World mourns Johan Neeskens memories and his baseball past

Johan Neeskens, one of the greatest soccer midfielders ever, passed away at 73. He was in Algeria for a coaching project on behalf of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB).

While mourning him, the world of Dutch sports remembered Neeskeks's past as a baseball player. He was a talented pitcher who won the Dutch Junior Championship with Racing Club Heemstede (RCH) under Frans Langeveld's guidance.

RCH was founded in 1934 and became RCH Pinguins in 2001 after merging with the softball club Pinguins.

"The born and bred Heemstede native was a sportsman in heart and soul and, above all, a highly valued and beloved person," stated the RCH Pinguins on their official website. "Our thoughts go out to his wife, children, family and friends."

Neeskens started his soccer career with Racing Club Heemstede in the Eerste Divisie (the second tier of Dutch soccer). He moved to Ajax Amsterdam in the 1970-1971 season.

He contributed to two titles of Eredivisie (the Dutch top league), three Champions Cups (now UEFA Champions League), and one Intercontinental Cup.

He played for Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga from 1974-75 to 1978-79, contributing to one UEFA Cup Winners Cup. He then moved to the United States,

Neeskens played 49 international games for the Netherlands. They competed in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cup Finals, in which the Dutch side, then known as The Clockwork Orange, lost to Germany and Argentina.

After retiring as a player in 1991, Neeskens coached several clubs in the Netherlands and abroad, including Switzerland, Australia, Spain, Türkiye, and South Africa. He was also an assistant coach with the Dutch national team from 1995 to 2000.