Category: Hawks

by AspiDimitrov

RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR THE HERTS SPRING LEAGUE

Article by Rob Jones

The biggest pre-season baseball tournament in Britain is back, and this year it is even bigger and better than ever. The Herts Spring league will see a record 17 teams travel from as far afield as Leicester and Southampton to hone their skills and compete for the title. Organised by the Herts Baseball Club, it’s Britain’s very own version of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues currently under way in the US, and it signals that the season is just around the corner.

Herts Baseball Club President Aspi Dimitrov was delighted by the surge in interest: “Every year we have had more teams wanting to play in the HSL. It’s fantastic to have another big jump in the numbers, and I think it’s going to be a great competition.“ He added: “We are also pleased to confirm that BarrysTickets.com have continued their association with Herts Baseball Club and have just been confirmed as the Official Sponsor of the 2010 Herts Spring League. The financial contribution which they are making will be used to improve and maintain facilities at Herts Baseball Club so that all teams coming to play at Herts can benefit.”

Last year’s winners Bracknell will be returning to defend their crown, led by their star slugger Ryan Trask. In 2009, their victory in the HSL was a springboard to taking the National League title, and top teams this year will be hoping to emulate that feat. Bracknell’s opening HSL game is a mouth-watering clash with the Richmond Flames in a repeat of the 2009 National Baseball Championship Final. Ryan Bird’s Richmond Flames will be battling them hard and the host team, the Herts Falcons, will count on flame-throwing Dan Kerry (pictured) to keep the offenses in check. The big guns will be joined by teams from all levels of the British game, including the current AA Champions, the Mildenhall Bulldogs, and the reigning masters of the British Single-A League, the Leicester Blue Sox.

The action will be spread across three weekends – starting on Saturday, 27 March and ending on Sunday, 11 April – and at two excellent venues, Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, and Ham Ground in Richmond. The clubs will be split into two groups, HSL Majors and HSL Minors, based on the team rankings going in to the new season – NBL and AAA teams will be joined by the expansion team the Essex Redbacks in the Majors; the AA and A teams will make up the Minors. The winners of two mini-leagues will then go head to head for the Championships.

The Herts Spring League adds a competitive edge to Spring training. It’s the time for managers to work out their winning formula going into the BBF league season. It is an opportunity to evaluate existing and newly recruited players – which players will earn a spot in the pitching rotation and who will be batting where in the batting order? Who will make the first team and who will have to work their way up with the minor league teams? Not forgetting, it’s a chance to size up your rivals for the year ahead. It’s the first big challenge and the first big excitement of the baseball year. Don’t miss it.

 

Visit the official HSL website for more details.

by AspiDimitrov

FIELDS OF DREAMS

For the average person, pulling on a baseball glove or clubbing a home run would be an exciting novelty. So, for those us who get that thrill regularly, what novelty provokes similar excitement?  The answer, it seems, is a mini-digger and a dumper truck.  On a bright Spring Saturday, some of the finest talent that Herts Baseball Club has to offer turned out to help prepare our brand new field, and touch up our existing diamond for the season ahead.   They could barely contain their glee at two life-size Tonka toys to play with. One of them told me that when the call for volunteer drivers went out, his hand had never gone up so quickly.  But this was not just about sandpit play on a grand scale.  This was serious work.  The machines were there to dig out the areas around the three bases, home plate, and the pitchers' mound on the new field, so that several enormous piles of sand and gravel could be poured in.  Marty Cullen, Lee Manning and Dave Westfallen took turns at the controls, taking strides towards turning one small patch of Hemel Hempsted from plain old grass, to a magical baseball diamond.  The germ of the idea was planted years ago; the turf was laid last autumn in a blaze of wet weather glory; and in just a matter of weeks, it should be hosting Herts games. The second field will give the club the room it needs to run four adult teams, as well as a burgeoning Little League project, throughout 2010 and for many years to come.

