Author: AspiDimitrov

10 April 201210 April 2012 by AspiDimitrov

Youth baseball league season opens this weekend at Grovehill Ballpark

The waiting is over. The boys and girls of summer will get the 2012 youth baseball league season underway this Saturday, 14 April 2012, at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Players from across Hertfordshire, London and as far as East Anglia will be putting on the Herts jerseys as the race for the championships begins.

The season will open with several mouth-watering match-ups. In the British Under-17 League Herts will start their season against the Harlow Stars at 11am. The Stars will then play against the Forest Glade RedBacks, and the final U17 game will see the Herts All Stars meet the RedBacks in a repeat of the heart-breaking playoff game which Herts lost 11-10 in extra innings last season.

In the Under-14 League Herts welcome the RedBacks’ U14 team. First pitch is at 11am. Both teams reached the National Baseball Championships last year. The RedBacks finished in third place overall while Herts were the runners-up after losing in the final to LYBL. In the second U14 game the RedBacks will face the Bracknell Wildfire and in the third game Bracknell will play the Herts All Stars.

Under-11 League opens up with the Herts Giants and Herts Dodgers playing against the RedBacks U11 team which means that there will be a Herts-versus-RedBacks rivalry in every age group on Opening Day. In total nine teams will be on show with baseball from 11am to 6pm.

As always, at the start of every season, there will be many new faces with free agents joining the League and players moving to a higher age group, so it will be a fascinating opening day.

It will be the first opportunity for the Herts youth teams to play at their home, Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, after the recently announced upgrade funded by BSUK as part of the long-term project to turn it into the best baseball venue in Great Britain.

There isn’t a better way to spend Saturday then at the ballpark enjoying a hot dog and all sort so of other snacks and drinks which will be on offer. The games begin at 11am. Free admission for all.

NEW PLAYERS CAN JOIN AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR

Many new players have signed up with the teams over the last few weeks and it is not too late for new players to start playing in the League. Herts Baseball club welcomes new members at any point of the season, boys and girls from 6 to 16 years of age, from complete beginners to experienced players. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

OPENING DAY SCHEDULE – Saturday, 14 April

DATE	TIME	LEAGUE	VISITING TEAM	HOME TEAM
14-Apr-12	11:00	BBF (U14)	Forest Glade RedBacks	Herts All Stars (U14)
14-Apr-12	16:00	BBF (U14)	Bracknell Wildfire	Herts All Stars (U14)
14-Apr-12	11:00	BBF (U17)	Southern Stars	Herts All Stars (U17)
14-Apr-12	16:00	BBF (U17)	Forest Glade RedBacks	Herts All Stars (U17)
14-Apr-12	11:00	U11	RedBacks (U11)	Herts Giants
14-Apr-12	13:30	U11	RedBacks (U11)	Herts Dodgers

8 April 20129 April 2012 by AspiDimitrov

Cambridge and Guildford win HSL Championships

The Cambridge Royals won the HSL AAA Championship while the Guildford Mavericks are the HSL AA Champions as spring training ended for minor league teams and they prepare for the show to begin next weekend.

HSL – AAA

Sunday’s HSL schedule was revised slightly due to the London Mets (U17) absence. The key clash of the day was the game between the two unbeaten teams Cambridge Royals and Essex RedBacks. Four pitches into the game and the RedBacks starting pitcher pulled a groin muscle. He suffered the same injury in the previous weekend of the HSL so this is a major blow for the Redbacks ahead of the new season. The Royals took advantage and won the game 10-2. They did lose their second game of the day against the Herts Hawks 13-1. Hawks pitcher Nic Goetz picking up the win with a strong performance in that game. Despite the loss the Royals knew that they had clinched the HSL AAA title regardless of the score in the other games involving the RedBacks and MK Bucks as they had beaten both teams and in the event of a tie in the standings the Royals would be the winners on their head-to-head record.

The RedBacks won their game against MK Bucks in what turned out to be a game to determine the runner-up of the HSL AAA. Rich Chesterton was the winning pitcher for the team from Essex.

The Sidewinders were winless so far this Spring and despite having a shortage of players on the day they did have enough quality to win both their games to climb up two places in the table. They ended the day with an exciting 6-5 win against the MK Bucks. Tadaki Junior was the starting pitcher picking up the win while Tadaki Senior picked up the save restraining a last-inning rally by the Bucks.

