Why Ceddanne Rafaela is playing for Netherlands in the WBC
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Why Ceddanne Rafaela is playing for Netherlands in the WBC originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ceddanne Rafaela is well known to Boston Red Sox fans as a rising star.
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He's not as notable to MLB fans as a whole, but the baseball world is getting a good look at him in the World Baseball Classic while competing for the Netherlands.
It may not be the first nation that comes to mind that Rafaela would represent, but he is part of a pretty strong lineup that also includes the likes of Xander Bogaerts and Ozzie Albies.
This is how it all came together for Rafaela.
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Why is Ceddanne Rafaela playing for the Netherlands?
Ceddanne Rafaela is playing for the Netherlands because he is from Curacao.
Curacao is a self-governing constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, in addition to the European country itself, also includes Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten, which are all islands in the Caribbean.
The WBC's eligibility rules essentially have to do with whether a player could be a citizen of a given country. They don't actually have to be a citizen to suit up for that country.
That allows Rafaela, and a bunch of his teammates, to play for the Netherlands at the WBC.
Much of the squad's pitching comes from the Netherlands or Dutch heritage itself, so it ends up being a solid combo that creates an intriguing roster, including Rafaela.
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