Category: Headlines

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS SLUGGER TIM ELKINS CALLED-UP TO BOSTON RED SOX


[written by Newswire contributor and Red Sox 'National' TIM ELKINS, Herts #45]

Well, the day had finally arrived.

The 6.30am bus from the hotel pulled up outside the Boston Red Sox Player Development Centre in Fort Myers for the start of another Fantasy Camp. 120 like-minded, rabid Red Sox fans turned up to live out their dream and don the fabled Red Sox uniform.  We would get to play, drink and chew the fat with legends of the hallowed game from the past and the present.

It was like my first day at school all over again: I didn't know where I was going, what the clubhouse etiquette would be, whether Youk would bite off my head if I asked him for an autograph as he went (again) past the workout area (he didn't – he was very nice), nor what the fabled “Kangaroo Court” would hold for me each morning.

The first thing that hit me was the sheer size of the Spring Training clubhouse – home to the Red Sox players (both minor and major league) during the months of February and March. Row after row of open locker with uniforms hanging neatly in them in this huge, hangar of a building. Yours truly spent 15 minutes looking for locker #128 – my locker for the next week.  After that, who knows whose uniform will hang there? Tek? Papelbon?  Big Papi?



Finally I found it, and the sight of the uniform and locker with my name on them, well, it took my breath away.  I realised this was not a dream.  I pinched myself, and I was actually here.  I would play 8 games against fellow campers and 1 game against the pros and legends in the next 5 days.  (Gulp.)

Luckily, the fitness room was stocked with ice, wraps and spare limbs, and they somehow managed to get most people through the week, much to the surprise and delight of their regular visitors.  My locker was directly outside the fitness room, and yes, the line got longer and longer as the week went on.  On one side, my locker buddy was a catcher from Portugal, and on the other side, fabled Red Sox 3rd baseman from the 1960's, Frank Malzone.  Despite being in his 80's, he still managed to give me a good ribbing as a clubhouse rookie.  Behind me was Butch Hobson, 3rd baseman and my team coach. His classic quote as he walked in after a particular hard night at the hotel was “my hair hurts”. I think we all sympathised with him.



Most games were played at the Players Development Complex, the Spring Training practice ground, but everyone got the chance to play several matches at the fabled City of Palms Park, where the Red Sox play their home Spring Training games. Walking out on to that field, with the 7,500-seater stadium stands behind me… and my name being announced by fabled Red Sox announcer, Joe Castiglione, as I came up to bat… and sitting in the same dug out as some of the greatest players in the game… that was an experience that will stay with me forever.



The whole week was beyond description, and I cannot hope to do it justice with the written word.  The fact that our team of 14 guys who had never met before, including the two coaches, Butch Hobson and Dick Drago, came together in an unfamiliar environment, pulled together as a team (even when not winning) and arrived at the other end of the tunnel was to the very great credit of all those involved.  I've made firm friends with whom I hope to stay in contact for a long, long time.



The overall organisation was exceptional, and my heartfelt thanks go out to the guys at Fenway Sports Group, the staff at the Players Development Clubhouse, and all the pros and legends who made this such an unforgettable experience.  For this British baseball player, it was a dream come true.

by AspiDimitrov

BRING YOUR A-GAME BOYS…THE GIRLS ARE WATCHING! – EXCLUSIVE MARTY CULLEN INTERVIEW

This week Herts Baseball Newswire has been given exclusive access to British Baseball pin-up and Herts Hawks Manager, Marty Cullen Sr.  We caught up with him between his yoga class and a meeting with his agent.

 

What was your reason for choosing to play the game of baseball and not one of the other sports?

 

As a kid, I played every sport there is and I loved them all. American Football, Soccer, Basketball, but I've always considered Baseball to be the ultimate team sport.  Maybe it's because we high-five more than most.

 

Do you prefer managing or playing?

 

I'd play every day if my body would let me.  I love it.  Playing for the 2008 Falcons was one of the best experiences of my life.  We had such a great chemistry and one of the best managers in the country.  I'm hoping to bring what I've learned from that experience to the 2009 Hawks.

