Author: Herts Baseball News Editor

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts confirm 2020 league entries. Hawks and Londoners swap leagues.

Around this time of the year Herts baseball fans keep checking their smartphones for the official announcement of the Herts teams which will play in the various leagues of the British Baseball Federation (BBF).

The club has just confirmed that they have submitted five team entries.  Its flagship team, the Herts Falcons, will be looking to improve on last year when it finished in third place in Britain’s top league, 17 games back on the London Mets and 8 on the London Capitals.

The big change this year is that the Herts Hawks have applied to move up from the Double-A to the Triple-A League, while the Herts Londoners are moving down from Triple-A to Double-A. Tetsuro Shinkawa was appointed as the new Triple-A manager at the club’s annual general meeting last month and he will be taking charge of the Hawks in that league. The name of the new Herts Londoners manager has not been revealed yet.

There is no change for the Raptors and Eagles.  They both remain in the Single-A League which means that their rivalry continues and they will meet again in a Herts derby in 2020. As reported last month, Herts Raptors begin a new era under manager, Mantas Poderys.

A tweet from the club two days ago indicated that there has been a 20.8% increase in the number of registered players compared to the same time last year. We understand that the club did consider the possibility of adding a sixth team for the first time in its history, but that they chose not to overstretch the squads.

The teams have once again left room in their rosters so new players, from complete beginners to advanced, can join the club and go straight into the races for the playoffs with a team suitable for their level.

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.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts baseball players start Spring Training next week

 

Herts Baseball Club published details of its Spring Training schedule. The adult baseball teams will be back in training on Sunday, 26 January.

The Club has invested again to secure high quality venues including The Harefield Academy which offers a large indoor 3G artificial grass venue.

Other venues include Middlesex University (pictured below) and JFK School.

The Herts baseball teams will return to the ballpark for the first time on March 1st.

The first pre-season games of 2020 are expected to be played on 14 and 15 March* as part of the Herts Spring League (HSL).

The Show begins in April as the Herts baseball teams get their 2020 league seasons underway.

As always, around the middle of March the managers of the five Herts adult teams will announce their preliminary rosters ahead of the HSL. Of course these preliminary rosters are likely to change as we get closer to Opening Day and managers promote those who impress in Spring Training. The movement of Herts players up and down the Herts league teams is usually an ongoing process. We have witnessed players start the season in the Single-A League and end up making their NBL debut later in the year. We will follow players’ progress over the course of Spring Training and during the league season.

ADULT BASEBALL (Ages 14 and over) – SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE

DAY DATE AGE GROUPS EVENT NAME VENUE
Sun 26-Jan-20 Adult Baseball Spring Training JFK Catholic School
Sun 02-Feb-20 Adult Baseball Spring Training JFK Catholic School
Sun 09-Feb-20 Adult Baseball Spring Training JFK Catholic School
Sun 16-Feb-20 Adult Baseball Spring Training Middlesex University
Sun 23-Feb-20 Adult Baseball Spring Training Harefield Academy
Sun 01-Mar-20 Adult Baseball Spring Training Grovehill Ballpark
Sun 08-Mar-20 Adult Baseball Spring Training Grovehill Ballpark
Sat 14-Mar-20 Adult Baseball Herts Spring League* Grovehill Ballpark
Sun 15-Mar-20 Adult Baseball Herts Spring League* Grovehill Ballpark
Sat 21-Mar-20 Adult Baseball Herts Spring League* Grovehill Ballpark
Sun 22-Mar-20 Adult Baseball Herts Spring League* Grovehill Ballpark
Sat 28-Mar-20 Adult Baseball Herts Spring League* Grovehill Ballpark
Sun 29-Mar-20 Adult Baseball Herts Spring League* Grovehill Ballpark

YOUTH BASEBALL

Youth players will be back in training on Saturday, 8 February. They will start with three indoor sessions, as follows:

DAY DATE AGE GROUP EVENT NAME VENUE
Sat 08-Feb-20 Youth Baseball Spring Training JFK Catholic School
Sat 22-Feb-20 Youth Baseball Spring Training JFK Catholic School
Sat 07-Mar-20 Youth Baseball Spring Training JFK Catholic School

HOW TO TAKE PART?

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 these open sessions to give baseball a try and help you decide whether to join the club, then contact us for more details.

