Author: Herts Baseball News Editor

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see the teams ahead of the 2019 British baseball season

The biggest pre-season baseball competition in Britain is back. Commencing on March 16, the Herts Spring League (HSL) will see 15 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 15 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 2019 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 “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 VENUE

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

SCHEDULE

Over the three weekends 32 games are scheduled to be played on the two diamonds. The competition begins on March 16 with a clash between the Milton Keynes Bucks and the Herts Hawks in the HSL Double-A division. The HSL NBL division commences on the same day when the Herts Falcons will come up against the London Archers.

Click to view full 2019 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

Adult and youth players, from beginners to advanced players, are now registering for the 2019 baseball season. For more details about how to join any of the Herts adult and youth 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.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

15 teams will signal the arrival of Spring in the 2019 HSL

 

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that 15 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 second year in the HSL.  They are Britain’s reigning Under-17 Champions and they will use the HSL as part of their preparations for the PONY European Tournament later this year.

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

 

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

The HSL will be played over three weeks commencing on the weekend of 16-17 March and ending on 30-31 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.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Veteran duo in the Eagles hot seat

Herts Baseball Club has gone for experience with the appointment of Arnie Longboy (pictured right) and Aspi Dimitrov as co-managers of the Herts Eagles.

This is a role which Longboy is familiar with after previously reaching the Single-A National Semi-Final as manager of the Herts Raptors in 2013, a game which they lost 10-6 to the Haverhill Blackjacks. This time around he will be managing alongside Dimitrov and the two of them are expected to hit the ground running as they have worked together at board level and in coaching capacity over the last 12 years.

The Eagles are one of five Herts teams which will be playing in the four leagues of the British Baseball Federation. They are back in the Single-A League after a three-year absence, but this time they will be playing their home games at the club’s new Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London. Herts fans can look forward to a Herts derby as the Eagles are expected to be in the same Single-A division as the Herts Raptors. This would imply that Arnie Longboy will come up against the team which he took to the Playoffs six years ago.

Arnie Longboy celebrating with the Raptors after clinching a Playoff place in 2013

The two co-managers may be familiar figures but fans of the Eagles will see many new faces make their Herts debuts this year so it is very difficult to make any predictions at this stage about whether the team will be battling at the top or the bottom of the league standings.

There are only six weeks remaining until the first league game of the season so the coaching staff have limited time to prepare the team. The Herts Spring League will give them valuable opportunity to see the players working as a team before the league season commences.

Then there is the MLB London Series factor. The club is already seeing the positive effects of this, and the Eagles are likely to get an even bigger influx of new players as we approach the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees games at the London Stadium on 29 and 30 June. We understand the club has left sufficient room in its five team rosters in Hemel Hempstead and in London to be able to welcome new players throughout the year.

The first opportunity to see the Eagles and the other four Herts teams in action this year will be in the Herts Spring League which will be played over three weekends from 16 to 31 March.

Adult and youth players, from beginners to advanced players, are now registering for the 2019 baseball season. For more details about how to join any of the Herts adult and youth baseball and softball teams in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London or to try baseball at an upcoming open session, contact Herts Baseball Club.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Londoners unveil their manager

The newly unveiled Herts Londoners are preparing for their inaugural season in British baseball and they have announced that their player-manager will be Wade Lynch who Herts baseball fans are already familiar with after his debut season with the Herts Falcons last year.

Born in New Jersey and with a dual French-American nationality, Lynch has had extensive experience as a player and coach on both sides of the Atlantic. As a player in the United States he played at semi-pro level in the MSBL in four different states – New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida. He then went on to play in France for Paris University Club, Lions Savigny, Seaguls Cherbourg and later in Ireland with the Dublin Hurricanes and the Munster Warriors.

Last season he was part of the Herts Falcons team which shocked the NBL by eliminating the Southampton Mustangs and London Capitals in the Playoffs to reach the National Final and qualify for the European Federation Cup for the first time in the club’s history.