 

How would you describe yourself as a manager?

 

We'll find out soon enough!

 

Baseball teams in Great Britain always try to find the right balance between being competitive and providing enjoyment and a fair amount of playing time for all.  Which of the two would be more important for you as a manager, competitiveness or individual player satisfaction? 

 

Player satisfaction breeds competitiveness and vice versa. Everybody's happy when they're winning. The hard part is to keep happy when you're struggling.  We pay to play in this league, so we all deserve to play as much as the next.

 

What are you looking forward to most in 2009?

 

I can't wait to watch the Falcons lift the National League Title in their first season!

 

Which will be the most important ingredient for your team in 2009 – pitching, defence, offence, speed, teamwork or maybe something else?

 

All of these things are vital to success on the diamond. That being said, I think the single most important ingredient will be teamwork. The 2008 Falcons proved that!

 

Is there one player that you are hoping the Falcons and Eagles Managers will forget to pick for their team?

 

I won't mention any names, but…YES!

 

After the players are split into their respective teams this Spring, do you think there should be a lot of movement of players between the Herts teams, or would you prefer to identify your players at the beginning and work with these same players the whole year?

 

I'm a big advocate of the franchise style program we're setting up here at Herts, so I'm really looking forward to moving players around. It'll be great to see players moving up because of hard work. Equally, if someone needs to take a step back to work on something, we can do that. I'm all for it.  

 

What are your team’s objectives for the season in terms of place in the league standings and win-loss record?

 

Our objectives are always the same – Win the League.  We want to be at the Final Four…Period.

 

Which of Herts Baseball Club’s four teams will have the best win-loss percentage?

 

It will be a four-way tie with a .875 winning percentage.

 

Over the next 7-8 months we will gradually be seeing Grovehill Ballpark develop into one of the finest baseball venues in this country.  What would you like to add to the ballpark that is not included in the first two development stages?

 

Herts Baseball has probably the best, most dedicated development and fundraising teams in the country and they've all done an incredible job getting this project off the ground. When it's finished, Grovehill Ballpark will be the UK's premier Baseball Facility. There is however, one thing missing, and I'm absolutely sure that we'll have to add it at the end of 2009.  A Trophy Room!

 

In your opinion what is the one thing which British baseball needs in order to start to catch up with the other more popular sports in this country such as football, cricket and rugby?

 

Youth programs – plain and simple. Whether it's in schools or local leagues, Baseball has to be brought en mass to the kids.  Funding and media coverage are also key to development.  But first, Let the kids play!!!

 

How much time would it take before current Little League players make it into your team and are you planning to start scouting Herts Little League players in the coming years?

 

Lee (Manning) and I have been scouting Little leaguers since day one, and there are a few who could compete in our adult program now.  However, we're still in the early stages of our 'franchise', so don't expect to see any Little Leaguers don the metal cleats and wood bats before 2010.

 

What message would you like to give to the 2009 players who will be playing in your team?

 

Bring your A-game boys…The girls are watching!

 

Are you for or against the DH rule?

 

I love the DH rule, especially when you talk about pay and play Baseball.  It allows you to field 10 players and as a manager, it gives you more flexibility with pitching and batting orders.

 

Name one baseball aspect that your son, Marty Cullen Jr, is already better at than you, and one baseball aspect that he will never be able to beat.

 

He's already better than me at most things Baseball! He has a better arm and is a far better pitcher than I'll ever be. He's already played for his Country. I, however, am still waiting for the USA team to call! There is one way I'll always have him beat. He could never be as proud of his accomplishments as I am.

 

Stay Tuned to the Herts Baseball Newswire.  Next Week: Interview with Eagles Manager, Dave Westfallen.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS BASEBALL TO FEATURE ON BBC RADIO: SATURDAY 21 FEB, 2.15pm



BBC Three Counties Radio will host Falcons Manager Jason Greenberg on Saturday afternoon's sports round-up, as he works the wires to promote the upcoming Herts Open Trials and Rookies Clinic on Sunday 1 March.

