Enfield Hall of Famer Recalls His Week In Holland With Hank Aaron

ENFIELD, CT — The recent passing of baseball legend Hank Aaron prompted longtime Enfield and East Granby coach Bob Bromage to spend some time last week reminiscing about a memorable four-day stretch in 1977, when he was coaching in the Netherlands and played host to the home run king and his wife.

Aaron, who surpassed Babe Ruth's long-held record of 714 career home runs in 1974 and finished with 755, died Jan. 22 at age 86. After retiring following the 1976 season, he traveled with his wife Billye to Holland in May 1977, where the sponsor of a team Bromage was coaching persuaded the slugger to make an appearance at a special benefit home run derby and game.

Bromage and his wife Cookie were the Aarons' hosts for the Holland portion of a European trip, which also included a week each in England and Paris. A crowd of nearly 12,000 fans watched Aaron win the home run contest against players from the top Dutch league, as well as American players competing on teams in Holland.

The rest of the story is in Bromage's own words:

I was on sabbatical leave from the Enfield school system in 1976 getting my CAGS (Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study). I was the recipient of the first Math Fellowship from Springfield College, and also had an athletic assistantship working with the varsity baseball team as pitching coach and third base coach, helping my former coach Archie Allen.

Getting ready for our southern trip during March vacation, Archie asked me if I wanted to go on a trip. I said I thought I was already going on one. He said no, I would like you to go to the Netherlands and coach over there. I asked him when and he said the end of next week. Archie had been the coach of the Dutch national team and was friendly with Arie Van der Krol, the baseball head of the Kinheim Club in Haarlem, the Netherlands. So off I went to the greatest experience that I will ever have.

The middle of May 1977, Haarlem, The Netherlands. The head sponsor of the team I was coaching, Kinheim Atkie 66, and I were having a couple of beers after one Saturday game. Rob Muller, the sponsor, loved baseball and everything about it. We were in a pennant race with Nichols, the odds-on favorite, also from Haarlem. Nichols played at the national stadium while our ballpark was right down the street at Badminton Park.

We had the best clubhouse in the league. Rob always had a band playing on the veranda before and after the games. We, the upstarts, were the big draw in town. We had the best pitcher in the league, Noel Benders; a spunky shortstop, Harry Van den Berg, who had previously played on the Dutch national team; a solid infield; and a slugging first baseman named Hudson John. The previous year’s batting champion, Frankie Lewis, played left. A great addition was Kevin Keith, our center fielder, who played at Springfield College and on the Canadian national team. We were chasing Nichols and putting the heat on.

Rob asked me what could we do to promote baseball in Holland. Two years before, Hank Aaron had become the all-time home run leader. He became our target. I called NBC and left a message for Tony Kubek and Joe Garagiola, who were doing the game of the week. I told them that I potentially could have something they would be interested in. They called back and told me to contact the Atlanta Braves, as most players with that notoriety had personal services contracts.

I called the Braves and they told me that Hammerin' Hank had a personal services contract with Magnavox Electronics. Magnavox was located in Indiana, so I called them. Their public relations department told me Magnavox was owned by Phillips Electronics in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, which was 20 minutes from where we were located.

So I got into my trusty Volkswagen that the club had given me and went to Phillips. I introduced myself and explained what we were trying to do. We were going to have a home run hitting contest featuring Hank Aaron against players from the Head Class League, the equivalent of the Dutch major leagues, and the American players playing in Holland. The game following the home run contest was to be between the Dutch national team and the American All Stars, which consisted of the Americans playing in Holland. We ordered special shirts for the American team, and my wife brought them over to Holland when she arrived. I was the self-appointed coach of the American team, and my Dutch assistant coach Charlie Crowell was also my assistant to the American team.

We gave Hank and his wife an all-expenses week in England prior to Holland, followed by a week in Holland and then a week in Paris, plus meals and airfare. My wife and I were the Aarons' hosts. I met Hank at Schiphol Airport and brought him to Rob’s house, where he was greeted by the team and my assistant Charlie.

Charlie was an entrepreneur and always sold items at the Haarlem Baseball Week, which consisted of the very best teams from around the world. After the dinner, Charlie came into the forum carrying 12 dozen baseballs. He asked Hank to sign them, and Hank told him only one dozen. After Hank left, Charlie came in with a pen for each of our team's players and said we have to sign the balls so I can sell them at the game tomorrow.

In Holland, Hank is spelled "Henk." There were eleven dozen baseballs signed "Henk" Aaron. I didn’t hear one complaint from the purchasers. I was lucky to get one of the authentic balls, that later my dog ate.

We had a whirlwind four days with the Aarons. We went to an old Dutch village in the north of Holland where Hank had his picture taken in traditional Dutch garb; spent a day touring Amsterdam with its multitude of canals; and a huge press conference with the Dutch reporters. The home run off Al Downing was played over and over in the backdrop. Rob was in his glory as the response was tremendous. We had sold close to 12,000 tickets for the event, and Charlie was happy that he was going to sell his balls.

We decided that we would work out Hank at Kinheim and then escort him to the Nichols field for the home run contest. The Kinheim players were ecstatic to be able to work out with Hank. He hit a ton of balls into the canal behind the left field fence, and many off the apartments behind the canal.

The contest players were warming up and Bill Thurston, the Amherst College coach who was coaching Sparta from Rotterdam, was getting ready to throw to the home run contestants. The fans, ten deep behind the outfield fence, were getting ready chanting, "Hank, Hank, Hank." Out of the blue comes Hank with his undersized Dutch uniform top and escorted by the Kinheim players. We gave him an American All Star shirt so he could swing freely.

On the first pitch from Thurston, Hank launched a rocket into the night in left center. The fans had already gotten their money's worth. Needless to say, he won the home run contest. The American All Stars won the baseball game and everyone went home happy. The players, fans, and especially Rob, partied well into the night celebrating our accomplishments. By Friday, Hank was off to Paris, and we were ready for our league games.

"It was the biggest thrill of my career," said Bromage, who coached for more than half a century and is enshrined in the Enfield Athletic Fall of Fame.

Former Raider pitching standout Joe Dippel, who played for Bromage before going on to a successful two-sport stint at the University of Connecticut, played baseball for Club Kinheim in 1980 and 1981.

"The Dutch have always been big baseball fans, and what Bob put together with Hank Aaron was quite a feat and loved by all the Dutch," Dippel told Patch. "Having played for Bob at Enfield, he asked me if I was interested in going to Holland to play ball in the Dutch National Baseball League. I said of course, I thought would be a great opportunity and experience. I was there for two great summers, pitching for Honkbal Club Kinheim. The team and Dutch people were wonderful and loved the sport. Teams were allowed to have no more than two Americans. I had the time of my life and made some lifelong friends."

Dippel unearthed a YouTube clip of Aaron during his Netherlands visit; it is presented below (the narration is in Dutch, unfortunately).

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