* HSL dates are subject to BBF confirmation of the Opening Day details in April

by Herts Baseball News Editor

New managers and other news from Herts Baseball’s 23rd AGM

Mantas Poderys and Tetsuro Shinkawa (pictured above) were elected as the new managers of the club’s Single-A and Triple-A teams, respectively. Both of them joined the club just 12 months ago as part of the tsunami of new players making up the 54.7% growth in the number of Herts adult baseball players in 2019.

IMG_2345
Tetsuro Shinkawa made history driving in the first ever run for Herts in European club competitions

Shinkawa is well known around British baseball. He has a wealth of experience playing in the various league tiers of the British Baseball Federation including two years in the National Baseball League for the Richmond Flames with whom he lifted the NBL National Championship trophy in 2010. He has also played for the Guildford Mavericks, the Brighton Jets and, of course, the Herts Londoners in their debut season in the Triple-A League last year. He was also called up by the Herts Falcons to play in the team’s first ever appearance in the European Federations Cup.

Changing of the guard at Herts Raptors -Mantas Poderys (left) is taking over from Matt Jackson (right)

Mantas Poderys originates from Lithuania which is a country with a history of producing high calibre baseball players and teams. He was with the Herts Raptors in 2019 and takes over the reins from Matthew Jackson. Poderys added energy and enthusiasm to the team as a player and he will now be able to continue doing so as a manager of the Raptors which has an enormous potential with very talented young players who will be moving up the leagues in the next few years.

Cristobal Hiche was re-elected as the manager of the Herts Falcons so 2020 will be his third season in charge of the club’s first team. Arnie Longboy and Aspi Dimitrov co-managed the Herts Eagles who were based at the club’s new ballpark in North West London last year and they were also re-elected at Sunday’s annual general meeting. The exact number of Herts teams and the BBF leagues which they will enter in 2020 is not confirmed yet. Later this month the club will be analysing the list of players who have registered to play for Herts in 2020 to determine its team entries. They will be announced around the league entry deadline of 31 January. The club is still looking to fill the Double-A manager position and, depending on the number of Herts teams, they may need even more managers and coaches.

The AGM announced the £8,000 ballpark investment supported by a £3,000 Dacorum grant which we reported on in our earlier article. The club is expected to implement additional projects to upgrade its ballparks in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London, and it is in a good position to do that after appointing Cristobal Hiche and Aspi Dimitrov as the two Ballpark Operations Managers of those respective venues.

Every year the club sends out its annual report to members providing statistics on the club’s performance on and off the field during the past year.  The 2019 edition was of particular interest to Herts and non-Herts supporters of British baseball as it gave a better idea of the impact of the MLB London Series on baseball clubs.

Basing Hill Ballpark may have had a very basic configuration with no permanent baseball infrastructure but it gave Herts the platform needed to take advantage of the momentum created by the arrival of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees to London. Significant growth was recorded not only in NW London but also in Hemel Hempstead. The growth in adult league players beat the previous record set in 2009. The club is now bigger than it has ever been.

There was a 23% decline in the number of youth players in Hemel Hempstead, but the club is currently looking to put the organisational structure in place in order to launch youth baseball teams in NW London which should boost that section of the club in 2020.

The Annual Report also stated that “while the club will be looking to achieve further growth with another two MLB teams coming to London, the mission for 2020 will also be to turn this army of new players into teams that can compete in the playoff races of the various British baseball leagues”.

Players, from complete beginners to advanced, are now registering for the 2020 season. Click here for details.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

£8,000 ballpark investment announced at Herts Baseball Club’s AGM supported by a £3,000 Dacorum grant

 

At its Annual General Meeting on Sunday, 5 January 2020, Herts Baseball Club announced that it has been awarded a £3,000 grant by Dacorum Borough Council. The club will add £5,000 of its own funds which it has raised over the years and the total amount of around £8,000 will be invested into repairing and upgrading the perimeter, backstop, outfield and dugout fencing at Grovehill Ballpark which has suffered from vandalism in recent years.

After a year when the club recorded a 54.7% growth in the number of its players coinciding with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees coming to play MLB league games in London, this investment in Grovehill Ballpark is expected to increase participation, wellbeing and enjoyment of the hundreds of baseball players and fans who are using the venue.

Dacorum Borough Council’s Community Grant scheme was set up to support community, voluntary, arts and sporting projects which meet the Council’s vision to create a borough which enables its communities to thrive and prosper. 2020 is Hertfordshire Year of Culture and, in support of this, the Council was particularly interested in receiving applications for projects that have a cultural theme.