Over on the original field, the work was less dramatic but no less important. The grass had to be edged neatly, the new Redgra spread evenly, and the mound repaired lovingly, so that it can remain a Hertfordshire landmark. Baseball fields are rare enough in the UK — a field with a full, cut-out infield is even more rare, and with a bit of maintenance it can be a thing of beauty. So Greg Bochan, Mark Hoffman and Phil Hynes were among those who helped it become reality. They used the more mundane tools of shovel and wheelbarrow to five the field a facelift. In the course of the day, more than two dozen baseball  stars put in their time as volunteer groundsmen. This has been the scene of many Herts triumphs — let's hope it can be even better looking when the next triumph comes around.

by AspiDimitrov

BBF ANNOUNCES DEAL WITH THE #1 BASEBALL BRAND IN THE WORLD

The following article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

LONDON (11 February 2010) – The British Baseball Federation (BBF) has signed a contract which confirms Rawlings as the official ball of British Baseball. Six major baseball suppliers were invited to take part in the bidding process. All of them submitted very competitive offers and Rawlings were confirmed as the winner. The contract will run until December 2010.

Rawlings is the number one baseball brand in the world and has been setting the trend in baseball technology since its establishment in 1887. It is because of Rawlings’ dedication to baseball that the “Annual Rawlings Gold Glove Award” bears the name of Rawlings. The Rawlings Gold Glove Award has been presented to players for fielding excellence since 1957. Rawlings sponsors more than half of the current MLB Players. Among them are the world’s biggest baseball stars who are also some of the best paid athletes on the planet. This includes players like Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols (pictured), Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Chase Utley and many others.

The Rawlings ROLB model will be designated as the official ball of the National Baseball League (NBL). It features the revolutionary Extra Innings Technology™ (EIT). The patented polymer layer repels moisture, both liquid and vapour, which improves performance and makes it longer lasting compared to traditional baseball technology.

The ROLB1 model will be the official ball of British Baseball’s Minor Leagues (Triple-A, Double-AA and Single-A Leagues) and the Under-16 League. The BBF will also recommend the ROLB1 ball for its Under-13 Competitions.

“It is a tremendous boost for British Baseball to be starting this partnership with the world’s number one baseball brand. The contract represents great value for our member clubs and we look forward to working closely with Rawlings to ensure that they too benefit from this partnership,” said a BBF spokesperson. This news comes just weeks after the BBF announced impressive growth in the number of teams joining the British Baseball leagues which was followed by the news that the National Baseball League will be expanding in 2010.

“Rawlings is looking forward to working with the British Baseball Federation and the Baseball and Softball Shop to bring the latest baseball products, innovations, and technologies to the UK,” said Ralph Robert, Rawlings Director of International Sales. “The BBF is continually working to expand their organization and remain dedicated to promoting Rawlings as the leading baseball supplier in the world.”

The official ball will be supplied to British Baseball clubs by Rawlings’ distributor for the United Kingdom, The Baseball and Softball Shop Ltd. They are one of the largest suppliers of baseball and softball equipment in the UK. Apart from supplying the Rawlings balls for official BBF competitions, British baseball clubs and players can also count on the widest range of Rawlings products including fielding and batting gloves, bats, apparel and footwear, field equipment and more. The Baseball and Softball Shop will be able to offer absolutely any Rawlings product to its customers around the UK. This contract confirms them as BBF’s preferred baseball equipment supplier. Information on how to buy Rawlings products can be found on www.baseballandsoftball.co.uk

by AspiDimitrov

BASEBALL TEAMS GEAR UP FOR HERTS SPRING LEAGUE

Fans of Major League Baseball suffer over the long winter season but with Spring just around the corner everyone is getting an uplifting feeling that the start of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues will signal the return of baseball. British Baseball is no different and over the last three years teams in Southern England have had their very own Grapefruit League to look forward to.

