Loek van Mil

Ludovicus Jacobus Maria "Loek" van Mil ([luːk vɑn mɪl]; 15 September 1984 – 28 July 2019) was a Dutch professional baseball pitcher. At the height of 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m), he was and still is the tallest player in the history of professional baseball.[2] He played for Curaçao Neptunus of the Honkbal Hoofdklasse and for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). On the Netherlands national baseball team he served as the team's closer in the 2013 World Baseball Classic and the 2015 Premier 12 and appeared in the 2007 Baseball World Cup. He missed the 2008 Summer Olympics due to injury.

In this Dutch name, the surname is van Mil, not Mil.

Loek van Mil
van Mil with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Pitcher
Born: (1984-09-15)15 September 1984
Oss, Netherlands
Died: 28 July 2019(2019-07-28) (aged 34)
Canberra, Australia[1]
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
NPB debut
14 September, 2014, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Last NPB appearance
2014, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
NPB statistics
Win–loss record0–1
Earned run average4.15
Strikeouts7
Teams
Medals
Men's Baseball
Representing  Netherlands
European Baseball Championship
Silver medal – second place 2012 Rotterdam National team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Hoofddorp National team
Haarlem Baseball Week
Gold medal – first place 2016 Haarlem National team
World Port Tournament
Silver medal – second place 2015 Netherlands National team
France International Baseball Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2016 Sénart National team

Early life

Mil competed in judo from ages 4 through 7.[3] When his mother encouraged him to join a team sport,[3] he chose to play baseball, as he had played a similar game in his elementary school.[3][4]

Mil reached the height of 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) at age 12, and grew to 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) by 14 and 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) at the age of 15.[3] He played as a catcher, until he became too tall to play the position and shifted to first base. At the age of 17, a coach decided to try Van Mil as a pitcher due to his strong throwing arm.[4]

Career
van Mil with the New Britain Rock Cats in 2009

Minnesota Twins

Van Mil signed a seven-year deal as a non-drafted free agent on 7 July 2005, with the Minnesota Twins.[5] Van Mil threw 1+2⁄3 scoreless innings for HCAW in 2006, spending most of the year with the Gulf Coast League Twins of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.[6]

Van Mil pitched for the Beloit Snappers of the Class A Midwest League during the 2008 season. He had a 2–2 record with 3 saves and a 3.22 ERA and 42 strikeouts in his first 44+2⁄3 innings, making the Midwest League All-Star game. Van Mil suffered a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm while preparing for participation in the 2008 Summer Olympics, and missed the first seven weeks of the 2009 season while rehabilitating.[7]

Van Mil began his 2009 season in late May with the Fort Myers Miracle, playing in the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. Later that year, he was promoted to the New Britain Rock Cats in the Class AA Eastern League. He finished the season with a 1–1 record and a 2.79 ERA in 42 games between the two clubs, 25 games out of the bullpen with Fort Myers with a 2.86 ERA and another 8 games with New Britain for a 2.45 ERA.[7] On 20 November 2009, he was added to the Twins' 40 man roster.[8]

Van Mil began the 2010 season with Fort Myers. He was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Brian Fuentes on 27 August 2010.[9]

Los Angeles Angels

Mil was announced as the player to be named later going to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the trade for Brian Fuentes on 1 September 2010.[10][11]

With the Arkansas Travelers of the Class AA Texas League in 2011, Van Mil had a 3–5 record and 2.04 ERA in 66+1⁄3 innings across 30 games. He began the 2012 season with the Class AAA Salt Lake Bees,[4] where he had a 1–0 record and 6.30 ERA.[12]

Cleveland Indians

On 5 May 2012, the Angels traded Van Mil to the Cleveland Indians for future considerations.[13] The Indians assigned him to the Akron Aeros of the Class AA Eastern League.[12]

Rakuten Golden Eagles

Van Mil signed a one-year deal with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball in early 2014.[14] He spent most of the year with Rakuten's farm team.[15]

Curaçao Neptunus

In March 2015 it was announced that van Mil would spend the year with Curaçao Neptunus Rotterdam of Honkbal Hoofdklasse.[15] Van Mil was also named to Team Europe's roster for the 2015 Global Baseball Matchup against Samurai Japan.[16]

Return to the Minnesota Twins

Van Mil pitched for the Minnesota Twins AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, on 2 September 2015, pitching 2 scoreless innings in relief in his first action stateside since 2013.[17] On 10 April 2016, Van Mil in relief gave up four runs in 1.2 innings with a strikeout against Pawtucket, 4–9.[18] With the loss, the Red Wings went to 4–8 on the season, the team losing six of their last eight games.[18] They dropped to last place in the International League's Northern Division.[18]

The 7-foot-1 Dutch native had allowed 15 runs (14 earned) in 5 1/3 innings over his first five appearances (including one start) with Triple-A Rochester. On 25 April 2016, he was released by the Minnesota Twins.[19]

Australia

Van Mil played in the Australian Baseball League with the Adelaide Bite for the 2015–16 and 2017–18 seasons before signing with the Brisbane Bandits for the 2018-19 ABL season.