Herts Baseball Club has been based at the baseball venue in Grovehill, Hemel Hempstead, since 1996. Up until 2009 the venue had only one baseball diamond. In 2009 the club raised funds and built a second baseball diamond to satisfy demand from the growing number of youth and adult baseball and softball players which were joining the club every year. In 2012 additional funds were raised from BaseballSoftballUK to upgrade the venue by adding home and away team dugouts on each of the two diamonds and perimeter fencing to make the facility fully enclosed in line with baseball requirements.

NBL Postseason Playoff game at Grovehill Ballpark in 2013

In recent years the facility has suffered from serious vandalism. Also some of the fencing dates back to 1996 and needs to be replaced due to wear and tear. This investment will make the venue safe and will deliver several upgrades to reduce the risk of future vandalism.

The project is expected to commence soon with the aim of completing installations in time for the first games of the 2020 British baseball season. Players, from complete beginners to advanced, are now registering for the new season. Click here for details.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hawks and Raptors in search of new managers

Mike Cresswell and Matt Jackson will be stepping down as managers of the Herts Hawks and Herts Raptors, respectively. They informed their squads about their decisions a few weeks ago.

The club will now be looking to fill those vacant managerial positions at its annual general meeting next month. They served in their managerial roles for two seasons, both having been appointed at the start of the 2018 season.

Hawks and Raptors at their 2016 playoff game

Under Cresswell, the Hawks reached the 2018 postseason, eliminating the Bournemouth Bears which took them to the semi-final where they were knocked out by the eventual champions, the East London Latin Boys.

In 2019 the Hawks were one of the pace-setters  in the first half of the season winning 7 of their first 8 games, but their form took a downward turn and they just missed out on the postseason.

Matt Jackson had the task of building a team made up of predominantly rookie players in 2018 and he exceeded expectations with a .500 winning average in his first season. They just missed out on the playoffs.

In 2019 his task was made even more difficult as the club grew by 54.7% and expanded from three to five league teams, which meant that most of the Raptors from 2018 were promoted to Herts teams in the higher leagues. That didn’t faze him and 2019 saw a brand new generation come through to make their senior league debuts and that group of players is expected to be making the headlines in the coming years.

Don’t worry, though — Cresswell and Jackson are not going anywhere.  They will be very much in the thick of things in 2020 looking to focus on their playing careers with the Herts teams in the BBF leagues.

In addition to these two positions, the club is now inviting candidates for the following board positions:

♦ President
♦ Secretary
♦ Facilities Manager Grovehill Ballpark
♦ Facilities Manager Basing Hill Ballpark
♦ Manager NBL
♦ Manager Triple-A
♦ Manager Double-A
♦ Manager Single-A
♦ Manager Single-A
♦ Head of U17 Baseball
♦ Head of U15 Baseball
♦ Head of U13 Baseball
♦ Head of U11 Baseball
♦ Head of U8 Baseball
♦ Head of Softball

Those interested to put their name forward can contact the club for more details.

The AGM will be held just a few minutes away from Grovehill Ballpark, at Gadebridge Community Centre.

DATE: Sunday, 5 January 2020

TIME: 12:00pm (registration starts at 11:45am, AGM expected to end at around 4:00pm)

VENUE: Annex Main Hall, Gadebridge Community Centre, The Nokes, Rossgate, Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3LF (Directions and Map)

FOOD & DRINK: Refreshments and snacks will be served during the AGM.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Players now registering for the 2020 baseball season

Player registration for the 2020 season has commenced. Last season Herts Baseball Club unveiled two new teams in NW London giving it a total of five teams playing in the BBF senior baseball leagues. The number of adult team players rose by a staggering 54.7%. In 2020 the club will be on a mission to turn this army of new players into teams that can compete in the playoff races of the various British baseball leagues.

ADULT BASEBALL LEAGUES

How many teams will represent Herts in 2020? The next few weeks will be crucial as the number of players registering will determine how many teams will be entered before the BBF league entry deadline of 31 January; how many will play in Hemel Hempstead and how many will play in London; which BBF leagues the teams will play in.

KEY DATES – ADULT TEAMS

  • 26 January- players report for indoor Spring Training
  • 1 March – teams return to the ballpark for the for the first time in 2020
  • 14-15 March – Start of the 2020 Herts Spring League (subject to confirmation of the BBF League Opening Day)*
  • March – Great Britain National Team Tryouts (senior and youth teams)*
  • 5 April – BBF League Opening Day (subject to confirmation)*
  • May – Midweek Evening Baseball commences
  • 13-14 June – MLB London Series (see details below)
  • August-September* – BBF Postseason Playoffs and National Championships
  • September-October – Hunlock Series

* – these are preliminary dates. The BBF will be making its official announcements in due course.

