View source for Leon Boyd

{{short description|Canadian-born Dutch baseball player|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox MLB player
| name        = Leon Boyd
| image       = Fishercats-Altoona-aug10-2009-2.jpg
| caption     = 
| team        = Corendon Kinheim
| number      = 
| position    = Pitcher
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1983|8|30}}
| birth_place = [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]
| bats        = Right
| throws      = Right
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Baseball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{NED}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Baseball World Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2011 Baseball World Cup|2011 Panama]] | [[Netherlands national baseball team|National team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Intercontinental Cup (baseball)|Intercontinental Cup]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2010 Intercontinental Cup (baseball)|2010 Taiwan]] | [[Netherlands national baseball team|National team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Baseball Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2007 European Baseball Championship|2007 Spain]] | [[Netherlands national baseball team|National team]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2010 European Baseball Championship|2010 Germany]] | [[Netherlands national baseball team|National team]]}}
}}
'''Leon Boyd''' (born August 30, 1983) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]]-born [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[baseball]] player currently playing for [[Corendon Kinheim]] in the [[Honkbal Hoofdklasse]].  He is most often recognized for his accomplishments for the [[Netherlands national baseball team|Dutch national team]] at the [[2009 World Baseball Classic]].

==Baseball career==

===B.C. Premier Baseball League===
Boyd was a starting pitcher for the White Rock Tritons of the [[British Columbia Premier Baseball League]] for three seasons.

===College career===
Boyd began his [[college baseball]] career playing for the [[Treasure Valley Community College]] in [[Ontario, Oregon]], during the {{By|2002}} season.  He played only one season for the Chukars before transferring to [[Seminole State College (Oklahoma)|Seminole State Community College]] in [[Oklahoma]] for the {{By|2003}} season.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20090304179496/sports/sports/former-b.c.-pitcher-trades-his-canadian-roots-for-orange-jersey.html |title=Former B.C. pitcher trades his Canadian roots for orange jersey |date=2009-03-04 |access-date=2009-03-28 |first=Jim |last=Swanson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403080845/http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20090304179496/sports/sports/former-b.c.-pitcher-trades-his-canadian-roots-for-orange-jersey.html |archive-date=2009-04-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  He would transfer again in {{By|2004}}, this time to play for the [[Armstrong Atlantic State University]] Pirates.  He played two seasons for the Pirates in 2004 and {{By|2005}} where he was used exclusively as a relief pitcher.  Over these two seasons, he appeared in 34 games and compiled a 3.44 [[Earned run average|ERA]] with 104 [[strikeouts]] in 115 [[innings pitched]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://aasupirates.com/sports/bsb/2008-09/news/boyd31809| title=Leon Boyd Signs Minor-League Deal With Toronto| date=2008-03-19| access-date=2009-03-28| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122194454/http://aasupirates.com/sports/bsb/2008-09/news/boyd31809| archive-date=2011-01-22| url-status=dead}}</ref>

===2006: Hoboken Pioneers===
Despite his Dutch family ties and a strong desire to play baseball in the Netherlands, Boyd was not pursued by any Hoofdklasse clubs, even after numerous attempts to contact them after his college career was over.{{cn|date=October 2022}}  Instead, he went on to play for the [[Hoboken Pioneers]] in [[Belgium]] where he had an extremely successful {{By|2006}} season.  Not only did he accumulate an 11–1 win–loss record with a 0.84 ERA and 156 strikeouts in just 96 innings pitched, but he also hit .421 with 2 home runs in 38 at bats for the Pioneers, who finished the season as the national runner up.

Following his strong season in Belgium, Boyd was picked up by the Dutch national team to play in the [[2006 Intercontinental Cup]] in [[Taichung]], [[Taiwan]].  Despite his 0–2 record, Boyd had a 2.63 ERA and led the Nethalnds in innings pitched.{{cn|date=October 2022}}  Against [[Cuba national baseball team|Cuba]], he took the loss in a 3–2 defeat where he allowed four hits and one run in {{frac|1|2|3}} IP of relief after replacing [[Rob Cordemans]].{{cn|date=October 2022}}  Three days later, he allowed just one run in six innings against [[Japan national baseball team|Japan]] but again lost as the Dutch were shut out.{{cn|date=October 2022}}  His final appearance of the tournament came against [[Australia national baseball team|Australia]], where he struck out 7 and allowed one run in six innings in a no-decision as the Netherlands won 4–3.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

===2007: DOOR Neptunus===
After being scouted by and in contract talks with several hoofdklasse teams, Boyd signed with Neptunus.  He made a debut during the [[2007 in baseball|2007]] regular season when he posted a 9–0 record with no home runs allowed in over 66 innings. His statistical totals in wins (9, tied with tied [[Vaughan Harris]] and [[Diego Markwell]] for second-most), ERA (1.22, behind only relievers [[Duko Jansen]] and [[Chris Ryan]]) and strikeouts (61, tied with former [[Major League Baseball|major leaguer]] [[Eddie Oropesa]] for sixth overall) were among the league leaders. He was a finalist for the Pitcher of the Year Award, but lost to [[David Bergman (baseball)|David Bergman]] in part due to missing a month of the season with a back muscle strain.{{cn|date=October 2022}} Despite his initial success, Boyd suffered two losses during the first round of the playoffs as Neptunus was upset by the [[Pioniers]].

