Hensley Filemon Acasio (“Bam Bam”) Meulens, was born on June 23rd, 1967, he is currently to bench coach for the San Francisco Giants for the 2018 season. Hensley started his Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees. He played for the New York Yankees from 1989 to 1993, subsequently for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1994 and for the Yakut Swallows in 1995-1996 in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. In 1997 he was a member of the Montreal Expos and in 1998 a member of the Arizona Diamond Backs in their inaugural season. In 2000 he played for the SK Wyvers in the KBO in South Korea.
Hensley is know for being the first major league player to come from Curaçao (august 23rd 1989). He played winter ball in Dominican, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican, Mexican Professional Baseball Leagues. Knowing how to speak 5 languages, English, Spanish, Dutch, Papiamento and Japanese, has greatly helped him throughout his career.
Continuing in his own words; “Hitting home runs left-handed while playing softball as a teenager earned me the nickname “Bam Bam” when my friends compared my power to the Flintstones cartoon character.
Also represented the Netherlands at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The highlight was my 4th-inning double that gave the Cuban team their first Olympic loss in 21 games. I returned to the team as a coach for the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2006-2009 World Baseball Classic. Finally, I served as manager for the team during the 2013 & 2017 World Baseball Classic with great results.
Became a coach in 2003 and worked at the rookie ball level for the Bluefield Orioles for 2 years before moving on to the Pittsburgh Pirates Triple A team in Indianapolis (2005-2008). In 2009 I spent the year at the SF Giants triple A team in Fresno then reached the Major League ranks as batting coach in 2010. We have won three World Series Championships since I have been there (2010-2012-2014).
I am also very proud that on April 27, 2012, I was awarded with the Order of Orange-Nassau by Queen Beatrix.
At the youth level, I also ran the Dutch Antilles Baseball Academy (2003-2011) in Curaçao and have had great pleasure in seeing our players grow to become great players and overall great citizens.
I endorse CASF (Curacao Athletic Scholarship Foundation) as I believe Curacao has a lot of talented kids in all sports that we should do everything to invest in to develop further in great College or Professional players. Furthermore, I played little league on the Team NIDO with one of the founders of this foundation, Mr. Lucas Beaujon.
I wish all student athletes sponsored through this foundation all the success and recommend to take advantage of this opportunity to follow your dreams.”