Organised by Herts Baseball Club, the Herts Spring League (HSL) adds a competitive edge to Spring training. The HSL is the time for managers to work out their winning formula going into the BBF league season. It is an opportunity to evaluate existing and newly recruited players. Which players will earn a spot in the pitching rotation and who will be batting where in the batting order? Who will make the first team and who will have to work their way up with the minor league teams? Not forgetting scouting your opponents. These are just some of the questions which will have to be answered during the upcoming HSL.

This is the third year of the competition and it is expected to be the best yet. In the first year of the HSL in 2008 ten teams took part. In 2009 due to overwhelming demand, the league had to expand. 13 teams played 21 games over three weekends at three different venues – Grovehill Ballpark in Herts, Ham Ground in Richmond and the £100,000 purpose-built baseball facility in Harlow. In fact demand was so high that two other teams had to be turned away as there simply were not enough fields to stage all the games.

The 2010 HSL will be played over three weekends commencing on Saturday, 27 March and ending on Sunday, 11 April. Teams will be placed in two divisions, HSL Majors and HSL Minors, based on the teams’ ranking going into the new season. HSL Majors is expected to include BBF teams from the National and AAA Leagues, while HSL Minors is expected to include BBF teams from AA and Single-A.

Last year the HSL Champions were the Bracknell Blazers and they went on to become the 2009 British National Baseball League Champions, so the more superstitious teams in the league will have an extra incentive to win the HSL this time around.

 

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES TO THE HSL: Monday 15 February 2010.

 

Teams are currently submitting their entries for this year’s Herts Spring League. For more details on how to enter and a copy of the 2010 HSL Pack contact Herts Baseball Club.

by AspiDimitrov

THE SNOW IS GONE. HERTS BASEBALL PLAYERS REPORT FOR SPRING TRAINING

This Sunday, the Herts adult teams reported for training for the first time in 2010.  Over the next nine weeks the players will be going through the process of regaining their physical fitness, restoring their arm strength and conditioning their bodies.  Every imaginable aspect of baseball will be covered to get the players ready for fielding, hitting, pitching, base-running and performing at their optimum level in their respective positions. 

 

After this, the teams will play their first games of the year in the Herts Spring League (HSL), which is the British equivalent of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in America.  The HSL is played over three weekends starting on 27 March and ending on 11 April.  This is the last chance for the British Baseball teams to fine-tune their game plans before the 2010 British Baseball League season commences.

 

Spring Training always brings the excitement of meeting the new players who will be wearing the Herts jersey in the coming season and it was pleasing to see that around twenty five percent of the players in this first training session of the new season were newly recruited members, so even at this early stage it seems as though Herts will have strength in depth going into the 2010 season. 

 

New players are able to join Herts Baseball Club at any time.  The Club welcomes new players regardless of their baseball abilities and experience – from complete beginners to experienced ball players.  Male and female players aged 14 or above are eligible to play in the British Adult Baseball League, while boys and girls aged between 5 and 16 have the opportunity to join the Herts youth programme and play as part of the exciting Herts Baseball Little League.  For more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

 

This Sunday’s session was held at the John F Kennedy School in Hemel Hempstead and, as soon as the weather becomes suitable, the players will be returning to Grovehill Ballpark, which has undergone significant developments since the end of the 2009 season, including the resurfacing of the second diamond and the installation of the backstop (pictured above).  These projects were made possible thanks to the support of Dacorum Borough Council, the Dacorum Sports Network, BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK), as well as other supporters of the club, including its many youth and adult members.

 

Click here for more images from Grovehill Ballpark.

 

    

by AspiDimitrov

VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH 2009 RAPTORS MVP JON LEWYS

Herts Baseball TV brings you exclusive interviews from the 2009 Herts Baseball Awards Night.  In the coming days you will be able to see Herts Baseball TV Presenter, Marty Cullen, look back at 2009 and preview the 2010 season with members of the four Herts teams. Today's intrerview features the most powerful man in the Northern hemisphere, Jon Lewys.  Tune in on Saturday to find out the reason why female fans were coming to Grovehill in their droves in 2009.

by AspiDimitrov

43 TROPHIES PRESENTED AT 2009 HERTS BASEBALL AWARDS NIGHT

The 2009 season was officially put to bed with the announcement of the 2009 award winners of Herts Baseball Club’s adult programme.  The achievements of the Raptors, Hawks, Eagles and Falcons over the past 12 months were recognised at the club’s annual end of season event.