In the [[2007 World Port Tournament]], Boyd earned the World Port Tournament Best Pitcher award, allowing only five hits in 15 IP and won twice, including a complete-game shutout of the [[Chinese Taipei national baseball team|Chinese Taipei National team]] facing only 28 batters.{{cn|date=October 2022}} He was 2–0 with a 0.93 ERA in the [[2007 European Baseball Championship]], helping the Netherlands win Gold.{{cn|date=October 2022}} He was with the team for the [[2007 Baseball World Cup]], going 1–1 with a 2.55 ERA and a team-high 14 strikeouts for the 4th-place squad.{{cn|date=October 2022}} He had a solid game but received a no-decision against the Australian national team when closer [[Michiel van Kampen]] couldn't hold a 3–2 lead in the ninth.{{cn|date=October 2022}} He had another appearance allowing one run in six innings in a crucial win over the [[South Korea national baseball team|South Korean national team]] and matched [[Tadashi Settsu]] (the eventual pitcher of the tournament) with five scoreless frames in the bronze medal game before allowing 2 runs in the 6th, and being shut out 5–0 by the Japanese.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

===2008: Beijing Olympics===
On June 12, 2008, Boyd threw a no-hitter against the [[Amsterdam Pirates]].{{cn|date=October 2022}} He allowed two runs, one unearned, thanks to 3 walks, 2 hit batsmen and 3 errors by his team.{{cn|date=October 2022}} Shortly thereafter, Boyd had a 4.50 ERA in the [[2008 European Baseball Cup]] in [[Regensburg]].{{cn|date=October 2022}} He was knocked out early in a win against the host [[Buchbinder Legionäre]] and did not get a decision in the Cup.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

Head coach [[Robert Eenhoorn]] selected Boyd to pitch for the Netherlands at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in [[Beijing]].<ref>[http://www.knbsb.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1392&Itemid=174 Dutch Olympic Baseball squad 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804032141/http://www.knbsb.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1392&Itemid=174 |date=2008-08-04 }}, knbsb.nl, ret: Aug 5, 2008</ref>  In their second game of the tournament against the [[USA Baseball|United States]], Boyd entered the game during the 8th inning with the bases loaded and one out after [[Dave Draijer]] was struck by a batted ball on the right forearm.  He induced two groundouts, resulting in only a single run for the United States.  He returned to pitch the top of the 9th inning, and after yielding a leadoff single to [[Terry Tiffee]], Boyd retired the next three batters, including [[Matt LaPorta]] by strikeout.  However, a two-hour rain delay forced the game to be called during the Dutch half of the 9th inning.  As a result Boyd's statistics during the 9th inning are unofficial, as the score reverted to the last completed inning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BB/C73/BBM400905.shtml |title=Game Summary(Box Score) - Men's Preliminaries - Game 5 |access-date=2009-04-03 |date=2008-08-13 |publisher=IBAF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105205215/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BB/C73/BBM400905.shtml |archive-date=2009-01-05 }}</ref>

Boyd made his second appearance of the tournament on August 16, 2008, when he was the starting pitcher against [[China national baseball team|China]].  He struck out six batters in six innings, yielding only six hits and two runs in the process.  The win was the only victory the Dutch earned all tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BB/C73/BBM400915.shtml |title=Game Summary(Box Score) - Men's Preliminaries - Game 15 |access-date=2009-04-03 |date=2008-08-13 |publisher=IBAF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105223041/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BB/C73/BBM400915.shtml |archive-date=2009-01-05 }}</ref>

===2009===

====World Baseball Classic====
Boyd was selected once again to represent the Dutch national team at the [[2009 World Baseball Classic]].  Although he has primarily been a [[starting pitcher|starter]] throughout his career, Boyd was asked by head coach [[Rod Delmonico]] to serve as the [[closer (baseball)|closer]] for the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/wheres-the-dutch-closer/|title=Where's the Dutch Closer?|first=Jack|last=Curry|date=2009-03-14|access-date=2009-03-17|work=The New York Times}}</ref>  During the first round of the tournament held at [[Hiram Bithorn Stadium]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]], Boyd entered three separate games during tense, [[late-inning pressure situations]], including two of which he ended up as the [[pitcher of record]].

