Author: Herts Baseball News Editor

18 March 202019 December 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts confirms outcome of disciplinary proceedings.

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that, in accordance with its constitution and club regulations, it investigated complaints related to conduct during the Herts Falcons’ European Federations Cup games played in 2019. A disciplinary panel considered the evidence and imposed a 4-game ban and termination of club membership of Herts Falcons player, Miguel Sarmiento, for misconduct and for bringing the club into disrepute. The 4-game ban was served in full during the European Federations Cup campaign last year. The termination of club membership is in accordance with article 12.1 of the club’s constitution.

The club confirmed that the appeal deadline has now passed and Sarmiento has not appealed the decision.

We understand that this is the first time in its 24-year history that the club has had to terminnate the membership of a club member.

13 March 20202 April 2021 by Herts Baseball News Editor

2020 Herts Spring League postponed

Due to the Corona Virus Covid-19 pandemic, Herts Baseball Club has made the difficult decision to postpone all 37 Herts Spring League games which were scheduled to be played over the next three weeks.

The decision is being taken as a precaution because our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of the 19 teams and the umpires, officials and staff involved in the HSL. The Club does not have any reason to believe that any of the participating teams is affected by Corona Virus.

Herts Baseball Club will continue to monitor all guidance offered by the NHS, the UK government and other relevant bodies and, if feasible, will explore the option to re-schedule HSL games, depending on how the 2020 British baseball league season is affected by Corona Virus.

The Club is determined to make sure that baseball activities resume as soon as possible.

11 March 20203 March 2021 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Guidance related to Corona Virus Covid-19 during the HSL

Herts Baseball Club has issued the following guidance for players, team officials, umpires and spectators who will be visiting Grovehill Ballpark over the three weeks of the 2020 Herts Spring League.

In the light of the current advice from the government and NHS about Corona Virus:

Anyone who has recently visited specific badly affected areas — such as Hubei province in China, or northern Italy — should not take part in the HSL.
Anyone who has recently visited affected countries, including South Korea and Japan, and has symptoms of possible Covid-19, should not take part in the HSL.
Anyone who has, or has recently had, flu-like symptoms should not take part in the HSL and should follow NHS advice.
Herts Baseball Club is currently making every effort to acquire hand sanitiser and disinfectant products. There is a nationwide shortage of these products. If we manage to acquire them, we will provide soap, paper towels, and hand sanitiser in the toilet facilities at Grovehill ballpark. We will not issue supplies to individual teams, so please feel free to bring whatever you need.
Herts baseball club will provide rubbish bags in each dugout – please use these to dispose of used tissues and all other waste.
Subject to availability, shared facilities such as benches will be cleaned with disinfectant wipes before each day’s events, but it will not be practical to repeat the process between each game.
Herts baseball club will not be organising the traditional handshakes and exchanges before and after games. However, we understand if any teams or players wish to make local agreement among themselves to do this. Please make your wishes known and notify the plate umpire where necessary.

Herts Baseball Club will continue to monitor all guidance offered by the NHS, and will update this advice where necessary.

10 March 20203 March 2021 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts teams announce preliminary 2020 rosters for the HSL

The five Herts teams have announced their preliminary rosters for the 2020 Herts Spring League .

We understand that these rosters are not fixed and it is likely that there may be movement between teams over the course of the HSL. Some players may play for more than one team as managers look to evaluate them ahead of the announcement of the 2020 Opening Day rosters. The Falcons (NBL) and Hawks (Triple-A) rosters are combined for this reason and it is expected that there will be a large amount of crossover between the two teams throughout the HSL.

The HSL games commence on 14 March 2020.

New players are registering every week, therefore some new names may be added to the rosters over the course of the HSL and throughout the league season.

HERTS FALCONS (NBL) / HERTS HAWKS (Triple-A)

Alessandro D’Angelo
Alexander Paterson
Andy Cornish
Antony Lavender
Ben Kersey
Carlos Casal Jr
Chris Doley
Christopher Gregory
Colin Barrett
Conner Brown
Cristobal Hiche
Daniel Moran
Dennis Grogan
Duane Hobbs
Gary Davison
Gilberto Medina
James Shore
Jarrod Pretorius
Joshua Barrett
Kimiyoshi Saionji
Lucas Lebrato
Luis Ramey
Matthew Kersey
Matthew Moran
Michael Cresswell
Miguel Rodriguez
Phil Clark
Robert Gibson
Ryan Lose
Sonam Lama
Tetsuro Shinkawa
Walter Bates
Will Davis
Will Zucker
Yasu Ichige

HERTS LONDONERS (Double-A)

