By Jon Tatting
Minnesota Twins great Bert Blyleven and the Netherlands Association of America in Minnesota during the Hall of Fame pitcher's retirement ceremony. Blyleven was given a pair of wooden shoes which he promptly put on. Harris resident Wayne Buisman is in the red shirt. Photos courtesy of Minnesota Twins/Wayne Kryduba
Wayne Buisman wears his T-shirt that reads, “If you’re not Dutch, you’re not much” with pride, and that certainly was the case last month when he helped honor a Minnesota Twins great and his heritage.
Buisman, from Harris, stood side by side with now Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven during a ceremony for the retirement of his jersey #28 before a sell out crowd July 16 at Target Field in Minneapolis.
The Netherlands born pitcher, who originally went by Rick Aalbert, is the first Dutchman to be selected into the Hall of Fame. In fact, only 24 Dutchmen have played major league baseball, Buisman explained.
An officer of the Netherlands Association of America in Minnesota (NAAM), Buisman went to great lengths to help recognize Blyleven.
In April of this year, he traveled to the pitcher’s home town of Zeist to personally request a letter of appreciation from the burgermeister (mayor).
Buisman was happy to present the letter to Blyleven, who also received a letter of congratulations from the Netherlands embassy as presented by the Netherlands consul in Minnesota during NAAM’s portion of the number retiring ceremony.
“This well-deserved crown on your distinguished career is a source of great pride, not just for me as Dutch ambassador, but also for the Netherlands,” wrote Renee Jones-Bos of the Royal Netherlands Embassy. “With your professionalism, strong character and leadership, you are an important role model for both American and Dutch citizens.”
Blyleven was also presented with a plaque from NAAM and lifetime membership. Last but not least, continued Buisman, the Twins great received a pair of size 13 Dutch wooden shoes that he immediately traded for the more formal footwear he wore to the ceremony.
“Bert is extremely proud of his Dutch heritage,” offered Andy Price, senior director of Twins broadcasting and game presentation. “Bert was honored to receive the letter and commendation, and of course the wooden shoes (as) he kept them on for the duration of the ceremony.”
A member of NAAM, Buisman embraces the organization’s dedication to promoting Dutch culture in Minnesota and sponsoring several events each year.
“We’re proud of our heritage,” he said. “We keep Dutch culture alive here, through different events such as Dutch American Day in October.”