HSL – AA

On Saturday the Guildford Mavericks clashed with the Essex RedBacks II in the HSL AA Final. Both teams stayed unbeaten in the group stage but it was Guildford who came out on top 13-5. In the 3rd and 4th Place game the Kent Mariners dominated against the Herts Raptors winning convincingly 28-10. The second team from Guildford also had a good day beating the London Marauders 13-8. The GB cadets secured 7th place finish with a big win against the Herts Eagles who were missing some key players like starting pitcher Theo Scheepers, Oz Kemal, Will Belbin, among others.

THE SHOW BEGINS

This year’s HSL has proven to be a big success. A record 20 teams took part and with support from very high quality umpires and great venues in Herts and Guildford this felt more like the postseason National Baseball Championships than Spring Training.

Herts Baseball Club President, Aspi Dimitrov said: “We have had fantastic feedback from participating teams, players, coaches and fans” and he added that “the HSL has become a very enjoyable and productive competition in the British Baseball calendar and the best way to prepare for the start of a new season.”

With Spring Training completed all eyes will now turn towards next Sunday’s opening day games of the 2012 season with NBL, AAA, AA and A League teams all in action across the country.

Click to view 2012 HSL Scoreboard

Click to view 2012 HSL Final Standings

30 March 2012 by AspiDimitrov

Clark completes a crazy day of player transactions announced by the Falcons

The Herts Falcons have already announced three player acquisitions today and they have made one more late transaction this evening adding catcher, Phil Clark, from the London Mets, which means that he will be eligible to make his Falcons debut this Sunday against the Bracknell Blazers.

Adding Phil Clark is a major coup for Herts. Clark is considered one of the top catchers and third basemen in the NBL so this is a major player acquisition for Herts.

The 33-year-old Australian made his NBL debut in 2004 with the Windsor Bears. The following year he moved to the Brighton Buccaneers. In 2004 and 2005 he reached the NBL Final but ended up on the losing side on both occasions losing to the Croydon Pirates. In the last 4 seasons he has been a member of the London Mets, including the invincible London Mets of 2008 who destroyed the rest of the league losing only one game all season. In that season he was the NBL leader in batting average (.548) and on-base average (.615), which is an incredible achievement considering the superstars who played for the Mets in that year. His NBL career batting average stands at .341 with 4 home runs in the NBL.

The move from the Mets to the Falcons is intuitive as his family relocated to Harpenden in Herts last year. In fact for members of Herts it does not feel like Phil is a new arrival as, despite being a Mets player last year, he has been a regular at Herts training sessions over the last 12 months and also appeared for the Herts White Sharks last October in the 2011 Hunlock Series. He has also had a very positive influence on the Herts Under-17 players who have been involved in those training sessions last year.

Hertsbaseball.com had the opportunity to chat with Phil Clark earlier today about the upcoming season, MLB coming to London and more.

hertsbaseball.com: What would be the key to a successful 2012 season for Herts?

Phil Clark: Herts have acquired some quality experienced NBL players who most have played in the final fours and know what is necessary to get there, as well as win. Consistency and `heart’ (pardon the pun) is going to be the key to Herts success as there are many strong teams out there who are also biting at the bit to win. Provided we can come together as a team, we should do very well this year.

hertsbaseball.com: Which team or teams do you think go into the new season as the favourites to win the NBL?

Phil Clark: This year is somewhat different to most. Previous seasons have always seen the top 2 or 3 being of equal standard. However this season, there appears to be a fairly balanced player quality amongst the teams which will make for a tight season. I haven’t seen every team, so I can only comment on teams from last season and the spring league, but Nationals, Mets, Lakenheath are always going to be favourites. But I hear Essex played well in the spring tournament and Bracknell have found a couple of players – and they were always a threat. So we’ll wait and see.

hertsbaseball.com: What do you see as a realistic target for Herts this year?

Phil Clark: Herts should aim and achieve Final Four. But, there is also no reason why we can’t be aiming for the final play-off and even a championship. The quality and talent is there, we just have to bring that together as a team.

hertsbaseball.com: There is an increased interest and optimism from fans of Herts. Do you have a message for them ahead of the new season?

Phil Clark: If there is one thing that makes baseball great fun, it’s the fans. Come down at home games and support your teams. Baseball can create a great atmosphere and is a very family orientated sport, but that only helps when fans get involved. Fans help make clubs successful and Herts is unique to have such a fan base and it’ll be great to see everyone down at the field when they can make it and this club can grow that bit stronger.

hertsbaseball.com: You are one of several lefties joining Herts this winter. With the short right-field wall at Grovehill Ballpark how much of an advantage is it to have so many lefties?