Wade Lynch on the mound for the Falcons in Game Two of the 2018 NBL National Final

He will now take on the challenge of leading a brand new team into the very competitive BBF Triple-A League. We located him in France this week and had a chance to chat briefly about the upcoming season.

Q: This is the first year of this brand new team in north-west London. What would be realistic goals for the team in 2019?

Lynch: The establishment of a Triple-A team is overdue. Our goal as a club this year is to fill the gap between the NBL team and the rest of the organisation. This means a few things. We want to be the first line of support for our NBL team as it applies to talent pool. Our Triple-A players should work on their individual and team skills with the goal of being called up to play with the NBL team. This will depend on their performance as well as roster availability and league rules. Secondly, players on the NBL team should embrace the opportunity to play Triple-A games. This will mean that they will be getting at bats and innings on the mound rather than dealing with the frustration of sitting on the bench in the NBL. Thirdly, the free flow of players between the teams will strengthen all the teams and the organisation as a whole. In light of the above, I expect the Herts Londoners to be an extension of the Herts Falcons and to be competitive this year.

Q: Beyond 2019, how do you see the team evolving in the coming years?

Lynch: I feel that in the next few years if not sooner, the Herts Londoners should be able to challenge for the Triple-A title if our players embrace the organisational strategy. If we have a large influx of players, we may be able to field two teams in the Triple-A League or quite possibly two NBL teams. Based on numbers, player quality and development, a second Double-A team would also make sense to work with the Triple-A team regarding player development. Players need to embrace the needs of the organisation regarding player movement for this to work. It’s the key to operating a strong, professional baseball club for years to come.

Q: What effect do you think the MLB London Series will have on the Herts Londoners and the BBF Leagues as a whole? Are the Herts managers expecting a major influx of new players after the Red Sox vs Yankees game in June? We understand the club has allowed room in the five team rosters for this eventuality.

Lynch: The Red Sox-Yankees series is an opportunity to introduce new British players to the game. This is clear. We need to be prepared to support these players whose playing skills will certainly be diverse. The club is in a great position to capitalise on this with teams in all four league tiers of the BBF. If the MLB London Series gains momentum, it may not be the last time we see games in the UK so the cycle can be repeated. I think once the Red Sox and Yankees leave, the real work begins regarding a community outreach PR campaign. The future looks bright for Herts!

Note: Adult and youth players, from beginners to advanced players, are now registering for the 2019 baseball season. For more details about how to join any of the Herts adult and youth baseball and softball teams in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London or to try baseball at an upcoming open session, contact Herts Baseball Club.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Teams starting to enter the 2019 Herts Spring League

The Herts Spring League (HSL) has confirmed the game dates for the 2019 edition of the competition*.

HSL (Week 1 of 3)
Sat, 16-Mar-19
Sun, 17-Mar-19

HSL (Week 2 of 3)
Sat, 23-Mar-19
Sun, 24-Mar-19

HSL (Week 3 of 3)
Sat, 30-Mar-19
Sun, 31-Mar-19

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 twelfth 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 2018 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.

The addition of U19 and U17 league teams in previous years has worked very well. The high standard of most of the BBF U19 and U17 League teams will certainly enable them to comfortably compete at the level of adult teams from the Double-A and Triple-A League teams, or perhaps even the NBL.

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 7 April 2019 for all senior leagues (NBL, Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A).

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts adult and youth players start Spring Training this weekend

Herts Baseball Club published details of its Spring Training schedule. The adult and youth baseball teams will return to training this weekend 9-10 February. The only exception is the Under-8 programme which starts later in the year. Softball players will be back in action on 24 February.

The Club has invested heavily this year to secure high quality venues including The Harefield Academy (pictured above) which offers a large indoor 3G artificial grass venue.

Other venues include the Berkhamsted Leisure Centre and Middlesex University both of which feature batting lanes.

The Herts baseball teams will return to Grovehill Ballpark and the new Basing Hill Ballpark for the first time on the weekend of 9 and 10 March.

