Leading the Raptors into the new season

The Board of Herts Baseball are delighted to confirm the appointment of Rob Jones (above left) and Geoff Thomas as the co-managers of the Herts Raptors.

The Raptors will play in the Single-A League for 2014 after the BBF rejected their application to be promoted to Double-A.

This managerial role has been vacant since the club’s AGM last November.  On advertising the role, a large number of candidates expressed an interest, which gave the Board some real encouragement in the commitment at the club.  However, it also left them with a lot of thinking to do and choices to make!

The club now believe that, in Rob and Geoff, they have the right men for the job.

Rob Jones has considerable experience, having been with Herts since the early days when the club had only one team.  Rob has played a key role in the remarkable growth of Herts Baseball.

As a player, Rob was 2005 Batting Champion with the Herts Falcons second team playing in Division 1 (now AA) and in 2008 was Batting Champion for the Herts Raptors (Single-A league) and in the same season was awarded the Outfield Gold Glove.

Geoff Thomas is a knowledgeable player, with over 10 years playing experience.  Geoff has been a member of the Herts Eagles for the last 2 seasons, having previously played and been on the Board at Bristol.

Together, Rob and Geoff have outlined their vision for developing a team culture and have a strong coaching ethic to ensure the players understand all aspects of the game.

The timing of the appointment is key as the managers of the adult league teams will shortly be going through the process of determining their preliminary 2014 rosters.  The Raptors will be active in the Spring League series, commencing on 22 March with a home fixture against London Musketeers.

All at Herts Baseball are behind Rob and Geoff for a great season ahead.