The 1985 European Baseball Championship was held in Haarlem and Eindhoven, the Netherlands and was won by the Netherlands, which swept Italy in a four-game championship series. Third-place Belgium won all three group games among the bottom-four teams.[1] San Marino, competing for the first time since 1971 championship, lost all 8 games.[2] The top three teams qualified for the 1986 Amateur World Series, also held in the Netherlands.[3]
The Italian team fielded fewer Italian American players, which weakened the team, particularly their pitching.[4]
The tournament attracted 50,000 spectators, exceeding organizers’ goal of 30,000 to fund the tournament.[4]
Standings
| Pos. | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Netherlands
|
9–0 |
| 2 |  Italy
|
4–5 |
| 3 |  Belgium
|
6–2 |
| 4 |  Sweden
|
4–4 |
| 5 |  Spain
|
2–6 |
| 6 |  San Marino
|
0–8 |
Awards
- Most valuable player Marcel Joost
- Best hitter: Judsel Baranco, .593 batting average[6]
- Best pitcher: Frank Lauwers[1] or Jan Hijzelendoorn[6][4]
- Most home runs: Roberto Bianchi
- Most spectacular player: Jacky Jakoba[6]
References
- ^ a b c Chetwynd, Josh (2008). Baseball in Europe : a country by country history. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 246. ISBN 978-0-7864-3724-5. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ a b “Archief Europees kampioenschap”. honkbalsite archief (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-12-09.
- ^ Gersen, Peter (1985-07-15). “‘Nieuwe formule’ moet EK van ander deuntje voorzien”. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ^ a b c Botman, Hans; van de Gevel, Frank (1985-07-15). “Italië Weggevaagd”. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 13. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ^ “Baseball – European Championships 1985 – Calendar & Results”. the-sports.org. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ^ a b c “EK honkbal uit de kosten”. Het Vrije Volk. 1985-07-15. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
External links
“Rosters of top three teams at the European Championship”. www.sport-komplett.de (in German). Retrieved 2026-01-08.