“Uncle Han” 
Imagine being a 15-year-old kid, making your very first appearance behind the plate in the Dutch ML… and the man on the mound is the legendary Han Urbanus. That’s something you think about for a moment before the first pitch.
As a rookie, you called him “Uncle Han.” Back then (60's) in the Netherlands you addressed older people as uncle and aunt out of respect—even if they weren’t family.
You’re the catcher. So technically, you’re the one calling the pitches. Until… you’re not.
A pitcher can shake you off. You can talk it over. But sometimes a legend simply throws whatever he wants—without showing a thing.
So you call time. Like a catcher should, you jog confidently to the mound.
“Uncle Han… we do have signs, right?”
“Sure, kid… it’s fine.”
And you walk back to the plate with a few question marks still floating around your mask.
You grind. You battle through the inning. You try to catch every pitch as cleanly as possible—blocking wasn’t really necessary when Uncle Han was dealing.
And you win.” Because Uncle Han was on the mound”.
A Dynasty Born in Amsterdam
In the Amsterdam neighborhood of the ‘Watergraafsmeer’, a baseball dynasty quietly took shape in the middle of the 20th century. The name Urbanus would
become inseparable from Dutch baseball for nearly a century. There’s even a club named in its honor: Urbanus.
The story begins in 1935, when Charles Urbanus Sr.—a boxer and plasterer by trade—joined the newly founded baseball section of the Amsterdam sports club OVVO (Op Volharding Volgt Overwinning — “Perseverance Leads to Victory”).
Four years later, his younger brother Han Urbanus, born June 22, 1927, followed him.
The brothers were born in Rotterdam and moved in 1934 to Amsterdam East. They first played soccer at OVVO before discovering baseball. When the club officially launched its baseball department on January 1, 1935, Charles stepped onto the field.
Han initially just tagged along to practices…..The rest is history.
Building a Champion
Charles Urbanus Sr. became a fixture on OVVO’s first team and remained there until the early 1960s. Later he helped organize the famous youth baseball camps in Eindhoven and eventually served as head coach of the Dutch national team.
Meanwhile, Han Urbanus developed into one of the greatest pitchers Dutch baseball had ever seen.
He debuted with OVVO’s first team in 1946, the same year the club earned promotion to the First Division. A golden era followed. In 1949 OVVO captured its first national championship—then won four more in a row, becoming the first team in Dutch baseball history to claim five consecutive titles.
Baseball fever swept through Amsterdam-East. Kids played the game everywhere—even in the streets as far as the Balistraat.
The Ace of Dutch Baseball
Han made his debut for the Netherlands national baseball team in 1949, eventually appearing in 46 international games.
International baseball at the time was still developing. Most games were played against Belgium or American military teams stationed in West Germany. But in the Netherlands, Han Urbanus stood at the top. He was named Best Pitcher five times: 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1958.
In 1952 he became the first European baseball player invited to train with the New York Giants. In the United States he
learned new pitching techniques, and when he returned home he shared them passionately. Armed with an instructional film, he traveled across the country giving clinics—clubhouses packed with curious ballplayers eager to learn.
Baseball and Humanity
After the devastating North Sea Flood of 1953, Han toured the United States to raise money for victims in the province of Zeeland. During that tour he was joined by the famous American actress Jane Wyatt. Together they helped organize events—including a special fundraising train—that collected $10,000, an impressive sum at the time.
Hall of Fame
On May 3, 1984, Han Urbanus was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation. During his career he earned:
* Five gold medals and one silver as Best Pitcher
* One gold as Best Hitter
* One gold as Most Valuable Player
Outside baseball, he worked as an accountant until retirement
Three Generations in Orange
The Urbanus legacy didn’t stop there.
Charles Urbanus Jr.—Han’s son, named after his uncle—also became a pitcher for OVVO.
For a brief time father and son even shared the field: Han on the mound, Charles Jr. at second base.
The family tradition continued with grandson Nick Urbanus, who played for the Dutch national team and in the organization of the Texas Rangers until 2018.
- Three generations.
- Three Orange jerseys.
- International ballparks.
- Multiple European Championship medals.
A baseball story that began with Han Urbanus, passed to Charles Urbanus Jr., and carried forward by Nick Urbanus—a family tradition where love for the game moved from one generation to the next.
“Uncle Han” passed away on February 5, 2021, at the age of 93.
CHECK THE VIDEO (DUTCH)
But legends never really leave the game.
They live on—forever—in the Playball column: LEGENDS (homepage).
Bron: Parool - Foto's: urbanus familie en nationaal archief