On that day, the Herts Baseball Club will undertake their largest adult recruitment event ever.  The gates at Grovehill Ballpark will be opened to the entire UK baseball community – experienced sluggers eager to make the National League Falcons squad, and newcomers to the game alike are expected to strap on their spikes and head to the field to test their mettle.



BBC 3CR has taken a keen interest in Herts Baseball over the last couple years, and star sports commentator Luke Ashmead was keen to get Greenberg back on the air for some discussion of 'the greatest game on dirt.'

Herts is expecting their greatest season yet in 2009.  With four adult teams and a thriving Little League programme they are set to become the largest, most successful baseball franchise in the United Kingdom.  Their flagship squad, the Herts Falcons, were recently inducted into the British National Baseball League, the top level of play in Britain.

On March 1st, following the open try-outs, Greenberg will lead his spring training camp in an exhibition game versus the Great Britain Junior National Team.  While the Falcons camp will comprise mostly of returning Herts players, standouts from the intense day of skills testing will be invited to join the bench and get into the game.  It should prove a terrific showcase of both newfound and veteran Herts talent.

Greenberg was unavailable for comment on the Falcons' chances for a winning summer, but you can catch his optimism and enthusiasm for the growing Herts programme this Saturday at 2.15pm on 95.5, 103.8, or 104.5 FM.

by AspiDimitrov

A CHANCE FOR HERTS BASEBALL FANS TO SUPPORT THE GB TEAM ON THEIR WAY TO THE WORLD CUP

 

Herts Baseball Club is committed to helping the Great Britain National Team to raise the funding necessary to send a fully prepared squad to the World Cup in September. The Great Britain team is involved in various fundraising projects.  One of them is the sale of GB baseball merchandise. 

 

Readers of the Herts Baseball Newswire can help the GB National Team by ordering merchandise.  The following are the items on offer:

GB Caps: £10 each – One size fits all
GB T-shirts: £10 each – Large and XLarge
GB Pins: £1 each
BBF baseballs: £5 each

Some sample images can be seen by clicking HERE.

Please send in your orders to secretary@hertsbaseball.comby Thursday, February 26th at the latest.

 

In your order email please indicate the quantity (and size for T-shirts) of the items which you want to order.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS BASEBALL TO HOLD OPEN TRY-OUT, ROOKIES CLINIC ON SUNDAY 1 MARCH, CLUB TO RECREATE MLB EXPERIENCE IN HERTFORDSHIRE AND NORTH WEST LONDON

 

A look back at the newspapers over the last few weeks may lead us to the conclusion that the people of Britain are concerned with nothing other than snow and how the newly-elected American President is going to save us all from the worst economic crisis in 100 years, while at the same time football clubs have been breaking transfer records with hundreds of millions of pounds spent on players.

 

But in Hertfordshire and North West London a whole community has been thinking of nothing but baseball with the launch of a campaign for the promotion of the game in the region.

 

Herts Baseball Club is preparing for one of its most important seasons in its history.  After the Herts Falcons won the AAA National Championship last year, the British Baseball Federation invited them to join the top tier of British Baseball – the National Baseball League.  Jason Greenberg, the Manager who led the Falcons to the title said: “This is the first time that a team from Hertfordshire will play at the highest level of British baseball.  The Club has also announced plans to create a fourth adult team, the Herts Eagles, which is expected to join the League at the AAA level.  This would mean that Herts Baseball Club would be the only baseball organisation in Great Britain to have a team at every level of British Baseball.”

 

Greenberg added: “Whatever your baseball abilities, anyone from absolute beginners to elite players, would be able to find a Herts baseball team to fit with their level.  Those who work hard to improve will be able to progress up the Herts pyramid all the way to National League level.”

 

The Herts players have just returned to the baseball diamond after intense indoor sessions in the last few weeks.  This coincides with the launch of the Club’s 2009 recruitment campaign.  The campaign aims to make men and women, boys and girls, of any age, aware of one of the most popular sports in the world.  Not many Brits know that baseball is played by millions across the globe and that the game of baseball is alive and well right here in the British Isles, and is growing fast. 

