The team jerseys have been ironed, the grass has been mowed, the foul lines have been marked out, and the sunflower seeds are ready. Yes folks, the long-awaited start of the Herts Baseball Little League is finally here. This Saturday, 14 June 2008, Herts Baseball Club will make history with the opening of the inaugural season of the first ever Baseball Little League in Hertfordshire.
It will be officially unveiled by the Worshipful the Mayor of the Borough of Dacorum, Councillor Mrs. Carol Green, who will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The opening ceremony will begin at 12:00pm and will include the performance of the National Anthem by a special guest. On Opening Day, Herts Baseball Club will also make a special announcement about a very exciting development for the club and for baseball in Hertfordshire.
After five weeks of intense spring training, boys and girls aged between 6 and 13 from in and around Hertfordshire will put on the Herts uniform and will begin the race for the title. The Little League Joint-Commissioners, Marty Cullen and Lee Manning, have just confirmed the names of the four teams. They are the Herts Red Sox, the Herts Yankees, the Herts Blue Jays and the Herts Cubs. The names were chosen by the players themselves who took part in the voting process.
Last Thursday, Major League Baseball held its 2008 Draft with hundreds of young prospects signing up with the 30 Major League teams. The Herts Little League will have a similar Draft this week ahead of the opening games and each of the registered players will be assigned to one of the League teams. Teams will be allowed to trade players during the course of the season as they look to gain an advantage over their opponents.
Some of the youngest prospects will be playing in the T-Ball League, and those T-Ball players who progress well may receive a call-up to one of the four Little League teams for a chance to shine alongside the big boys and girls.
Each of the teams will play two games this Saturday. The first set of games will start immediately after the Opening Ceremony. This is a fantastic opportunity for fans of baseball to enjoy a snack at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, watching the baseball stars of the future and maybe joining the other fans in singing “Take me Out to the Ball Game” in true baseball tradition.
League games will take place at Grovehill Ballpark almost every Saturday from now until August and the season will culminate with the selection of a Herts All-Star team to represent Hertfordshire at the British National Championship in September.
It is not too late for boys and girls to register for the 2008 season. To register visit www.HertsLittleLeague.com and fill in the online registration form. Players are able to sign up even partway through the season.
For more information about the event please contact Herts Baseball Club baseball@hertsbaseball.com