YOUTH BASEBALL

The Herts youth players are probably suffering the most without baseball this winter, but they will not have to wait much longer. Registration for youth baseball players will be launched next month.

MLB LONDON SERIES – CUBS vs CARDINALS

Following 2019’s incredible sold-out slugfest between the Red Sox and the Yankees, 2020 will see the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs going toe-to-toe. On June 13-14, London Stadium will be transformed into Europe’s largest ballpark as it becomes MLB’s home once again. These are regular season games with everything on the line. Get ready for a day to remember both on and off the field. Various events and activities will take place as part of the MLB London Series and details will be announced in due course.

WHICH BALLPARK WILL YOU PLAY YOUR HOME LEAGUE GAMES AT?

The two Herts baseball teams based in North West London made their BBF League debut in 2019 and the club is implementing the gradual process of adding the baseball infrastructure at Basing Hill Ballpark. 2020 player registration has just commenced (see details below). Now that the club has two ballparks, the online registration form will ask players to indicate whether they prefer to play their home league games in Hemel Hempstead or in NW London, or whether they would be happy with either. This will provide vital information to club management when they configure the team rosters for the new season.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE 2020 HERTS BASEBALL SEASON

For those who already have a Herts Online Clubhouse account they will be prompted to register when they log on next time (click here to go to the Herts Online Club House and log on with your existing username and password). Those who are new to Herts Baseball Club and do not have an online account can register as members by completing this form. For more details about joining our teams in 2020 click here or contact us.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Baseball Club 2020 AGM details announced

 

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that its 23rd Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday, 5 January 2020.

In 2019 the club continued its growth and success on and off the field. The AGM will provide a deeper understanding of the club’s present position, and will set out the plans for 2020 and beyond. Members will receive the AGM Information Pack in due course and that will give a better idea of what to expect at the meeting.

In accordance with the Constitution, a number of Board positions will be up for election at the upcoming AGM either as part of the annual retirement of a third of the Board positions or because they are vacant.

The club is now inviting nominations for the following Board positions:

♦ President
♦ Secretary
♦ Facilities Manager Grovehill Ballpark
♦ Facilities Manager Basing Hill Ballpark
♦ Manager NBL
♦ Manager Triple-A
♦ Manager Double-A
♦ Manager Single-A
♦ Manager Single-A
♦ Head of U17 Baseball
♦ Head of U15 Baseball
♦ Head of U13 Baseball
♦ Head of U11 Baseball
♦ Head of U8 Baseball
♦ Head of Softball

Those who are interested to put their name forward or second a nomination can contact the club for more details.

Although only 2019 club members have the right to vote at the AGM, the meeting is very much open to former members and those who are considering joining the club in 2020 as players, members of staff, volunteers and fans. This is a good opportunity for newcomers to learn more about the club and meet its members. The meeting is also open to observers who are not members of the Club. Non-members who plan to attend would need to advise the club in advance as spaces are limited. If you are not a current member and wish to attend the AGM please contact the club.

The AGM will be held just a few minutes away from Grovehill Ballpark, at Gadebridge Community Centre.

DATE: Sunday, 5 January 2020

TIME: 12:00pm (registration starts at 11:45am, AGM expected to end at around 4:00pm)

VENUE: Annex Main Hall, Gadebridge Community Centre, The Nokes, Rossgate, Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3LF (Directions and Map)

FOOD & DRINK: Refreshments and snacks will be served during the AGM.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

MVP vote results are in

The Most Valuable Players (MVP) of the ten Herts adult and youth teams have been announced.  This year the club opened the voting up to include not only Herts club members but the wider public, similar to MLB’s All Star voting.

The Herts Falcons made history this year playing in the European Federations Cup for the first time and despite a disappointing season in the National Baseball League, there wasn’t a shortage of candidates. In a very close race fans decided that this year’s Falcons MVP is Jarrod Pretorius (17% of the votes) who was among the team leaders in a number of categories including home runs and slugging average.

There was less doubt about the Herts Londoners’ MVP. Pitcher Chris Gregory won it convincingly with 29% of the votes after a phenomenal debut season at the club during which he had the most wins, best ERA and was also at or near the top of many offence and defence categories. He was also the starting pitcher who recorded the only Falcons’ win in the five European Federations Cup games.