 

For the Raptors one name kept coming up throughout the night and that was the outstanding Jon Lewys.  He will need to make some extra space at home if he is to fit the five trophies which he picked up, including, Batting Champion (.750),   Stolen Bases (29), Home Run Champion (2), Play of the Year Trophy and the prestigious Most Valuable Player Award voted on by the players themselves.

 

The Hawks voted their Manager, Marty Cullen, as the team’s MVP in 2009.  Cullen also collected the Hawks Batting Title (.562) and the Most RBI’s (13).

 

Similarly, the Eagles players also chose their Manager, Dave Westfallen, as the team’s Most valuable Player, but it must be noted that the vote was very close indeed with Louis Hare and Mike Wakelam receiving a very large proportion of the votes.  They didn’t go empty-handed though.  Hare picked up the Eagles Coach’s Award, Best Pitcher and Home Run Champion Award which was shared with Wakelam who also received the Most RBI’s (16) trophy.

 

Darrin Ward was confirmed as the outstanding player of 2009 for the club’s National League team, the Herts Falcons.  He received three trophies in total, Best Pitcher, Batting Champion (.413) and the coveted Herts Falcons MVP Award.

 

Matt Johnston was awarded the 2009 Rookie of the Year Award (a club-wide award) to add to his Herts Hawks Outfield Gold Glove.  He announced at the awards ceremony that he will be choosing baseball over American football in 2010 which is a tremendous boost for the club.  A lot will be expected of him in the coming seasons.

 

Herts Baseball living legend, Andy Cornish’s contribution and dedication was recognised when he was presented with the Excellence in Leadership Award.

 

More images from the 2009 Awards Night

 

FULL LIST OF 2009 AWARDS

 

HERTS FALCONS

MVP, Darrin Ward

Batting Champion, Darrin Ward (.413)

Infield Gold Glove, Luis Goncalves

Outfield Gold Glove, Dan Kerry

Best Pitcher, Darrin Ward

Most Stolen Bases, Luis Goncalves (10)

Home Run Champion, Jason Greenberg (1)

Most RBIs, Yuchih Lin (15)

Most RBIs, Andy Cornish (15)

Coach's Award, Riley Fisher

 

HERTS EAGLES

MVP, Dave Westfallen

Batting Champion, Carlos Casal (.515)

Infield Gold Glove, Rod Ariss

Outfield Gold Glove, Dave Hamilton

Best Pitcher, Louis Hare

Most Stolen Bases, Carlos Casal (17)

Home Run Champion, Louis Hare (1)

Home Run Champion, Mike Wakelam (1)

Most RBIs, Mike Wakelam (16)

Coach's Award, Louis Hare

 

HERTS HAWKS

MVP, Marty Cullen

Batting Champion, Marty Cullen (.562)

Infield Gold Glove, Hunter Devine

Outfield Gold Glove, Matt Johnston

Best Pitcher, Greg Bochan

Most Stolen Bases, Matt Johnston (10)

Home Run Champion, Tim Grant (1)

Most RBIs, Marty Cullen (13)

Coach's Award, Liam Green

 

HERTS RAPTORS

MVP, Jonathon Lewys

Batting Champion, Jonathon Lewys (.750)

Infield Gold Glove, Jeff Witter

Outfield Gold Glove, Iwan Evans

Best Pitcher, Andrew Slater

Most Stolen Bases, Jonathon Lewys (29)

Home Run Champion, Jonathon Lewys (2)

Most RBIs, Andrew Slater (23)

Coach's Award, Paul Curtis

 

CLUB AWARDS

Excellence in Leadership, Andy Cornish

Rookie of the Year, Matt Johnston

Most Improved Player, Ilya Dimitrov

Play of the Year, Jonathon Lewys

Nob-Out Award (Stuck in the Mud), Marty Cullen & marty Cullen Jr

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS’ SECOND BASEBALL DIAMOND STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE

The next stage of the Grovehill Ballpark Development is well and truly under way.  The contractors have commenced the work which will see the playing surface of the second diamond being levelled.  Tractors, bulldozers and other specialist vehicles were out in force this afternoon on the second diamond along with various laser measuring equipment required for this type of project. 