Adam Porte
Andrew Slater
Callum Barwick
Daniel Gipple
Geoff Hare
Greg Bochan
Hunter Devine
Jamie Lang-Richards
Joe Gipple
Matthew Jackson
Michael Wakelam
Nicholas Durer
Nicolas Goetz
Oliver Durer
Rob Jones
Rod Naghar
Simon Langton

HERTS RAPTORS (Single-A)

Adam Scales
Adam White
Antonio Lourenco
Ben Marques
Cameron Schultz
Charlie Plausin
Clive Johnson
Dale Hardwick
Dan Bartram
Daniel Shaw
David Borland
David Grindstaff
Declan Carlean
Harry Quixley
Jack Obrien
John Kjorstad
Kai Rajah
Laurence Currington
Lee Manning
Mantas Poderys
Michael Bull
Michael Johnson
Michael Long
Mohamed Sheikh
Nathan Hawes
Noah Tabor
Paul Barton
Robert Smith
Tia Cooper
Tom Lock
Tom Roker

HERTS EAGLES (Single-A)

Adam Collins
Alexander Trautman
Andy Stratford
Arnold Longboy
Aspi Dimitrov
Ellie Page
Giacomo Zaffalon
Harry Kurlander
James Hawes
Jenny Fairclough Jnr
Jonathan George
Kumail Jaffer
Max Trautman
Mohamed Abdule
Nintend Edwell
Norman Peng
Sam Cross
Tara Harris

Players, from beginners to advanced, are now registering for the 2020 baseball season. For more details about how to join the Herts baseball teams in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London or for more details about the HSL or if you are interested to give baseball a try in this competition contact Herts Baseball Club.

9 March 20203 March 2021 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see the teams ahead of the 2020 British baseball season

The biggest pre-season baseball competition in Britain is back. Commencing on March 14, the Herts Spring League (HSL) will see 19 teams compete over the 3 weeks of the HSL. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it is Britain’s 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

The 19 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers – NBL/Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A – based on the ranking of the teams going into the 2020 BBF League season.

The organisers considered the possibility of a tournament format, but ultimately adopted a league format in the same way as the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in MLB. “The objective of the HSL is to enable the teams to prepare for the new season and we have noticed that teams are increasingly starting to approach the HSL in the same way as MLB teams approach the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues” said HSL Commissioner, Aspi Dimitrov. He added “we have taken this into account when formulating the schedule putting greater emphasis on the preferences and preparatory requirements of the teams over the format of the competition”.

The teams finishing at the top of their respective division will be the HSL champions.

THE VENUE

The action will take place at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, the home of Herts Baseball Club.

SCHEDULE

Over the three weekends 37 games are scheduled to be played on the two diamonds. The competition begins on March 14 with a morning clash between the Richmond Dukes and the Herts Raptors in the HSL Single-A division. The HSL NBL division commences on Diamond One as the Herts Falcons come up against the Richmond Knights.

Click to view full 2020 HSL schedule

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.

GET IN THE GAME

8 March 202013 March 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

19 teams will signal the arrival of Spring in the 2020 HSL

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that 19 teams have entered this year’s Herts Spring League (HSL). The teams come from all British baseball leagues including the National Baseball League (NBL), Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A Leagues.

The London Archers are also back for their third year in the HSL. They made history last year by becoming the first British team to win the Pony European Championships and qualified for the Pony World Series which was played in Pennsylvania. They will use the HSL as part of their preparations for this year’s PONY European Tournament later this year.

The HSL teams will be divided into three divisions as follows:

HSL – NBL/Triple-A
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Herts Falcons	NBL	2
Herts Hawks	AAA	6
London Capitals	NBL	1
London Marauders	AAA	5
London Mammoths	AAA	3
Richmond Knights	AAA/AA	4

HSL – Double-A
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Guildford Mavericks	AA/A	9
Herts Londoners	AA	11
London Archers	AA	10
London Musketeers	AA	12
Milton Keynes Bucks	AA	7
Sidewinders	AA	8

HSL – Single-A
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Bracknell Inferno	A	13
Herts Eagles	A	16
Herts Raptors	A	18
London Mustangs	A	14
London Minotaurs	A	19
Milton Keynes Coyotes	A	15
Richmond Dukes	A	17

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

The HSL will be played over three weeks commencing on the weekend of 14-15 March and ending on 28-29 March. The HSL format and games schedule are expected to be announced shortly and hertsbaseball.com will bring this and all other HSL news as they happen.

6 March 20206 March 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts adds two more board members

Herts Baseball Club’s executive board has expanded with the addition of two more members.

Colin Barrett has been appointed as Head Youth Coach, an area where he has extensive experience as the Head Coach of the South African Under-12 National Team. He also managed the South Africa Men’s Softball National Team at the 2004 World Championships in New Zealand.

