Author: Herts Baseball News Editor

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts invites candidates for Manager of its first league team in NW London

Three months remain until the Opening Day of the 2019 BBF baseball league season and the various components for the unveiling of the first NW London-based Herts team are coming together. The Club is now actively looking for a manager of that BBF league team as well as a manager of the Herts youth team in North West London.

There are a total of six positions which the club is looking to fill at the moment and they also include Manager of the Herts Buzzards softball team and Herts U11 baseball Team Manager both of which are based at the club’s ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

Below is a full list of the vacancies and the links contain additional information about each role.  If you require more details or are interested to put your name forward for any of these roles, please contact us.

Team Manager, Senior BBF Leagues (NW London) (click for details)

Team Manager, Youth Baseball Leagues (NW London) (click for details)

Team Manager, U11 Baseball League (Hemel Hempstead) (click for details)

Team Manager, Softball (Hemel Hempstead) (click for details)

Head Coach, Midweek Evening Baseball (NW London) (click for details)

Game Day and Venue Manager – HSL (click for details)

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Falcons to play in Bulgaria in their European Fed Cup Qualifier

Russtar Arena in Moscow, one of the Fed Cup qualifier venues

The opponents of the Herts Falcons in their 2019 European Federations Cup Qualifier have been announced by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). The majority of them are teams from Central and Eastern Europe, with one each from Scandinavia and the Baltic.

This will be the Falcons’ debut in continental club competitions. They booked their European place after finishing as National Baseball League (NBL) runners-up in 2018, losing to the London Mets in the Final. The Mets are also one of the 12 teams who will be competing in this Qualifier.

The games will be played on June 10 to 15, 2019. The two cities which have been awarded the right to host the Federations Cup Qualifiers are the Russian capital, Moscow, and Blagoevgrad in South Western Bulgaria. Herts have been assigned to Blagoevgrad.

It’s a city 60 miles from Sofia, the cultural centre of its region. There are two universities, so plenty of cafes and restaurants, and it hosts several music festivals. The Blagoevgrad Buffaloes baseball team have won a string of national titles.

While Herts would have welcomed the chance to go to one of the host cities of the very successful 2018 World Cup in Russia, Bulgaria is the preferred option from a financial perspective. The Herts Falcons will be raising money to help fund this amazing opportunity, and fans and players alike will be working hard to do that.

Federations Cup Qualifier Lineup
Pool 1 – Moscow, Russia, June 10 – 15, 2019

1) London Mets (GBR)
2) KS Silesia Rybnik (POL)
3) Apollo Bratislava (SVK)
4) Russtar Moscow (RUS)
5) Sofia Blues (BUL)
6) Kaunas County (LTU)

Pool 2 – Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, June 10 – 15, 2019

1) Herts Falcons (GBR)
2) Athletic Sofia (BUL)
3) Solvesborg Firehawks (SWE)
4) Utenos Titanai (LTU)
5) CS Atletico Alexandria (ROM)
6) UKS Deby Osielso (POL)

 

The home of the Blagoevgrad Buffaloes

If British baseball clubs make progress in these international competitions they can look forward to competing in the Champions Cup and the CEB Cup alongside the highest ranked European clubs.

Champions Cup Lineup
Bologna, Italy, June 4 – 8, 2019

1) Curacao Neptunus (NED)
2) L&D Amsterdam (NED)
3) Unipolsai Fortitudo Bologna (ITA)
4) A.S.D. Rimini (ITA)
5) Bonn Capitals (GER)
6) Ostrava Arrows (CZE)
7) Rouen Huskies (FRA)
8) Deurne Spartans (BEL)

CEB Cup Lineup
Brno, Czech Republic, June 5 – 9, 2019

1) Heidenheim Heidekoepfe (GER)
2) Draci Brno (CZE)
3) Valencia Astros (ESP)
4) Zuerich Challengers (SUI)
5) Montigny Cougars (FRA)
6) KNTU Kropivnytsky
7) Minsk (BLR)
8) Vindija Varazdin (CRO)

