henricus Nicolas "Rick" VandenHurk is a Dutch baseball starting pitcher who plays for the Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball and the Netherlands national baseball team....
, Kenny Berkenbosch and Jeffrey de Vrieze (all Marlins).
As of 1977 Jesurun also worked for the radio, starting as a baseball reporter, but later he presented the news for Radio Netherlands
Radio Netherlands
Radio Netherlands Worldwide is a public radio and television network based in Hilversum, producing and transmitting programmes for international audiences outside the Netherlands...
in the papiamento
Papiamento
Papiamento is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands, having the official status on the islands of Aruba and Curaçao. The language is also recognized on Bonaire by the Dutch government....
language. During the 2005 Baseball World Cup
2005 Baseball World Cup
The XXXVI Baseball World Cup took place in the Netherlands cities of Rotterdam, Haarlem, Almere, Amsterdam and Eindhoven September 2–17, 2005. Countries were split into two groups of nine, with the first four of each group qualifying for the finals....
, which was held in the Netherlands he featured as a reporter in the famous Dutch sport broadcasting program Langs de Lijn.
Chicho Jesurun died at the age of 59 due to a myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.