Phil Clark: I wish I could say a short porch benefits me… but I’m just not that power hitter. But I’m sure there will be some guys in our team who are busting to get out on the diamond on Sunday and create some havoc down the right side.

hertsbaseball.com: British newspapers have reported that MLB is inspecting the Olympic Stadium as a potential venue to host a regular season MLB game in the next few years. What do you think about the prospect of MLB teams coming to town?

Phil Clark: I think that it’s a long time coming. The NFL have been doing this for years now and turned it into a great spectacle where the sport has now increased its coverage and rekindled an old flame of followers and even picked up some new ones along the way. The MLB should be doing this to help boost it’s credentials and place a bigger spot-light on the sport here in the UK and even the continent for that matter with not just a series played here, but a bunch of games over a period of time. My only concern would be that the UK – as a lot of the current players know, is that we lack any decent facility that could a) closely resemble a MLB quality diamond; and b) hold the crowd capacity they would require. I think that BSUK, if they are serious about the sport – along with Sport England and the Government to be fair, need to consider placing some serious finance into helping to deliver a playing quality pitch as a minimum. It’ll be great to see a game close to home though, that’s for sure!

WILL YOU BE WEARING THE HERTS JERSEY IN 2012?

Herts’ recruitment efforts ahead of the new season continue and in fact new players can join at any point during the year. The club welcomes players from complete beginners to accomplished players. 6 to 16-year-olds play for the Herts youth teams while adults (over the age of 14) play for the club’s major and minor league teams. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

NBL statistics courtesy of projectcobb.org.uk

30 March 201230 March 2012 by AspiDimitrov

Herts add two more ahead of 2012 Opening Day

With less than 48 hours before the first pitch of the 2012 National Baseball League (NBL) season there does not appear to be an end to the waves of player transactions made by the Herts Falcons this Spring. They have strengthened their NBL roster further with the addition of infielder, Dave House and left-handed pitcher, George Naumczik.

GEORGE NAUMCZIK

George Naumczik comes with a wealth of experience which could prove to be very valuable for Herts on and off the field. He is one of the few players in Great Britain with experience of playing for an MLB franchise. In 1986 he played for the Idaho Falls Braves in the Pinoneer League. This was the minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

He was out of action last season, but prior to that he had four seasons in the NBL under his belt with the Flames in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010. His NBL career batting average is .317 with 1 home run.

Naumczik is a left-handed pitcher and fans who have followed British Baseball in the last few years will recognise his distinctive wrist action when he delivers a pitch which can be quite deceiving for opposing hitters.

DAVE HOUSE

David House in 2007 with the TASIS Varsity Baseball team

Dave House is a player known to NBL fans. He has previously appeared for the Windsor Bears and the Richmond Flames. Last year in the NBL he had an impressive batting average of .314. His primary positions are third base and second base.

Earlier in his career House spent four years playing for the TASIS Varsity Baseball team, which he later coached in 2006 and 2007.

House is 25 years old and is yet another addition which is bringing the average age of the Falcons squad down. Adding players who are about to reach the peak of their physical and baseball development is exciting news for everyone connected with Herts.

Hertsbaseball.com had a chance to put a few questions to Dave House on the eve of Opening Day.

hertsbaseball.com: What would be the key to a successful 2012 season for Herts?

Dave House: The key to success this year will be for everyone on this Falcons team to come together as a cohesive unit. With so much new talent being combined with the great players that are returning, it will be important for the team to work together to improve upon everyone’s strengths and weaknesses.

hertsbaseball.com: Which team or teams do you think go into the new season as the favourites to win the NBL?

Dave House: Just as last year, the Nationals look to be a solid group of players, and the London Mets have added some new talent during the offseason. But I honestly believe that based on the quality that I have seen on the Herts training ground, the Falcons rightfully deserve to be right up there in the group of favourites – and for those who have not yet seen this Falcons team, I would say look out for the dark horse!

hertsbaseball.com: What do you see as a realistic target for Herts this year?

Dave House: Realistically, the Falcons should finish well above .500 in winning percentage and should be competing in the postseason NBC.

hertsbaseball.com: Do you have a message for fans of Herts Baseball Club?