 

Over the years, Hollywood movies have given the British public a sense of the significance of baseball and why it generates so much passion.  Club President, Aspi Dimitrov said:  “For one reason or another, the opportunity to play baseball in this country has never been marketed well.  We are hoping to change this in our region with our campaign.  Our club is looking to recreate the Major League Baseball (MLB) experience for all its members – the competition for places in pre-season Spring Training; hitting a home run like Barry Bonds; looking to have a better batting average than Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees; striking out a batter with a nasty curveball, turning a double-play, coming up to bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth – these are just some of the aspects which our players get to experience in the course of the British baseball season.  We want more people to experience this.  In the first of a series of promotional videos which can be seen on our website, we have tried to put exactly this point across”

 

 

As part of the Campaign, on Sunday 1 March 2009, the Club is staging Open Trials for anyone who wants to get a taste of baseball.  The Try Outs are aimed at both newcomers and players who are hoping to make the Herts Falcons roster in their first season in the British National Baseball League.  They will all go through a series of skills trials which will test their batting, fielding, pitching and running abilities.  Since any adult can join the Herts Baseball Club, and all members get playing time on the diamond each weekend, the day is not about 'making the cut'… but, rather, welcoming new members to the Herts family and helping the four team managers fashion their squads (or 'Camps') for the rest of the Spring Training.

 

Dimitrov is certain that among the newcomers there will be players who unknowingly possess phenomenal baseball talent.  He said:  “We are hoping that we will discover a Roy Hobbs (from the Oscar-nominated movie, The Natural, starring Robert Redford), someone who can hit a home run or maybe a flame-throwing pitcher.  The Managers will have a radar gun ready and hopefully someone will be able to get into 80mph or, who knows, maybe even 90mph.  We may just find that player who helps one of our four teams bring home the Championship trophy.”  

 

In the afternoon, Falcons Manager, Jason Greenberg, will send his Spring Training Camp out for an exhibition game against the Great Britain Juniors National Team.  Apart from existing Herts players the Falcons NBL Camp will include a selection of invitees who impress during the morning tests.

 

Those who are interested to attend should register online at: http://www.hertsbaseball.com/trials/

Any questions about the day's events can be directed to join@hertsbaseball.com. 

 

If you can’t wait until 1 March, you can join the Herts players in their upcoming Spring Training sessions.  All of these sessions and the Open Day on 1 March are open for anyone to attend and there are no costs involved.  Newcomers who don’t have a baseball glove will be provided with one.

 

·         BULLPEN SESSION, Sat – 14 Feb 2009 – 11:45 , Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

·         HEADSTART CLINIC, Sun – 15 Feb 2009 – 11:15 , Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

·         SPRING TRAINING, Sun – 15 Feb 2009 – 12:45 , Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

·         BULLPEN SESSION, Sat – 21 Feb 2009 – 12:45 , Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

·         SPRING TRAINING, Sun – 22 Feb 2009 – 10:45 , Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

·         OPEN HERTS TRIALS, Sun – 01 Mar 2009 – 09:45 , Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

·         TEAM TRAINING (SPLIT-SQUAD), Sun – 08 Mar 2009 – 09:45 , Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

·         TEAM TRAINING (SPLIT-SQUAD), Sun – 15 Mar 2009 – 09:45, Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

 

Note: These events are for adults (14 years old and above).  For boys and girls under 14 the Club will soon be publishing details of the 2009 Herts Little League season.  If you are under 14 years of age please contact the club for more details about the Herts Little League.

 

by AspiDimitrov

RAPTORS TO FOCUS ON DEFENCE AND TEAMWORK IN 2009 – EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MANAGER, ANDREW SLATER

As we build up to the start of the 2009 baseball season, the Herts Newswire will be running a series of exclusive interviews with some of the people who will be making the headlines in British Baseball in 2009.  Leading off we have an interview with the newly appointed Herts Raptors Manager, Andrew Slater.

 

What was your reason for choosing to play the game of baseball and not one of the other sports?

 

I had previously played many sports including football and more recently American football.