The second addition is Erica Barrett who has been appointed as Club Secretary. She also brings a wealth of experience having been involved for many years in baseball and softball in South Africa.

Erica has also expressed interest in getting involved in the club’s softball programme, which is currently placed on hold while it searches to fill the vacant coaching position. Anyone interested in joining the Herts softball programme in a playing, coaching or other capacity can contact the club for more details.

The Barrett family has only just arrived to the UK, but Colin, Erica and their children are already giving a boost to the club as it prepares for the start of the 2020 season.

12 February 202012 February 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

New Herts Baseball online shop now open

Herts Baseball Club has appointed the Baseball Outlet to operate the club’s official online shop. It was unveiled earlier today and members and fans of the club can now do their shopping around the clock.

In addition to the range of Herts merchandise, players can also buy gloves, baseball pants, belts and other apparel and baseball equipment.

The range of Herts Baseball merchandise will grow in the coming months.

SHOP NOW

Opened by Joe Black in 2017, Baseball Outlet is a specialist supplier of sports equipment and clothing based in Merseyside where they operate retail premises, in-house garment decoration and a warehouse. Baseball Outlet works with top brands including Wilson, Louisville Slugger, Rawlings, Nike, Evoshield, DeMarini, adidas and Easton. Baseball Outlet is part of the EP Sports brand, also owned by Joe, which counts 12 years’ experience working with top brands and is now the largest American Football store in Europe.

9 February 202013 March 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Teams starting to enter the 2020 Herts Spring League

The Herts Spring League (HSL) has confirmed the game dates for the 2020 edition of the competition*.

HSL (Week 1 of 3)
Sat, 14-Mar-20
Sun, 15-Mar-20

HSL (Week 2 of 3)
Sat, 21-Mar-20
Sun, 22-Mar-20

HSL (Week 3 of 3)
Sat, 28-Mar-20
Sun, 29-Mar-20

Spring is the time when managers put together their teams and aim to turn them into winning machines ahead of Opening Day. Similar to the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in MLB, the HSL provides a competitive edge to spring training. This is the thirteenth year of the HSL. Every year this competition keeps growing. The geographic spread of participating teams seems to be expanding as well. For more details visit the HSL site.

LEAGUE FORMAT
Teams will be placed in two or more divisions (e.g. NBL, Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A) based on the teams’ ranking going into the new season. The exact format will depend on the number of teams entering the HSL. Full details will be published when the league line-up is confirmed.

TEAMS
Over the years the HSL has featured teams from the National Baseball League (NBL), Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A Leagues, as well as international teams such as the GB Under-19 and Under-16 National Teams and the ASL Eagles.

“The number of team entries has been going up every year. Last year we somehow managed to fit all of the entrants, however in 2020 we have to be mindful of the fact that we may once again reach our full capacity and we may have to restrict team entries when we reach that level again.” said HSL Commissioner, Aspi Dimitrov.

Teams from around the United Kingdom will be submitting their entries over the next few weeks and the HSL lineup and games schedule is expected to be published in early March.

* – The HSL dates are based on the indication that the BBF league season is likely to start on 5 April 2020 for all senior leagues (NBL, Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A).

7 February 20207 February 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Geoff Hare is the new Herts Londoners boss

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that Geoff Hare has been appointed as the new manager of the Herts Londoners.

Hare is one of the club’s longest serving members. His baseball career spans four decades during which he played for Hemel Red Sox in the 1980s and then for the Herts Falcons where he was the starting shortstop.

In 2004 he recorded the rare feat of going through an entire season without striking out. Since 2005 he has progressed through the umpiring ranks and has become one of the most respected umpires in the National Baseball League.

Despite a busy umpiring schedule, he was still finding time to remain firmly involved as a Herts coach running the very successful Wednesday Night Baseball programme and being an ever-present coach every Spring as the Herts teams prepare for the season ahead.

This is a new challenge for Hare and it comes at a time of rapid growth for the club so he will be working with many players who are new to the club, but there will be many familiar faces too.

Londoners’ inaugural season last year was in the Triple-A League but, as announced earlier this week, the club made a last-minute decision to move the Hawks up from Double-A to Triple-A and Londoners down to Double-A. Some players from last year’s Londoners team are expected to be assigned to the Herts Hawks in Triple-A team and some of last year’s Hawks have already expressed interest in playing at the club’s Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London, but it is still too early to predict what the five Herts rosters will look like.

The first opportunity to see the Herts Londoners under their new manager will be in the Herts Spring League which starts in March.

The Herts managers have left plenty of room in the rosters so that new players are able to join the teams in the coming months. Existing players who have not reactivated their registration for the 2020 season can do so here. New players can register for the new season here or, if you would like to take part in one of the upcoming open sessions to give baseball a try and help you decide whether to join the club, then contact us for more details.