Author: AspiDimitrov

by AspiDimitrov

THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN IN FLORIDA

As I stepped out of my house to go to my first training session of the year, it started to snow. Soft, white flakes drifted gently through the crisp air. I thought to myself  “This doesn't happen in Florida”.

Despite the temperatures of about 2 celsius — and what became, at one point, a thick flurry of snow — more than thirty guys turned out each of the last couple of weeks of our “Spring Training” programme.  The week before — while I was still resting on my winter laurels — there were more than forty.    Veterans and novices gathered on a concrete tennis court to go through hitting, pitching and fielding drills. It was an impressive turnout and a lot of the new recruits were impressive too — they will probably be forcing me out of the team before the end of the season!

After both weeks, my arms ached, my hip ached and my legs really ached. I had tried hard to keep doing exercise over the winter, but nothing that came close to three hours of running and catching. I hope that as the season goes on, the aches will become fewer, and the results of my practice will become better.

by AspiDimitrov

BASEBALL TEAMS GEAR UP FOR HERTS SPRING LEAGUE

Fans of Major League Baseball suffer over the long winter season but with Spring just around the corner everyone is getting an uplifting feeling that the start of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues will signal the return of baseball. British Baseball is no different and over the last three years teams in Southern England have had their very own Grapefruit League to look forward to.

Organised by Herts Baseball Club, the Herts Spring League (HSL) adds a competitive edge to Spring training. The HSL is 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 scouting your opponents. These are just some of the questions which will have to be answered during the upcoming HSL.

This is the third year of the competition and it is expected to be the best yet. In the first year of the HSL in 2008 ten teams took part. In 2009 due to overwhelming demand, the league had to expand. 13 teams played 21 games over three weekends at three different venues – Grovehill Ballpark in Herts, Ham Ground in Richmond and the £100,000 purpose-built baseball facility in Harlow. In fact demand was so high that two other teams had to be turned away as there simply were not enough fields to stage all the games.

The 2010 HSL will be played over three weekends commencing on Saturday, 27 March and ending on Sunday, 11 April. Teams will be placed in two divisions, HSL Majors and HSL Minors, based on the teams’ ranking going into the new season. HSL Majors is expected to include BBF teams from the National and AAA Leagues, while HSL Minors is expected to include BBF teams from AA and Single-A.

Last year the HSL Champions were the Bracknell Blazers and they went on to become the 2009 British National Baseball League Champions, so the more superstitious teams in the league will have an extra incentive to win the HSL this time around.

 

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES TO THE HSL: Monday 15 February 2010.

 

Teams are currently submitting their entries for this year’s Herts Spring League. For more details on how to enter and a copy of the 2010 HSL Pack contact Herts Baseball Club.

by AspiDimitrov

THE SNOW IS GONE. HERTS BASEBALL PLAYERS REPORT FOR SPRING TRAINING

This Sunday, the Herts adult teams reported for training for the first time in 2010.  Over the next nine weeks the players will be going through the process of regaining their physical fitness, restoring their arm strength and conditioning their bodies.  Every imaginable aspect of baseball will be covered to get the players ready for fielding, hitting, pitching, base-running and performing at their optimum level in their respective positions. 

 

After this, the teams will play their first games of the year in the Herts Spring League (HSL), which is the British equivalent of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in America.  The HSL is played over three weekends starting on 27 March and ending on 11 April.  This is the last chance for the British Baseball teams to fine-tune their game plans before the 2010 British Baseball League season commences.

 

Spring Training always brings the excitement of meeting the new players who will be wearing the Herts jersey in the coming season and it was pleasing to see that around twenty five percent of the players in this first training session of the new season were newly recruited members, so even at this early stage it seems as though Herts will have strength in depth going into the 2010 season. 

 

New players are able to join Herts Baseball Club at any time.  The Club welcomes new players regardless of their baseball abilities and experience – from complete beginners to experienced ball players.  Male and female players aged 14 or above are eligible to play in the British Adult Baseball League, while boys and girls aged between 5 and 16 have the opportunity to join the Herts youth programme and play as part of the exciting Herts Baseball Little League.  For more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

 

This Sunday’s session was held at the John F Kennedy School in Hemel Hempstead and, as soon as the weather becomes suitable, the players will be returning to Grovehill Ballpark, which has undergone significant developments since the end of the 2009 season, including the resurfacing of the second diamond and the installation of the backstop (pictured above).  These projects were made possible thanks to the support of Dacorum Borough Council, the Dacorum Sports Network, BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK), as well as other supporters of the club, including its many youth and adult members.

