ANTONIO PEDRO KELLER
Antonio a nase na Bonaire dia 31 di yanuari 1955 i na edat di 5 aña el a bin biba na Korsou. Na dat di 8 aña el a kuminsa hunga beisbol; no tabatin Little League e tempu ei. Na edat hoben di 13 añan nan tabata hunga beisbol kontra hungadonan mas grandi manera e.o. Baba Quamy I Chino Francis. Via Baba el a drenta Ponce na 1969 I e aña despues Ponce a degradá. Antonio, of Tonchi manera nan ta yam’e a pasa pa Wild Cats kaminda el a bira un berdadero super star. El a hunga shortstop I den outfield I despues konsentrá den picheo.Den su promé aña den Wild Cats e ekipo aki a gana 6 wega I Tonchi a gana 5 di nan. Algun hungadó di e aña aki tabata Johny Alberto, Richenel Daal, Rumannan Felida, Leslie Welvaart. Na 1974 Wild Cats a titulá supkampion I na 1975 nan a sali kampion. Tonchi ta konta kon el a poncha e legendario Willie Pieters den di nobeno pa saka e ultimo out I Wild Cats a bira kampion di Korsou. Wild Cats a titulá kampion di Korsou I di Antia I mayoria be Tonchi a sali e hungado mas balioso.
Na 1978 el a sali deportista maskulino di aña
Na 1976 el a bai un tryout na Merka di 3 siman I despues srs George Steinbrenner, Mickey Manthe I Whitey Ford a bin Korsou pa purna di firma un kontrato kun’e. E.o. e miedo ku una bes bo firma profeshonal bo no por hasi ningun deporte amatur mas a pone ku e no a bai Merka.
Na 1979 Tonchi a bai Royal Scorpions I a hunga 2 di e 4 bueltanan di e kampionato. Via Tom Hofstede el a bai reforsá e ekipo di Haarlem, Kinheim, ku tabatin mester di un pitcher pa yudanan keda den hoofdklasse. El a keda 3 luna Hulanda. Kinheim tabata kampion na 1978 I Tonchi a partisipá ku Kinheim den wega pa Kopa Europeo na Italia. Tonchi a gana 1 wega. Tonchi a regresá net na ora pa yuda Royal Scorpions den play off pa nan bira kampion. Royal Scorpions a titulá kampion Antiano tambe.
Na 1980 el a regresá Wild Cats I titulá kampion. Dor di un leshon na su brasa e tabata picha menos I el a konsentrá mas riba bateo.Tambe el a fungi komo coach di picheo. Rond di aña 1980 el a retirá komo hungadó aktivo.
Weganan internashonal I interinsular.
Na 1972 komo kampion eskolar el a bai Aruba.
Na 1972: Aruba a gana e weganan di klasifikashon pa forma e selekshon Antiano I Aruba a skohe 7 refuerso di Korsou e.o. Willy Pieters, Rafi Jozefa, Richard Moesker, Fichi Fleming I Antonio Keller.
Na 1972 den Haarlemse Honkbalweek Korsou a gana Italia 3-2 ku Tonchi komo picher ganadó.
Na 1973 den weganan di klasifikashon entre Aruba I Korsou, best of five, Tonchi a gana tur e tres weganan ku el a picha. Bou di maneho di Mona Cornelia nan a partisipá na un kampionato internashonal.
Na 1974 Tonchi a regorsá Cement Coro (Santa Rosa) durante un torneo na Valencia, Venezuela.
Na 1978 e selekshon Antiano a partisipá na e C.A.C. na Medellin, Colombia I Tonchi a gana e uniko wega ku un blankeo riba Colombia.
Tonchi ta korda e wega di beisbol entre Wild Cats I Royal Scorpions den stadion di SDK na 1980. Wild Cats a titulá kampion den un wega ku a kibra e rekort di asistensha.
Tonchi ta nombra algun top beisbolista e.o. Rafi Jozefa, Fichi Fleming, Willy Pieters, Lipo Elhage, Lichito Kelly.
Rekonosimentu.
Tonchi a risibi masha hopi premio mes e.o.
Deportista di aña 1977 I kampion picher na 1979.