In the Netherlands' first game of the tournament on March 7, 2009, against the heavily favored [[Dominican Republic national baseball team|Dominican Republic]], Boyd pitched the 9th inning and earned the [[save (baseball)|save]] with a game-ending strikeout of [[José Bautista]].  Two days later, he entered a game against [[Puerto Rico national baseball team|Puerto Rico]] with the bases loaded and only one out in the 8th inning, only to give up a two-run double to [[Yadier Molina]] and an RBI-single to [[Jesus Feliciano]].  The very next day, Boyd rebounded to earn the win in a 2–1 extra-innings Dutch victory that eliminated the Dominicans from the tournament.

Although the Dutch advanced to play in [[2009 WBC#Pool 2 - Dolphin Stadium.2C Miami Gardens.2C Florida|Round 2]] of the tournament at [[Dolphin Stadium]] in [[Miami]], [[Florida]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2009/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090310&content_id=3961486&vkey=wbc&team=ned | title=Dutch pull off second upset to advance |first=Will |last=Gonzalez |date=2009-03-11 |access-date=2009-03-12}}</ref> Boyd would not make his fourth appearance of the tournament until the 6th inning of an elimination game against the [[United States national baseball team|United States]].  Despite giving up a home run to [[Adam Dunn]], Boyd struck out both [[David Wright (baseball)|David Wright]] and [[Ryan Braun]] in his one inning of relief.

====New Hampshire Fisher Cats====
Following his strong pitching performance in the tournament, Boyd was signed by the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] to a [[minor league baseball|minor-league]] [[contract]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090318&content_id=4012816&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321033334/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090318&content_id=4012816&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 21, 2009 |title=Jays take a chance on Classic star Boyd |access-date=2009-03-18 |last=Bastian |first=Jordan |date=2009-03-18}}</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/GloBlair Jeff Blair of the Toronto Globe and Mail, ret: March 18, 2009 ]</ref>  Although he was temporarily reassigned to the [[Dunedin Blue Jays]] of the [[Florida State League]] for an 8-game appearance early in the year, Boyd played the bulk of the 2009 season as a member of the Jays AA-affiliate, the [[New Hampshire Fisher Cats]].  He finished the year with a 1–6 win–loss record, a 4.76 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 6 saves in over 64 innings for the two clubs.

===2010===
The Blue Jays released Boyd in March 2010{{cn|date=October 2022}} and subsequently re-signed with Neptunus.  According to Boyd, his release was affected by his high walk count and the Jays' trading of [[Roy Halladay]] to the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] in December 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://canadutch.blogspot.com/2010/05/release-story-baseball-update.html#links|title=CanaDutch: Release Story + Baseball Update|date=20 May 2010}}</ref>
With the release of Roy Halladay the Blue Jays brought in many potential bottom rotation, triple A caliber potential big league replacements.

===2013===

He joined the Dutch National team for the [[2013 World Baseball Classic]].

==Personal life==
Growing up, Boyd attended high school at [[Earl Marriott Secondary School]] in [[South Surrey]], [[British Columbia]].  Although he was born in Canada, Leon received his Dutch passport in December, 2005, as a result of his mother being born and raised in the [[Netherlands]].  Boyd's father, Sean, played ice hockey in the Netherlands from 1971 to 1974 and met Leon's mother, Wilma, there.  Boyd married American [[softball]] player Jeana Short on March 8, 2008.  He has an older sister, Nadine.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://thetyee.ca/Sports/2009/03/27/LeonBoyd/ |author=Tom Hawthorn|title= Holland's Hero Hurler Hails from White Rock |work=The Tyee|date=March 27, 2009|access-date=March 24, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{baseballstats|brm=boyd--001leo}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090310031346/http://www.honkbalsite.com/nederlandsteam/leonboyd.html Boyd's profile at honkbalsite.com] {{in lang|nl}}
*[http://www.sport1.nl//Honkbal/Spelers/136702/Leon-Boyd.html Boyd's Sport-1 profile] {{in lang|nl}}
*[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090311.BCHAWTHORN11/TPStory/TPNational/BritishColumbia/ Globe and Mail article]
*[http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Leon%20Boyd&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=547958 Minor League Baseball]{{dead link|date=February 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

{{Netherlands 2009 World Baseball Classic roster}}
{{Netherlands 2013 World Baseball Classic roster}}
{{Netherlands roster 2011 Baseball World Cup}}
{{Corendon Kinheim roster navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, Leon}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Baseball people from Vancouver]]
[[Category:Baseball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States]]
[[Category:Dunedin Blue Jays players]]
[[Category:Dutch expatriate baseball players in the United States]]
[[Category:New Hampshire Fisher Cats players]]
[[Category:Olympic baseball players for the Netherlands]]
[[Category:2007 European Baseball Championship players]]
[[Category:2009 World Baseball Classic players]]
[[Category:2010 European Baseball Championship players]]
[[Category:2013 World Baseball Classic players]]
[[Category:Corendon Kinheim players]]
[[Category:DOOR Neptunus players]]
[[Category:Treasure Valley Chukars baseball players]]
[[Category:Seminole State Trojans baseball players]]
[[Category:Armstrong State Pirates baseball players]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of the Netherlands]]