 

Click here for more images from Grovehill Ballpark.

 

    

by AspiDimitrov

BRITAIN’S TOP BASEBALL LEAGUE TO EXPAND IN 2010

TV Presenter, Jerry Springer (centre), paid several visits to see Essex Arrows games in 2009, including making an appearance as an umpire. In 2010 he will be able to follow their progress in the National Baseball League.

Competition will be increasing for the Herts Falcons in the National Baseball League (NBL) in 2010.  The British Baseball Federation (BBF) has just announced the expansion of the league from 5 to, effectively, 12 teams with 3 new teams joining the NBL South and 4 Northern teams forming the NBL North.  Apart from trips to Southampton and Cambridgeshire, the Falcons can look forward to renewing their rivalry with neighbours Essex Arrows.

The following is the full press release issued by the BBF earlier this afternoon:

BRITAIN'S TOP BASEBALL LEAGUE TO EXPAND IN 2010

The National Baseball League (NBL) will have three new teams in 2010. Essex Arrows, Mildenhall Bulldogs and Southampton Mustangs will all be joining the top flight of British Baseball next year.

The announcement comes just a few weeks after the British Baseball Federation (BBF) published details of the substantial growth in teams expected to join the league pyramid in 2010 and 2011.

A press release from the Board of British Baseball said, “This is an exciting prospect for British baseball fans and particularly for the baseball communities in the regions of these three clubs. It will provide the National Baseball League with a new level of verve, buoyancy and competition.”

Essex Arrows

The Essex Arrows were founded in 1983 and they have seen many successful seasons over the years including winning the AA League (1985) and the AAA League (1987, 2001). Their previous spell in the NBL culminated with reaching the Final in 1994 when they lost the series 2-1 against the Hull Mets.

Last season they blew away their AAA League opponents with a 25-0 record in the regular season. In the postseason they finished third, losing to Southampton and the eventual AAA League Champions, Harrogate.

Mildenhall Bulldogs

The Mildenhall Bulldogs are yet another team in the long tradition of teams coming out of RAF Feltwell. Most recent examples include the Cambridge Monarchs, who are remembered by fans of British baseball as the team which devastated the AAA League in the last decade. Their achievements included reaching the AAA postseason in five consecutive seasons (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) and becoming AAA Champions twice (2004, 2006).

Due to the war in Iraq, the Cambridge Monarchs were unable to take part in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, but in 2009 they were back in the British League under the name Mildenhall Bulldogs. Their return was triumphant as they clinched the AA League Championship. The team can count on the large talent pool of American players serving in the UK in the surrounding army bases, which over the years has included players like Glen Goodrich and Bob Runyon, the latter a 12th round (372nd overall) draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2002.

Southampton Mustangs

The third team which will be entering the NBL in 2010 is the Southampton Mustangs. Since their first season in 2004, the club has been climbing the British baseball leagues. In 2006 they won promotion with a regular season record of 10-2 in the AA League. The following year they reached the AAA postseason at the first time of asking, losing to the Essex Arrows in the Semi-Final of the National Baseball Championship. In 2009 they once again reached the postseason and just missed out on the AAA League Championship losing to the Harrogate Tigers in the Final.

Unique Opportunity

The British Baseball Federation’s decision to expand the league will not only bring excitement to the NBL in 2010, but the hope is that the three clubs will take advantage of this unique opportunity to continue their growth and development, just as Herts Falcons did in 2009.

The three teams are already on their way to doing so with Essex aiming to add a third team soon and establishing its youth programme in 2010, as well as plans for new dugouts and a grandstand at their field in Waltham Abbey. Mildenhall is also aiming to add another team to the minor leagues and are even considering the option to enter one of their youth teams in the BBF youth league playoffs. The Southampton Mustangs already have two adult league teams as well as a strong university programme, with enormous potential for further growth in its large, but as yet untapped market.

The North

Last season the teams in the North were all grouped together in a 10-team league. Next season the Northern Conference will make its return to the National Baseball League, which is another boost for British baseball.

