The fastest growing baseball organisation in the United Kingdom is showing no signs of slowing down.
With the promotion of the Herts flagship team to the BBF National League, a vacancy has been created at the AAA level. To stop the gap, Herts are unleashing the Eagles in 2009 as the final step in the transition to a four-team, four-tier franchise that will compete at every level of play in adult British baseball.
In keeping with tradition, the club’s Executive Committee voted to keep the Falcons as the top squad in the organisation. The Falcons name dates back to 1996 when the team was based in Bushey, Hertfordshire. The Eagles is the fourth title to join the Herts flock, and is a continuation of the club’s ‘bird of prey’ theme.
A fourth team manager will be sought to lead the Eagles into battle in 2009. Moreover, Herts is undertaking a massive recruitment drive in the winter and spring months to pad out all four of its team rosters. Posters, leaflets, advertisements in the local press and a web and media-based marketing campaign will invite local men and women of all ages and talents to join the family. Grovehill should be teeming in February with rookies and seasoned veterans alike hoping to find their spot in the Herts franchise.
With the formation of this new squad, a player could enter the Herts programme at age 5 in the Tee Ball league, progress straight through Little League, join the Herts Raptors in single-A ball, and continue to promote until they are playing against the best teams in the country at the National League level. This expansion means Herts is the most complete baseball organisation nation-wide, and highlights the club’s determination to share the game of baseball and help players to improve at every stage of their development.