Rekonosimentu di Festival di Bario na 2016; Plaka di merito di bario di Brievengat pa su logronan I eksito den beisbol; na 1979 e tabata kampion empuhador durante e kampionato Antiano; Tambe Klup Boneriano a duné un plaka pa su aporte na beisbol; Febeko a dun’e un plaka di merito na 2001 I a instituí un “Premio Antonio Keller”.
Paisnan ku el a hasi deporte: Mexico, Venezuela, Hulanda, Italia, Aruba, Cuba, Sint Maarten, Merka, Colombia.
English Version
Antonio Pedro Keller
Antonio was born on Bonaire on January 31, 1955, and at the age of 5, he moved to Curaçao. At the age of 8, he started playing baseball; there was no Little League at that time. In his early teens at the age of 13, they played baseball against older players like Baba Quamy and Chino Francis. Through his father, he entered Ponce in 1969, and the following year, Ponce was relegated. Antonio, or Tonchi as he is called, then moved to Wild Cats, where he became a true superstar. He played as a shortstop and in the outfield, later focusing on pitching. In his first year with Wild Cats, the team won 6 games, with Tonchi winning 5 of them. Some players from that year were Johny Alberto, Richenel Daal, Rumannan Felida, and Leslie Welvaart. In 1974, Wild Cats became the runner-up, and in 1975, they became champions. Tonchi recalls striking out the legendary Willie Pieters in the ninth inning to secure the final out and make Wild Cats the champion of Curaçao.
In 1978, Tonchi was named Male Athlete of the Year. In 1976, he went for a tryout in the United States for three weeks. George Steinbrenner, Mickey Mantle, and Whitey Ford came to Curaçao to sign a contract with him. The fear that once you sign a professional contract, you can no longer participate in any amateur sports almost prevented him from going to the United States.
In 1979, Tonchi joined the Royal Scorpions and played in 2 out of the 4 rounds of the championship. Through Tom Hofstede, he reinforced the Haarlem team, Kinheim, which needed a pitcher to stay in the hoofdklasse. He stayed in the Netherlands for three months. Kinheim was the champion in 1978, and Tonchi participated with them in the European Cup games in Italy, winning one game. Tonchi returned just in time to help Royal Scorpions in the playoffs to become champions. Royal Scorpions also became the champion of the Antilles.
In 1980, Tonchi returned to Wild Cats and won the championship. Due to an arm injury, he pitched less and focused more on batting. He also served as a pitching coach. Around the year 1980, he retired as an active player.
International and inter-island games:
In 1972, as a school champion, he went to Aruba. In the same year, Curaçao won the classification games to form the Antillean selection. Aruba chose 7 reinforcements from Curaçao, including Willy Pieters, Rafi Jozefa, Richard Moesker, Fichi Fleming, and Antonio Keller. In the Haarlem Baseball Week in 1972, Curaçao defeated Italy 3-2 with Tonchi as the winning pitcher.
In 1973, in the classification games between Aruba and Curaçao, best of five, Tonchi won all three games he pitched. Under the management of Mona Cornelia, they participated in an international championship.
In 1974, Tonchi returned to Cement Coro (Santa Rosa) during a tournament in Valencia, Venezuela.
In 1978, the Antillean selection participated in the C.A.C. in Medellin, Colombia, and Tonchi won the only game with a shutout against Colombia.
Tonchi remembers the baseball game between Wild Cats and Royal Scorpions in the SDK stadium in 1980. Wild Cats became champions in a game that broke the attendance record.
Tonchi names some top baseball players, including Rafi Jozefa, Fichi Fleming, Willy Pieters, Lipo Elhage, and Lichito Kelly.
Recognition:
Tonchi received many awards, including Athlete of the Year in 1977 and Pitching Champion in 1979.
Recognition from the Neighborhood Festival in 2016; Merit plaque from the Brievengat neighborhood for his achievements and success in baseball; In 1979, he was the leading run-scorer during the Antillean championship; Klup Boneriano also awarded him a plaque for his contribution to baseball; Febeko gave him a merit plaque in 2001 and instituted an “Antonio Keller Award.”
Countries where he played sports: Mexico, Venezuela, the Netherlands, Italy, Aruba, Cuba, Sint Maarten, the United States, and Colombia.