The 10-team Northern Conference will be split into two groups. The upper group will form the NBL North. It will include four teams: Liverpool Trojans, Manchester A’s, Menwith Hill Patriots and the 2009 AAA Champions, the Harrogate Tigers, who were in devastating form in the AAA National Baseball Championship held at Tiger Field in September.

In the coming months the British Baseball Federation will be announcing more details about the 2010 season including the route to the National Baseball Championships, as British baseball prepares for another thrilling season.

Below are satellite images of the ballparks of the three new NBL teams. The National Finals have previously been held at RAF Feltwell (1993) and Waltham Abbey (1984, 1997, 2002).

   

by AspiDimitrov

VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH ASPI DIMITROV

In our final interview in the series, Marty Cullen chats with Club President, Aspi Dimitrov.  This is the last interview of 2009, but be ready for coverage of the 2010 season right here on the Herts Baseball Newswire and Herts Baseball TV.

 

by AspiDimitrov

VIDEO: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ANDY CORNISH

Herts Baseball TV brings you exclusive interviews from the 2009 Herts Baseball Awards Night.  Today, Marty Cullen talks to Andy Cornish with Herts Baseball fans hoping to see him back to full fitness in 2010.  Tune in on Wednesday for the final Marty Cullen interview of 2009.

by AspiDimitrov

VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH 2009 RAPTORS MVP JON LEWYS

Herts Baseball TV brings you exclusive interviews from the 2009 Herts Baseball Awards Night.  In the coming days you will be able to see Herts Baseball TV Presenter, Marty Cullen, look back at 2009 and preview the 2010 season with members of the four Herts teams. Today's intrerview features the most powerful man in the Northern hemisphere, Jon Lewys.  Tune in on Saturday to find out the reason why female fans were coming to Grovehill in their droves in 2009.

by AspiDimitrov

VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH HERTS RAPTORS MANAGER KEN PIKE

Herts Baseball TV brings you exclusive interviews from the 2009 Herts Baseball Awards Night.  In the coming days you will be able to see Herts Baseball TV Presenter, Marty Cullen, look back at 2009 and preview the 2010 season with members of the four Herts teams. Today, newly elected Herts Raptors Manager, Ken Pike, is under the spotlight.  On Thursday, it will be the turn of 2009 Raptors MVP, Jon Lewys.

by AspiDimitrov

MANY NEW TEAMS TO JOIN THE BRITISH LEAGUE IN 2010

With spring training just a few weeks away, we look forward to the 2010 season with news from around the leagues.  In an article first published on www.britishbaseball.org the signs are that the growth of baseball is not isolated only to Herts Baseball Club and the British Baseball Leagues will see many new teams next year which is an enticing prospect for all Herts teams.

British Baseball Leagues set for explosive growth in 2010

British Baseball has been growing slowly but steadily over the past few years in terms of both player numbers and numbers of teams in adult leagues – but the sport looks set for a growth explosion for the 2010 season.

British baseball leagues are expected to gain eight new teams in 2010, which would represent 22% growth on the previous season. Some of this growth will come from existing clubs entering new teams, a possibility currently being considered by Bracknell, Bristol, Essex, Guildford, Leicester and Mildenhall.

But the really exciting news is that five brand new baseball clubs should appear next year on the British baseball map. Two of them are the Chelmsford Clippers and the Essex RedBacks, who are separate organisations but plan to share a home field at Melbourne Park in Chelmsford.

Youth to Adults

Meanwhile, Horsham, which has the largest youth programme in this country, is planning to create its first ever adult team and they will certainly be a club to keep an eye on in the coming years as their talented young players start to roll off the conveyor belt. Horsham has the potential to grow into one of the biggest baseball organisations in the country, and are likely to play their home games at Pavilion Field in Brighton, which is also the home of the Burgess Hill Red Caps.

Plymouth is another club that has existed as a youth programme and is now making steps towards establishing its first adult team.

Tonbridge Bobcats, who have existed as an independent team for several years, are now making plans to join a British Basenall adult league and baseball enthusiasts in Telford are working hard to set up a brand new club from scratch in the area, with support from BSUK. Most of these prospective new teams are on course to join the league in time for the 2010 Opening Day.

Recruiting

We may be months away from the 2010 season, but all British Baseball League clubs are now recruiting new players.

And with all the new teams in prospect, fantastic opportunities exist for players of any standard, from complete rookies to experienced professionals, so contact Herts Baseball Club to be part of the 2010 baseball season.