The first pre-season games of 2019 will be played on 23 and 24 March as part of the Herts Spring League (HSL).

The Show begins in April as the Herts baseball adult and youth teams get their 2019 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 LOCATION
Sun 10-Feb Adult Baseball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
Sun 24-Feb Adult Baseball Spring Training Harefield Academy
Sun 03-Mar Adult Baseball Spring Training Middlesex University
Sun 03-Mar Adult Baseball Spring Training Middlesex University
Sat 09-Mar Adult Baseball Spring Training Basing Hill Ballpark, NW London
Sun 10-Mar Adult Baseball Spring Training Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sat 16-Mar Adult Baseball Herts Spring League Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sun 17-Mar Adult Baseball Herts Spring League Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sat 23-Mar Adult Baseball Herts Spring League Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sun 24-Mar Adult Baseball Herts Spring League Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sat 30-Mar Adult Baseball Herts Spring League Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sun 31-Mar Adult Baseball Herts Spring League Grovehill Ballpark, Herts

YOUTH BASEBALL (U18 U15 U13 U11) – SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE

DAY DATE AGE GROUPS EVENT NAME LOCATION
Sat 09-Feb Youth Baseball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
Sat 23-Feb Youth Baseball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
Sat 02-Mar Youth Baseball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
Sat 09-Mar Youth Baseball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
Sat 16-Mar Youth Baseball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre

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

DAY DATE AGE GROUPS EVENT NAME LOCATION
Sun 24-Feb Adult Softball Spring Training Harefield Academy
Sun 03-Mar Adult Softball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
Sun 10-Mar Adult Softball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
Sun 17-Mar Adult Softball Spring Training Berkhamsted Leisure Centre

HOW TO TAKE PART?

Existing players who have not reactivated their registration for the 2019 season can do so here. New players can register for the new season here or if you would like to one of these open sessions to give baseball or softball a try then contact us for more details.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Deadline Day bombshell – not 3, not 4, but 5

With just a few minutes remaining before midnight on Deadline Day for registration of teams for the 2019 league season of the British Baseball Federation, Herts Baseball Club submitted five team entries, adding two new Herts teams to the three which played in the BBF leagues last season.

The Herts Londoners were unveiled three weeks ago, so their league entry was expected.   The question which everyone was asking was which league the Londoners would play in. The club has now confirmed that they will play in the Triple-A League – the second league tier of British baseball.

A Triple-A team has been the missing piece in the Herts team lineup. There hasn’t been a Herts Triple-A team since 2015 and the last time they won the Triple-A National title was in 2008 (pictured right). The club now has a team in all four league tiers which gives them the opportunity to offer baseball to players of all levels from beginners to players of the highest calibre.

The Triple-A League is seen as the stepping stone for players aspiring to play in the National Baseball League (NBL). Triple-A teams are monitored closely by the Great Britain National Team coaching staff as they feature many players who are bidding for a place in the various GB National Teams.

It is a very competitive league so the Londoners will probably be seen as the underdogs in 2019, but with two months remaining until Opening Day and new players registering to play for Herts every week, they may surprise their opponents.

We thought that this would be the only news today but, without any advance notice, Herts also confirmed that they will be entering a fifth team, reviving the Herts Eagles who played in the Triple-A and Single-A Leagues in the past. Like the Londoners, the Eagles will also be based at the club’s new Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London.

This season they will play in the Single-A League which is the fourth tier of the British baseball league system. “Since player registration commenced for the 2019 season we have seen players of all levels registering to play at our new ballpark in NW London and having two teams there in Triple-A and Single-A enables us to offer the right baseball experience to players of all levels” said a club spokesperson.

Herts Baseball Club has had five senior league teams only once in its history. That was back in 2013. The difference this time around is that three of the teams will play their home games in Hemel Hempstead and two in NW London.