 

Apart from levelling the playing surface, the project will also involve the arduous task of grading the hill to make the home plate area and the foul territory around the infield aligned with the rest of the infield.  This will create a bank similar to the one on the first base side of the first diamond.  The one difference is that the hill next to the second diamond is much more pronounced and this will create a natural amphitheatre for spectators in the shade under the big trees, which will be a relief on those hot summer days, which usually see players and fans on the first diamond scrambling for their umbrellas as protection from the sun.

 

Once the playing surface has been levelled, the next step will be to inject the grass seed mixture into the surface.  At that point the weather will play a vital role in how well the grass will grow.  When the first rainfall occurs the grass seed will begin to germinate.  It will be critical that there is plenty of rain after that to ensure a high quality grass surface in 2010.

 

This stage of the Grovehill Ballpark Development has been made possible thanks to the £5,000 grant awarded to Herts Baseball Club last month from the Dacorum Olympic and Paralympic Fund, administered jointly by Dacorum Borough Council and the Dacorum Sports Network.

More images of the Grovehill Ballpark Project

by AspiDimitrov

HAWKS TAKE TWO FROM THAMES VALLEY BISONS

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, KAL DIMITROV

 

The Herts Hawks visited picturesque Berkshire during one of the hottest days of the season for a double header between the two bottom teams in the AA Division.  Both teams were keen to perform and move away from last place where they were tied at the start of play.

 

In the first game, Herts starter Pete Kikel had a tough first inning, not helped by some defensive lapses, allowing the Bisons to score 4 in the bottom of the first. However, after the first inning Herts did not let in another run for the next five innings, while steadily catching up and subsequently increasing their lead. Kikel was able to shut down the bats, and the defense suddenly woke up with third baseman Wiley, short stop Casal and the tag team of Wakelam and stand-in manager Bochan at second base all participating in the fun. However, the outstanding play was a catch by the Bison’s centerfielder, who made ground as if chased by the bridesmaids at a shotgun wedding, and robbed Mike Wakelam of a sure double in the right-centerfield gap.  With the score 11:4 for the Hawks in the bottom of the 7th, both the pitcher and the defense lost focus slightly, allowing the Bisons to score 4 runs, but were able to settle down and get the outs for the win.

 

The second game was to provide a more competitive beginning, with both teams moving in lockstep.  The Hawks started with Greg Bochan on the mound, and as the break between the games was not sufficient, he had to utilize a couple of innings to finish his warm up. However, after allowing 4 runs, he settled down and was able to unleash his wide variety of pitches, changing speeds and hitting the locations that the catcher Dave Westfallen was cannily giving.  In the meantime, the Herts bats were successfully silenced by the Thames Valley pitcher who was able to put the batters off balance with the massive speed difference between his fastball and curveball.  The main reason for the hitting drought, however, was the Bisons’ third baseman, who appeared to be just about everywhere, taking away surefire hits and once making a diving catch to deprive Carlos Casal of a line drive hit that was a frozen rope along the third base line and would have surely been a double.  In the fifth, however, with the score very close, the Hawks bats suddenly woke up and were able to adjust to the pitching of Thames Valley. Aided by some sloppy defensive plays by the home team, the Hawks ended up with eight runs scored in that inning. Thames Valley scored another run in the seventh but were unable to shut down the Hawks, who came out with a comfortable win.