I never had any link to baseball until my friend Kyle Hunlock (member of Herts Falcons in 2005) alerted me of how big baseball was in this country. I was looking for a new challenge and having only been a rookie last season and now a manager I certainly have one.

 

Do you prefer managing or playing?

 

I have captained and coached in other sports and have enjoyed the experience. So I hope that will not change. One thing I do know is I love playing the game.

 

How would you describe yourself as a manager?

 

This is a hard question to answer. The words that come to mind are: Committed; Passionate; Easy to talk to; Motivational.

 

Baseball teams in Great Britain always try to find the right balance between being competitive and providing enjoyment and a fair amount of playing time for all.  Which of the two would be more important for you as a manager, competitiveness or individual player satisfaction?

 

Both competitiveness and individual player satisfaction go hand in hand. If you seize the playing time you are given with full commitment in improving yourself and helping the team move forward. Then both the player and team will win. If you have a squad of 15 players all fighting to improve themselves this will lead to a great level of competitiveness within the squad as well as in the league.

 

What are you looking forward to most in 2009?

 

I’m looking forward to another season of playing and helping to introduce new players to some enjoyable baseball, and moving the team forward into its 2nd season.

 

Which will be the most important ingredient for your team in 2009 – pitching, defence, offence, speed, teamwork or maybe something else?

 

I believe all are important in the game of baseball.  On previous experience in sports I have learnt the team with the better defence tends to be victorious. I believe this is the first place to start with a team, which include rookie players. I also feel that no team will work without good teamwork.

 

Being the manager of the Club's Single-A team, means that the other three managers are able to pick players ahead of you.  Do you think that this is going to be a big problem in fielding a competitive team?

 

With our existing Herts players and the very good group of new players who have made an appearance so far this year, I am full of confidence that all 4 teams will be strong in 2009.

 

Is there one player that you are hoping the Falcons, Eagles and Hawks Managers will forget to pick for their team?

 

I couldn’t possibly pick.

 

After the players are split into their respective teams this Spring, do you think there should be a lot of movement of players between the Herts teams, or would you prefer to identify your players at the beginning and work with these same players the whole year?

 

Player movement will be very important this season. This will give players the goals and aims they need to improve and work themselves up the Herts baseball franchise. It will also give players the chance to move down a level to try out new positions such as pitching.

 

What are your team's objectives for the season in terms of place in the league standings and win-loss record? 

 

My top aim this season is players’ improvement and creating a team who love to play the game and are happy whatever the end result.  When it comes to standings, an improvement of last season’s 2-9 is well within this team’s capabilities. If the season ends 6-6 then that will be a great result but I believe we can do even better.

 

What message would you like to give to the 2009 players who will be playing in your team?

 

Hopefully the previous answers in this interview will give any player who will be involved with the Raptors an insight of things to come.  All I can add is that I hope you all are looking forward to the coming season as much as I am.

 

Stay tuned to the Herts Newswire.  Next week, Hawks Manager, Marty Cullen Sr, shares his thoughts on the DH Rule, the future of British baseball, the secret of the Falcons’ success, why Baseball is the best team sport and much more.

by AspiDimitrov

SNOWSTORM REVEALS BRITAIN’S UNDISCOVERED BASEBALL TALENT

 

With the weather bringing the United Kingdom to a standstill, the top story on every TV and radio station is the snow.  The global social messaging site twitter.com is reporting that messages about the snow in Southern England are outpacing messages about Barack Obama as well as last night’s exciting Super Bowl game.

 

The heaviest snowfall in 20 years coincides with the Herts adult players returning to the diamond this weekend as Spring training moves outdoors after weeks of indoor training. 

 

The snow may have brought chaos and may scupper many sporting events this week, but has given a once-in-twenty-years opportunity for the whole country to actively get involved in practicing baseball.  Snowball fights involve many of the skills required in baseball.  The streets of Southern England are packed with children and adults who couldn’t get to school and work this morning so have chosen to have a snowball fight instead.  There are some very strong and accurate arms out there and not many people in the UK know that they have a hidden talent which could make them a superstar in the British Baseball League.  Herts officials have asked several of their coaches to go out in the snow with their radar guns and scout for the players that will bring the British title to Hertfordshire.  Herts baseball Club Secretary, Aspi Dimitrov, said: “When you see any undiscovered baseball players out there make sure to give them the website address of Herts Baseball Club.“

 

More snow is forecast for the next few days and the four Herts managers will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on conditions before deciding whether the first outdoor session of 2009 will proceed as planned. 