Mike Cresswell was the driving force for the Herts Hawks this season as the team’s player-manager and he was voted MVP (31% of the votes). He has made huge strides since joining Herts in 2012 starting at Single-A and moving rapidly up the leagues. This year he even earned a call-up to play for the Herts Falcons in the European Federations Cup.

Similar to the Hawks, fans decided that the Raptors MVP is its player-manager, Matt Jackson, with 22% of the votes. He led the team in most of the batting categories. With so many young players making their debuts for the Raptors this season and performing better with each passing week, it is expected that Jackson will have a lot more competition in the MVP voting in the years to come.

There were many credible candidates for Herts Eagles MVP but Rob Gibson was the one who stood out in every aspect of the game and this was reflected in the MVP poll which he won convincingly with 28% of the votes. It is rare to see a 5-tool player in the Single-A League and Gibson is not far from being certified as one.

The MVP poll for the Herts youth teams attracted the largest number of votes and it looks like friends, family members and school mates took part in vast numbers which the club was very pleased to see. Involving the wider community was one of the reasons for opening the voting up to the public.

Herts U18 MVP – Oliver Durer

Herts U15 MVP – Nicholas Durer

Herts U13 MVP – Leon Gutowski

Herts U11 MVP – Daniel Heal

Herts U8 MVP – Jake Walder-Davis
IMG_2358

There was a tight race in the vote for Play of the Year. Eight of the nine nominees were Eagles or Raptors, but it was the Herts Falcons’ semi-nude antics in Bulgaria that won it.  Originally, this was nominated for the Nob-Out Award and it was added to the Play of the Year category in the last minute, but the fans have spoken and it looks like they felt that, despite lacking in baseball skill, it had an abundance of flair. Over 30,000 viewed the video on social networks which reaffirmed its credentials.

It was an even bigger surprise that it didn’t win the Nob-Out Award.  That accolade went to Herts Raptors’ Mantas Poderys who nominated himself for falling face-first a few feet short of first base in the Herts Derby away at the Eagles. Herts Hawks’ Gilberto Medina just missed out in second place. He was nominated for reporting for duty at the ballpark on the wrong day of the week.

The 2019 season may have ended but the start of Spring Training is not far away and the Herts adult and youth league teams in Hemel Hempstead and North West London will be starting their preparations for the 2020 season. New players interested to find out more about playing baseball and joining Herts in 2020 can contact the club.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

It’s time to cast your votes

It has been a record year for Herts Baseball Club with 116 players appearing for the five Herts adult league teams and 49 players for the Herts youth teams.

We have seen some outstanding individual and team performances and plays this year and now it’s time to cast your vote for the 2019 Most Valuable Players (MVPs) of the Herts adult and youth baseball teams as well as the Play of the Year and Nob-Out Awards. We even have the unusual case of a play being nominated for both Play of the Year and Nob-Out Award at the same time.

This year we are opening up the vote to everyone. You can vote regardless of whether or not you are a club member. Also, unlike previous years, you can vote for the MVP of all of the Herts adult and youth teams, not just of your team.

Cast your vote now here.  Voting closes at 23:59 on Sunday, 20 October 2019.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

14 teams to compete for the HFT titles this Saturday

14 teams will be in action at the 2019 Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) which will take place this Saturday, 21 September 2019.

U13 Pool A

  • Cartmel Valley Lions (U13)
  • Herts (U13)
  • Leicester Little Sox (U13)
  • London Mets (U13)

U13 Pool B

  • Brighton Fireballs (U13)
  • Cartmel Valley Tigers (U13)
  • Forest Glade RedBacks (U13)
  • RAF Lakenheath Yankees (U13)

U11 Pool A

  • London Mets (U11)
  • London Sports (U11)
  • Northants Centurions (U11)

U11 Pool B

  • Brighton Fireballs (U11)
  • Herts (U11)
  • LYBL Bulldogs (U11)

The opening ceremony will take place at 10:00am. The first games begin at 10:50am and the Finals will be played at around 3:30pm. To view the games schedule click here.

 

“Herts Baseball Club welcomes new players at any time of the year” said club president, Aspi Dimitrov. “Any children aged between 8 and 13 who are interested to give baseball a try should contact the club. It is not too late to take part in this event.”

Traditional baseball snacks will be on offer including hot dogs, Krispy Kreme Donuts and more.

The HFT has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the British baseball calendar. It brings together youth teams from across the country for a day of baseball at one of the best baseball venues in the United Kingdom.

For more information about the event visit the Herts Futures Tournament homepage.