Dave House: To the Herts fans, I would say that this is going to be one exciting season! Based on the talent that I have seen at training, the Falcons look to be very strong competitors in the NBL, and fans should expect to see some top class ball being played at this club.

WILL YOU BE WEARING THE HERTS JERSEY IN 2012?

NBL statistics courtesy of projectcobb.org.uk

30 March 201230 March 2012 by AspiDimitrov

Herts Falcons acquire Jordan Farkas

Jordan Farkas on the mound for the Hornets in the Anchorage Adult League in 2010

The Herts Falcons have announced the acquisition of right-handed pitcher, Jordan Farkas.

The 28-year-old American from Anchorage, Alaska, comes with an impressive CV and experience at a very high level in various leagues in the US.

Between 2003 and 2010 he played for the Hornets in the Anchorage Adult League. During that period he has proven to be one of the top performers in the league among the leaders in various pitching categories. In 2009 he had ERA 0.63 (1^st), 4 Wins (1^st), WHIP 0.95 (3^rd), 35 strikeouts (2^nd) and to top it all off his team won the Championship in that season.

Farkas (right) with the 2009 Anchorage League Championship trophy

Between 2004 and 2007 he pitched for Division III, Whitworth Pirates(Whitworth College). In 2006 he played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, a team which has seen a large number of its players progress to play in MLB. This includes players like Mark McGwire (St Louis Cardinals), Jacoby Ellsbury (Boston Red Sox), J.T. Snow (San Francisco Giants), Mark Pelfrey (New York Mets) among many others.

With the unrelenting announcements of new arrivals, Herts is starting to look formidable and Farkas agrees. “I am looking forward to playing for Herts this year. We have a great group of guys with a lot of talent, and I am looking forward to seeing the great things we will bring to the field as a team” he said.

The Falcons now have a star-studded list of potential starting pitchers, but who will be the starting pitcher in the Opening game of 2012? Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, will have the enjoyable task of finding an answer to that question. It will all be revealed this Sunday as the show begins.

30 March 201230 March 2012 by AspiDimitrov

AUDIO: BBC 3 Counties Radio talks Herts Baseball ahead of 2012 Opening Day

BBC TV and Radio coverage of Herts baseball club is becoming ever more frequent, including BBC Breakfast who sent presenter, Mike Bushell (left), and his crew to test his baseball skills with the Herts Falcons

BBC 3 Counties Radio presenter, Roberto Perrone, caught up with Aspi Dimitrov to look ahead to the upcoming 2012 baseball season and what fans of Herts Baseball Club can look forward to as we count down to Opening Day this Sunday, 1 April. To listen to audio, press play in the video window below.

9 March 20129 March 2012 by AspiDimitrov

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see British baseball’s best teams ahead of the 2012 season

The Herts Falcons have been busy during the winter and they will be looking for a solid Spring League performance

The biggest pre-season baseball tournament in Britain is back. Commencing on March 17, the Herts Spring League will see a record 20 teams travelling from as far afield as Torbay and Milton Keynes to compete for the title. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it’s Britain’s very own version of MLB’s Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues currently under way in the US, and it signals that the season is just around the corner.

FORMAT

This is the fifth year of the HSL and for the first time the 20 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers. The top teams in the country from the National Baseball League will play in the HSL Majors. They will play each of their opponents in a league format. The team finishing on the top of the standings wins the title.

The Under-17 National Champions, London Mets, will be the first Under-17 team to play in the HSL

The HSL-AAA is the second tier of the Herts Spring League. It will feature predominantly British AAA-League teams. The teams will meet each other once over the course of the competition in a race to finish top of the league.

The HSL-AA is the third and largest tier in this year’s HSL. Five of the teams are located north of the river Thames and they will play against each other in the first two weeks. Over the same period the four HSL-AA teams located south of the river Thames will do the same in their own region. Despite the geographic separation in the games schedule the teams from both north and south will be keeping an eye on each other as they will be battling for positions in the same standings. The top two at the end of the league stage will meet in the final week to determine the HSL-AA Champions. The third and fourth placed teams will meet in the Bronze Medal game, fifth versus sixth and so on. The “games-back” column in the standings will be critical, but undoubtedly some teams will end up with the same record and so it may go down to the number of runs conceded per game to break the tie.

