The 2009 season of the British Baseball League started in the best possible fashion for the members of Herts Baseball Club. The Club sent four of its adult teams against tough opponents in the four respective leagues, and picked up five wins out of six games. Everyone at the club was rightfully pleased, but there was one aspect on Opening Day which pleased everyone connected with the club, more than any of the wins.
This was the day when the first player coming out of the Herts Baseball Little League made an official debut with the adult teams. 14-years-old Liam Green has been involved with the Little League, the club’s youth programme, from its inception in June 2007 when boys and girls from Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas, started attending summer baseball camps at the club’s Grovehill Ballpark.
Liam went on to win the Herts Little League title playing for the Herts Yankees in the League’s inaugural season last year. The Club has been very lucky to have very passionate, dedicated and hard-working boys and girls join the Little League over the last 2 years, and Liam is no different. Many times after the adults end their home games last season, Liam, together with his younger brother, Lewis, and father, Lawrence, would come down to the Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead wait for the league games to end and they would practice various aspects of the game of baseball for hours until the sun goes down.
Liam’s progress has been obvious for all to see and the Managers of the Herts adult teams have been following him closely. With him becoming 14 this season and eligible for selection with the adults, the Managers decided that it was time to call him up to the Herts Raptors camp, the Club’s Single-A league team. Last Sunday, he made his official debut for the Raptors in dramatic win against the London Marauders.
The club hopes that this will be the first of many more male and female players coming through the Herts Baseball Little League to join the adult teams. There already are several other very talented players who are also on the fringe of getting a call-up. The transition of the players into adult baseball will be done gradually and they will continue to be full members of the Little League during this process.
The future is looking bright for baseball in Hertfordshire. The club’s youngsters have already started their Spring Training in preparation for the 2009 league season. New players are joining the league every week and it promises to be even bigger and better than 2008.
For more details about the Herts Baseball Little League and how to join or come to one of the open training sessions, please visit the official site.