Dutch national team

Van Mil joined the Netherlands national baseball team for the first time for the 2007 Baseball World Cup.

He competed as part of the KNB team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic in March 2017.[20] In what NBC reported was thought to be the tallest batter-pitcher matchup in baseball history, the 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) van Mil walked 6-foot-8-inch (2.03 m) Nate Freiman of Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic in a round one game.[21]

Scouting report

Van Mil threw a fastball that averaged 95 miles per hour (153 km/h),[22] which had been recorded as fast as 99 miles per hour (159 km/h).[3][23] Van Mil also threw a slider and a change-up.[24]

Van Mil was 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) and weighed 240 pounds (110 kg). He was one of the tallest players in the history of professional baseball, tied with former Minor League Baseball prospect Ryan Doherty.[2]

Death

During a December 2018 series against the Canberra Cavalry, van Mil went bushwalking without his teammates near Canberra.[25] During his hike, he slipped and hit his head on rocks. He was unconscious for about 24 hours before being woken up by kangaroos and attracted the attention of another hiker who drove him to a hospital. He was diagnosed with fourteen fractures, a ruptured eardrum and bleeding on the brain. He was cleared to return to baseball in January 2019 in time to help the Adelaide Bite win the 2019 Claxton Shield.[26]

On 29 July 2019, the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation announced van Mil had died. He had announced his retirement from baseball to focus on his recovery only a week earlier.[27]

References
  1. Gleeson, Scott (29 July 2019). "Loek van Mil, one of tallest baseball players ever at 7-foot-1, dies from 'fatal accident'". USA Today.
  2. "MLB Pitcher Loek van Mil, Known as the World's Tallest Professional Baseball Player, Dies at 34". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019. At 7'1", van Mil also was one of the tallest pitchers in the baseball history, tying with former Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Ryan Doherty, according to Sports Illustrated.
  3. Brad Rock. "New Bees pitcher Loek van Mil is intimidating presence". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  4. "Salt Lake Bees: Pitcher Loek van Mil stands tall on the mound | The Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  5. "Major League Transaction Impacts Rock Cats' Roster | MiLB.com News | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Milb.com. 28 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  6. "Twins think big with this rookie". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 15 March 2006. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  7. "7-foot-1 Loek van Mil has grown into quite a pitching prospect for Minnesota Twins". TwinCities.com. March 2010. Archived from the original on 7 March 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  8. "Twins add six to fill out 40-man roster". Archived from the original on 26 November 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  9. Velle, La (27 August 2010). "Twins trade for lefthander Brian Fuentes". StarTribune.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  10. "Twitter / Aaron Gleeman: Twins send Loek van Mil to". Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  11. Christensen, Joe. "Twins send Van Mil to Angels completing Fuentes trade". StarTribune.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  12. "Indians acquire 7-foot pitcher from Angels | indians.com: News". Cleveland.indians.mlb.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  13. "Angels trade 7-foot-1 Van Mil to Indians | angels.com: News". Losangeles.angels.mlb.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  14. Adams, Steve. "Minor Moves: Chris Jones, Loek Van Mil, Sergio Mitre". MLB Trade Rumors. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  15. "Loek van Mil back in Netherlands, to play in Rotterdam". Mister Baseball. Archived from the original on 7 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  16. "Roster for Team Europe for Global Baseball Match vs Japan announced – Asics sponsors Europe". Mister Baseball. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  17. "Twins Minor League Report (9/2): Hicks! - Articles - Articles - Articles - Twins Daily". Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  18. "RED WINGS REPORT, North Dakota Twins Fan: A Minnesota Twins Blog: April 2016". Archived from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  19. "Loek Van Mil - Minnesota Twins - 2017 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com". Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  20. "KNBSB - Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond". Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  21. "Video: 7' 1" vs. 6 '8" — the tallest pitcher-batter matchup ever | HardballTalk". 9 March 2017. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  22. "Angels' reliever Loek van Mil stands above the rest - Jon Heyman - SI.com". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 5 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  23. "Loek van Mil: 7'1" Angels Pitcher Looks to Become Tallest Major Leaguer – bleacherreport.com". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  24. "Minor League Baseball". Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  25. "Dutch baseballer Loek van Mil gets lost while hiking and suffers horror injuries near Canberra". News.com.au. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  26. Monagan, Matt (4 February 2019). "How Loek Van Mil, tallest player in the world, survived a horrific Australian hiking ordeal to win an ABL title". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  27. "Aussie baseball rocked by tragic death of 34-year-old star". Yahoo Sports. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
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