THE VENUES

The action will take place at two of Britain’s best baseball venues, Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, and Broadwater Park in Guildford. This is the first year in which HSL games are held in Guildford and is a tremendous opportunity for fans of baseball in that region to enjoy some Spring League action. The opportunity to add Guildford to the schedule comes as a relief for the Torbay Barons to reduce their journey slightly in what must be a record 7-hour round trip.

SCHEDULE

Over the four weeks of the HSL a total of 45 games will be played. The reigning champions, Harlow Nationals open up the HSL-Majors with a game against the London Mets at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead on Saturday, 17 March (first pitch 10:50am). On the adjacent diamond the hosts, Herts Falcons, will face the National Runners-up, Lakenheath Diamondbacks. The Falcons have been unveiling star signings every week this Spring and this will be a first opportunity to see how the team is shaping up ahead of the 2012 NBL season.

The Sidewinders open up HSL-AAA with a game against the newest AAA team in the country, the Cambridge Royals on Saturday, March 24, also at Herts.

The opening games in the AA bracket will see the Herts Raptors welcome the Essex RedBacks, while over in Guildford, the hometown Mavericks clash with the rejuvenated Kent Mariners.

Great Britain's Under-15 National Team will play in the HSL and some of its players will end up facing their club team mates

Herts Baseball President, Aspi Dimitrov was delighted with the surge in interest: “We have equalled last year’s record with 20 teams entering the HSL, but Herts Baseball Club would not have been able to satisfy this demand without the Guildford Mavericks who have so generously agreed to host HSL games.” Dimitrov added “Very importantly the HSL has had fantastic support from so many umpires which will mean that games will be covered by some of the country’s best umpires in the first two weeks of the HSL before the start of the NBL season”

EXCITEMENT BUILDING UP

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.

RELATED LINKS

Full 2012 HSL SCHEDULE

Venue details

For more details about the event you can contact Herts Baseball Club

23 February 201223 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

The return of the Eagles

The last game played by the Herts Eagles was the 2010 Semi-Final in the AAA National Championships.

Herts Baseball Club officially confirmed that there will be four Herts teams entering the senior leagues of the British Baseball Federation. This means that the Herts Eagles will return to the league after missing the 2011 season. The big question for the executive board of the club was which BBF leagues should these four teams be entered in.

The club’s first team, the Herts Falcons, will be hoping for big improvement in the National Baseball League (NBL) after two difficult seasons. In 2010 the team ended the season with 9 wins 19 losses, and the win-loss record went down further in 2011 to 4-20. Judging by recently announced player acquisitions, the Falcons appear to be determined to turn their fortunes around in 2012.

The Herts Hawks will once again be entering the AA League, which is Britain’s third league tier. The Hawks roster is also expected to be in much better shape compared to last year.

The Herts Raptors will remain in the Single-A League. Last year they ended the season on a high with three wins in the last four games and they will be looking to continue that run. If they do that, theoretically they should secure a place in the postseason.

The club has experienced a substantial increase in new players joining the organisation during the close season. The size of the club’s rosters mushroomed further thanks to a large number of the club’s Under-17 players showing interest in being considered for the Herts adult teams. This meant that the club was ready to enter an additional team, signalling the return of the Herts Eagles. The Eagles first entered the league in 2009 playing in the AAA-League. The following season the team reached the AAA National Championship losing to the Oxford Kings in the Semi-Final. The Eagles did not enter the League last year reflecting the lower number of players in the Herts rosters.

But which league should the Herts Eagles go into in 2012? To decide this, the Board needed to carry out a careful analysis of the team rosters. The club has always been very successful at attracting players who have never played the game before and this trend has continued this winter. The majority of the Board agreed that two of the club’s four teams are not equipped to play higher than the Single-A League. Some of the Board members were of the opinion that the Eagles should enter the AAA League and move the Hawks down to the Single-A League, but ultimately, taking all factors into account, it was decided that the Eagles should enter the Single-A League. This means that in 2012 Herts will have a team in the NBL (first league tier), no teams in the AAA (second league tier), one in the AA (third league tier) and two teams in the Single-A (fourth league tier).

The entry of a fourth Herts team also means that the club will now be inviting candidates for the role of Manager of the fourth team.

20 February 201222 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

Herts bring in two from across the Atlantic

Jake Michels was one of the leading batters for the Athletics last year

The Herts Falcons have strengthened their NBL roster further by adding Cristobal Hiche and Jake Michels, both arriving from America. Just days after announcing the arrival of Robbie Unsell, Herts have made another strong statement about their intentions for the upcoming baseball season which opens on 1 April.