 

Herts Baseball Club has issued a statement advising newcomers who are planning to attend this weekend’s first session to contact the Club via the official website for more details.  Contacting the Club in advance will allow club officials to add the email addresses of new recruits to the club’s mailing list and will be able to advise them about this week’s training and future training sessions coming up this Spring.

 

The new wave of players joining the club at the start of every season will play a key role as Herts Baseball prepares for expansion into four teams competing at all four league levels of British baseball, from the National League to the Single-A League.  The Club has many positions to fill in its four rosters which offers an opportunity to baseball players of all abilities to come and play, from complete beginners to experienced players.

by AspiDimitrov

ASK THE MANAGER

Herts Baseball Newswire will be building up to the new season with a series of interviews with the managers of the four Herts teams.  Andrew Slater will make his debut as the new Raptors Manager taking over from Jake Kikel.  Marty Cullen is looking forward to a new challenge as the Manager of the Hawks playing in the AA Division.  Dave Westfallen will lead the Herts Eagles into battle in the AAA Division.  Jason Greenberg will take the AAA National Champions, the Falcons, into unchartered territory as a Herts team enters the top-tier of British Baseball for the first time in the club's history. 

Herts Baseball Newswire wants to give its visitors the chance to ask the questions.  You may be interested in the Manager's predictions for 2009 or maybe you want to find out more about what makes them tick.

If you want to put your question to any of the Managers please send them to the Newswire.  Please indicate which of the four managers (or maybe all four of them) you want to ask.  If you want your question to be kept anonymous, please indicate this in your message.  You can ask more than one question so please include all your question in your message.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS BASEBALL CLUB MISSES OUT ON CASH GIVEAWAY

Herts Baseball Club has missed out on picking up a £1,000 cash award in an initiative organised by Betfair.  Herts Baseball Newswire understands that it was a closely fought contest and the club has missed out on the prize by a very small margin.

Over the last few months, members of Herts Baseball Club have been collecting tokens in order to participate in Betfair's Cash-4-Clubs scheme.  The Club successfully collected the required number of tokens and submitted a presentation giving its reasons why the Club thinks that it deserves the cash prize more than other sports organisations in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be for Herts Baseball, but the club did receive encouraging feedback from Betfair CSR Executive, Georgina Corbett, who said: “There was a great response to this initiative and it is evident that there are many desrving sports clubs in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  Judging the entries has been a difficult task and I am sorry to say that Herts Baseball Club was not chosen to receive one of the five £1,000 cash awards.  I wish Herts Baseball Club every success for the future”.

Betfair has confirmed the five winners.  They are: Welwyn Warriors Lacrosse Club, Cambourne Cricket Club, Special Olympics St Albans, Hitchin Rugby Club and Parson Drove Cricket Club.

by AspiDimitrov

CULLEN AT THE WHEEL

 

Marty Cullen was elected as the Herts’ AA manager for the season 2009 in a contest that completed the full house of managers for the upcoming season.

 

The appointment of Cullen is thought to be a radical measure by the club, as it is hoped that his experience in AAA will bring about some tactical improvements, while his experience with the Little League will allow Cullen to bring through players of all ages and ability.

 

In retrospect, the appointment of managers for the upcoming season was the penultimate step before Spring Training is turned on full blast from January 11 onwards.  All four teams now have their managers, who will be able to cast a discerning eye on the potential of players during the combined spring sessions of all Herts players.

 

It is to be hoped that there will be no fisticuffs between managers about selecting specific players, and if there are, your reporter would like to be called in to watch.

 

Congratulations to Marty Cullen and the best of luck to the managers of all Herts Baseball Teams.