TEAM LEAGUE HOME BALLPARK
Herts Falcons NBL Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead
Herts Londoners Triple-A Basing Hill Ballpark, NW London
Herts Hawks Double-A Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead
Herts Raptors Single-A Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead
Herts Eagles Single-A Basing Hill Ballpark, NW London

We understand these decisions were made by the club late into the night at a conference call which was originally scheduled to last only 45 minutes, but ended up being a tense discussion which took nearly three hours to come to a conclusion. They had to consider a vast number of factors such as roster size and competitiveness at the two ballparks, how many more players are likely to join the club between now and Opening Day, and how many more will do so throughout the six months of the baseball season.

Then there is the MLB London Series factor. The club is already seeing the positive effects of this, and it is likely to be felt even more as we approach the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees games at the London Stadium on 29 and 30 June. Deadline Day for team entries has now passed, but Herts has left sufficient room in its five team rosters to be able to welcome new players throughout the year.

We now wait to see what surprises the BBF will have for us, what the four league lineups will look like in 2019, and what opponents will stand in the way of the five Herts teams.

Adult and youth players, from beginners to advanced players, are now registering for the 2019 baseball season. For more details about how to join any of the Herts adult and youth baseball and softball teams in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London or to try baseball at an upcoming open session, contact Herts Baseball Club.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

He is back!

The Herts Falcons are preparing for a massive 2019 season in the National Baseball League (NBL) and the European Federation Cup. They have started their preparations with a bang by announcing the return of two-time NBL Champion, Jarrod Pretorius. The 33-year-old slugger was a member of the Falcons in 2017 but they missed him last year. He is back for what is expected to be an unforgettable year for Herts and British baseball as a whole, which will feature the MLB London Series.

Pretorius was a key member of the Harlow Nationals team which dominated the NBL winning it in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Many would argue that if he was not with the Nationals, the Falcons would have become NBL Champions in 2012. In Game 6 of the NBL Final it was Jarrod Pretorius’ 3-run home run after a memorable at bat versus pitcher Ryan Bird which proved to be the difference in the Nationals’ 6-3 title-clinching win.

In that year the South African was also voted as the NBL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 2013 he was once again instrumental when the Nationals eliminated the Falcons in the NBL Semi-Final at Farnham Park.

A look at the NBL archives from the 2012 and 2013 season shows Pretorius leading in various statistical categories, including best batting average (.500) and slugging average (.760) in 2012, NBL Third Base Gold Glove in 2012 and First Base Gold Glove in 2013.

In 2015 he signed for the Tubingen Hawks in the German Bundesliga. In a key game he suffered an injury. This kept him out of the game, but he made his comeback with Herts in 2017. He marked his Falcons debut with a home run on Opening Day and he also dented the car of one of his teammates. We can’t wait to see what he will do on his second debut for the club.

Adult and youth players, from beginners to advanced players, are now registering for the 2019 baseball season. For more details about how to join any of the Herts adult and youth baseball and softball teams or to try baseball at an upcoming open session, please contact us.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts announce their new baseball ballpark in NW London

The home of the newly unveiled Herts Londoners baseball team will be Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London. The announcement was made at Herts Baseball Club’s Annual General Meeting.

The first baseball game at the venue will be the team’s home opener of the 2019 BBF league season. The club is yet to confirm which league tier of the British Baseball Federation the Londoners will enter.  They indicated that the team managers will assess the potential rosters in order to make the final decision just before the league-entry deadline on 31 January and will announce it publicly shortly after that.

Apart from baseball for adults, the venue will also offer baseball for boys and girls with teams playing in the BBF youth baseball leagues.

The dimensions of the diamond are slightly larger than those of Diamond One at the club’s existing ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. The baseball-specific field components will be added gradually so the venue will be taking shape over the next few months.

Basing Hill Ballpark is located within walking distance of two London Underground stations. It also benefits from numerous bus services and a ThamesLink train station. Major roads such as the M1, A41 and A406 North Circular Road cross next to Basing Hill which will make it easily accessible not only for the local community but for anyone in and around London. It is a 25-minute drive from Hemel Hempstead which opens the opportunity for Herts youth teams based in NW London to play league games with their counterparts from Hemel Hempstead.