 

GAME 1

Herts Hawks at Thames Valley Bisons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Hawks 2 1 2 0 4 0 2 11 8 7
Thames Valley Bisons 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 8 7 6

Herts Hawks 11, Thames Valley Bisons 8
Herts Hawks Thames Valley Bisons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Mike Wakelam cf-2b 3 0 0 1 Player 1 cf 2 1 1 0
Greg Bochan 2b 3 0 0 0 Player 2 3b 4 1 1 0
(t4) Paul Auchterlounie c 2 0 0 0 Player 3 1b 3 2 0 0
Carlos Casal ss 3 3 1 0 Player 4 p 3 2 2 2
Dave Westfallen 1b 4 2 1 0 Player 5 lf 3 1 0 0
Peter Kikel p 4 2 2 0 Player 6 c 4 0 0 0
Kal Dimitrov c-cf 2 2 1 1 Player 7 ss 4 1 2 3
Matt Johnston lf 4 2 2 1 Player 8 rf 3 0 0 0
Chris Wylie 3b 3 0 1 1 (t7) Sub 1 rf 1 0 1 1
Liam Green rf 3 0 0 0 Player 9 2b 2 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 31 11 8 4 TEAM TOTALS 29 8 7 6

E: Carlos Casal(2), Chris Wylie(2), Dave Westfallen, Peter Kikel, Liam Green, Player
2(2), Player 3(2), Player 4, Player 6. LOB: Thames Valley Bisons 6, Herts Hawks 6.
2B: Chris Wylie, Peter Kikel, Player 4, Player 1. SB: Matt Johnston(2), Peter Kikel,
Carlos Casal, Liam Green, Kal Dimitrov, Player 4(2), Player 1, Player 6, Player 7.
CS: Chris Wylie. SF: Mike Wakelam.

Herts Hawks IP H R ER BB SO
Peter Kikel W 7.00 7 8 5 5 6
Thames Valley Bisons            
Player 4 L 7.00 8 11 2 5 5

HBP: by Player 4 (Kal Dimitrov). . , by Peter Kikel (Player 9). . . . Balk: Player 4.
T: 2:30. A: 0.

GAME 2

Herts Hawks at Thames Valley Bisons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Hawks 0 0 0 0 2 6 3 11 15 2
Thames Valley Bisons 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 8 2

Herts Hawks 11, Thames Valley Bisons 5
Herts Hawks Thames Valley Bisons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Paul Auchterlounie cf 3 0 0 0 Player 1 p-cf 4 0 1 1
(b5) Kal Dimitrov cf 1 0 1 0 Player 2 c 4 1 1 0
Greg Bochan p 4 1 1 0 Player 3 cf-ss 2 1 0 0
Carlos Casal ss 4 2 2 0 Player 4 ss-3b 4 1 1 1
Dave Westfallen c 3 2 1 0 Player 5 lf 4 0 1 1
Peter Kikel 2b 3 0 2 1 Player 6 3b-p 3 0 1 0
David Baird 1b 4 2 2 1 Player 7 1b 2 1 1 0
Matt Johnston lf 4 2 2 0 Player 8 2b 2 0 1 0
Chris Wylie 3b 1 0 0 0 Player 9 rf 3 1 1 0
(b3) Mike Wakelam 3b 3 2 3 3 (t7) Sub 1 rf 0 0 0 0
Liam Green rf 3 0 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 33 11 15 5 TEAM TOTALS 28 5 8 3

E: Carlos Casal, Liam Green, Player 4, Player 8. LOB: Herts Hawks 3, Thames Valley
Bisons 6. 2B: Mike Wakelam(2), Liam Green, Peter Kikel, David Baird, Carlos Casal,
Kal Dimitrov, Player 4, Player 2. SB: David Baird(2), Carlos Casal(2), Matt
Johnston(2), Mike Wakelam, Player 2, Player 3, Player 1.

Herts Hawks IP H R ER BB SO
Greg Bochan W 7.00 8 5 2 4 3
Thames Valley Bisons            
Player 1 L 6.00 11 8 7 1 3
Player 6 1.00 4 3 3 1 2

PB: Dave Westfallen, Player 2(3). T: 2:30. A: 0.