Like many of those playing in next month’s World Baseball Classic, Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop takes special pride in representing his home country, but for Schoop, there’s added meaning to playing for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in this year’s WBC.
Schoop hails from Curacao -- the tiny Dutch Carribbean island of roughly 150,000 people that has become a burgeoning haven for baseball talent -- and hopes another strong showing for the Netherlands in Major League Baseball’s showcase international event will create more opportunities for the next group of young baseball players on the island.