Herts players showcasing baseball at Clitterhouse Playing Fields in July 2018

The club started its expansion into NW London in 2014 by establishing its satellite baseball club at Whitefield School which developed into a school baseball league involving teams from schools around NW London and Hertfordshire. At the same time the club worked with the London Borough of Barnet and local Councillors in a bid to add baseball to the nearby Clitterhouse Playing Fields, which is part of the Brent Cross Regeneration project. In 2016 Barnet Council selected the developer for the Brent Cross South project. Herts has taken part in various stages of the project, including consultation workshops and more recently an event at Clitterhouse Playing Fields in July 2018 where various sports were showcased. Herts baseball received positive feedback from the public and the Youth Sports Trust at that event.

Basing Hill Ballpark in relation to Clitterhouse Playing Fields and the wider Brent Cross South project

The response from the Brent Cross South developers has also been encouraging and the club is continuing its efforts to include baseball and softball at Clitterhouse Playing Fields. Club president, Aspi Dimitrov, said that “the Brent Cross South project is expected to commence at the end of 2020, which is why it was necessary to fast track the opening of Basing Hill Ballpark this year in order to have the capacity in NW London to accommodate the anticipated increase in participants thanks to the upcoming league games between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees as part of the MLB London Series”. Clitterhouse Playing Fields  is located just 300m from Basing Hill Ballpark which would mean that large baseball and softball tournaments can be staged with games being played at both venues at the same time.

“Expanding Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead in 2010 brought incredible energy to our club and gave us the opportunity to grow. We hope that this new baseball venue in NW London will be equally successful” said Dimitrov.

Adult and youth players, from beginners to advanced players, are now registering for the 2019 baseball season. For more details about how to join any of the Herts adult and youth baseball and softball teams or to try baseball at an upcoming open session, please contact us. You can now follow the Herts Londoners on Twitter.

London has a new baseball team
by Herts Baseball News Editor

London has a new baseball team


Earlier this evening, at its 22nd Annual General Meeting, Herts Baseball Club unveiled its first London-based team. At a packed venue it was announced that the name of the team will be the Herts Londoners.

In deciding the name, the club opted to retain its established brand name, Herts, symbolising its origins, while at the same time the team’s moniker, Londoners, signifies its new geographic location. Over the years Herts teams have featured a large number of players from North West London, but this new team will welcome not only these existing Herts players, but, more importantly, it aims to give playing opportunities to everyone in North West London who is interested to play baseball but until now has not had a team located near them and has found it difficult to travel to the club’s existing baseball complex in Hemel Hempstead.

This additional club base will give Herts extra flexibility and greater capacity to accommodate players of all levels from complete beginners to players of the highest calibre. The MLB London Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees will be played on 29 and 30 June, but it is already having a positive effect in attracting new players to the club. The team managers will need to show foresight and leave extra room in their rosters so that they have the capacity to accommodate the surge in demand from new players as we get closer to the London Series.

The Herts Londoners will be wearing the traditional white uniform with the red Herts letters on the chest and the red letter “H” on their black baseball caps. The team’s logo also reflects these established branding features and the Club’s colours of red, white and black.

The 31 January deadline for team entries in the various leagues of the British Baseball Federation (BBF) is fast-approaching. The Club did not reveal at this stage which BBF league tier the Londoners will be entering, but it will announce this on or around the deadline day. After that, the focus will turn to the 2019 Season Opening Day in April and the first ever game in the history of this team.

Stay tuned for our next article which will include all the facts and details of the ballpark in North West London which will be the home of the Herts Londoners.

For more details about how to join any of the Herts adult and youth baseball and softball teams or to try baseball at an upcoming open session, please contact us. You can now follow the Herts Londoners on Twitter.