CRISTOBAL HICHE

Cris Hiche (right) and former LA Dodgers pitcher Omar Daal (left) after a league game in the Arizona heat

Cristobal Hiche’s illustrious baseball career has seen him play at the high school, college and semi-professional league level in the USA as well as at international level representing Chile at Under-12, Under-16 and now at senior level with the National Team. In 2002 he joined the International Baseball Academy in Brazil where he played alongside the legendary Cuban player, Lazaro Vargas, who won the Olympic gold medal with the Cuba National Team twice, in 1992 and 1996. Hiche then went on to play for Glendale Community College in Arizona, followed by two seasons (2005-2007) with the Athletics in Liga Valle del Sol. Between 2008 and 2010 he played for the Sahuaripas in the Mesa Semi-Pro League alongside former or injured Minor League players trying to work their way back into the pros, as well as former MLB players such as pitcher Omar Daal, who played for the LA Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and ended his career with the Baltimore Olioles in 2003.

Last year Hiche returned to Liga Valle del Sol playing for the Tiburones and was voted the League’s Most Valuable Player. In his career he has been used primarily as a first baseman and in the outfield. He has not pitched since high school, but we understand that the Falcons may add him to the bullpen to give the team an additional left-handed pitcher option. Hiche was upbeat about the upcoming season despite the team having two difficult seasons in the NBL. “I am new to NBL but looking at our team and new players like Robbie, we should be fighting for the championship for sure.” He added: “The key in these leagues is being healthy and having a deep pitching rotation.”

JAKE MICHELS

24-year-old Jake Michels comes from New York and in the last four seasons has played for the Athletics in the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association (HVNABA). During his time in the HVNABA his primary positions have been pitcher and third base. His career batting average with the Athletics is an impressive .391 with a slugging average of .500. He has two home runs and that stat is likely to be much higher this year in the friendly confines of Grovehill Ballpark. Crucially his batting stats have been rising steadily over the last 4 years and he had his best offensive season last year, so it seems that the Falcons are welcoming a player whose value is rising. Last season Michels was ranked amongst the top five in Hits (2^nd), Doubles (2^nd), RBIs (4^th).

A statement by the Athletics on their official website confirmed the departure of Jake Michels and emphasised the pivotal role played by him adding that: “The loss of Jake Michels will be difficult to overcome.” Michels has already arrived in the United Kingdom and has started spring training with Herts in preparation for the new season. Despite spending the last four years in New York, Michels is no stranger to British baseball. He represented GB as a member of the GB U-19 National Team in 2006 and is currently being considered for the GB Under-23 squad which will be travelling to Boston later this year.

It is clear that Michels is looking forward to the new season and looking to compete. “I believe with the additions Herts has made the team will be, not only a playoff contender, but a contender to be there until the end. With the addition of myself, Cris, Robbie and several more players who I understand will be announced shortly, we will score a lot of runs and bring a depth of pitching to each game.” “From what I have seen so far, pitchers should not be looking forward to pitching against the top half of Herts batting lineup in 2012” said Michels.

Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, is very pleased with these additions to the roster. “Both Cris and Jake have settled in already and it feels like they have been part of the team for a long time” said Manning. He added: “Both have played baseball at a very high level and their experience will help our team enormously”.

WILL YOU BE WEARING THE HERTS JERSEY IN 2012?

19 February 201220 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

Herts baseball teams return to Grovehill Ballpark

Report by Will Baxter, hertsbaseball.com

This weekend the Herts teams returned to Grovehill Ballpark for the first time in 2012. The last baseball game played at Grovehill Ballpark was on 9 October 2011 in the Hunlock Series. That seems a long time ago now. Although there are still 42 days left before the start of the new league season, Spring Training is well underway with a series of indoor sessions in the last few weeks.

However, there is no better feeling than going back to the ballpark. The ground conditions may not be ideal after months in the harsh winter conditions and without cutting the grass as the heavy maintenance vehicles cannot enter the field, but the sun was out and it is starting to feel like the new baseball season is just around the corner.

Herts baseball fans will be very pleased to learn that catcher, Dave Westfallen, returned to training after a long period on the DL with a shoulder problem. It will take some time before he returns to full fitness but the progress is very positive.

The Herts coaches put the players through the riggers of a hard training session and finished with a scrimmage game giving the players the opportunity to go through some game situations.