Federations Cup Lineup
Karlovac, Croatia, June 10 – 15, 2019

1) Dornbirn Indians (AUT)
2) Vienna Metrostars (AUT)
3) Olimpija Karlovac (CRO)
4) Therwil Flyers (SUI)
5) Leksand (SWE)
6) Borgerhout Squirrels (BEL)

by Herts Baseball News Editor

MLB dress code for Herts Baseball Club AGM

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that its 22nd Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday, 13 January 2019. To celebrate the 2019 MLB London Series the AGM will have an MLB-themed dress code as members and other attendees are invited to wear MLB jerseys and caps of their choice.

In 2018 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 2019 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:

• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Shop Manager
• Facilities Manager
• Head of U17 Baseball
• Head of U15 Baseball
• Head of U13 Baseball
• Head of U11 Baseball
• Head of U8 Baseball

Note: The leagues which Herts teams will enter in 2019 will not be known until after the AGM. The Club may also enter additional teams in the BBF leagues.

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

Although only 2018 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 2019 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 JFK Catholic School, which Herts baseball teams use as their indoor winter training.

Date: Sunday, 13 January 2019

Time: 2:15pm (expected to end at around 5:45pm)

Venue: John F Kennedy Catholic School, Hollybush Lane, Hemel Hempstead HP1 2PH (Map)

Directions: The meeting will take place in Conference Room B24 which is in the Admin Building which is adjacent to the Sports Hall building (with the cedar-cladding). You can use the car park next to the cedar-clad building. If there are no car park spaces, you can also park at the main car park.

Food and Drink: Refreshments and hot food will be served during the AGM

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Advice for Herts fans before Monday’s MLB London Series advance ticket sales

Herts Baseball Club issued the following guidance for its members and fans ahead of Monday’s advance ticket sales.

Thank you to all who took part in our recent survey to help enhance the MLB London Series experience for Herts fans. Most of you would have seen the ticket prices announced yesterday (see map above) and many would have been disappointed that the more affordable tickets cover such a small proportion of the stadium.

But do not despair. Thanks to your feedback, we think we have identified reasonably affordable ways to enjoy this historic occasion which is expected to be a game-changer for baseball in this country.

  • Many Herts fans appear to be happy to pay up to £60.
  • Category 8 tickets are priced at £60 and are relatively good outfield seats given the proximity of centerfield compared to left field and right field blocks. Therefore those seats are likely to be closer to the action than Category 7, 9 and 10.
  • Category 9 and 10 are further away from the field, but are at a lower price of £45 and £30, respectively.
  • There are Herts fans who would like to be closer to the action and are happy to pay the higher prices.
  • If you plan to attend only one of the games, more Herts fans will be going to the Saturday game, so aim for that game if you want to increase the chance of sitting near a Herts fan. Another reason to aim for Saturday is that we are considering organising the screening of the Sunday game on a big screen with food, drinks and other activities. MLB may also organise a similar “Fan Park” event with a big screen so there may be an affordable option for the British baseball community to enjoy the occasion together.
  • For Herts fans who want a higher probability of seating next to each other, aim for Category 8, Blocks 236 to 230 (the closer to Block 236 the better)
  • MLB will soon be sending an email to registered fans with their personal code which they will need when purchasing tickets on ticketmaster.
  • Old Ticketmaster.com accounts cannot be used.  If you have not done so already, you can set up a new account at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/member now, which will save you time at checkout.
  • If you plan to buy more than 8 tickets you will need two different codes and two different credit/debit cards as there is a limit of 8 tickets per code and per card. In such circumstances it is advisable that the cardholders are different.
  • We don’t know how many tickets will be released for pre-sale buyers at 10am on Monday, 3 December, and whether the system will withstand the demand. It would help if Herts fans could share their ticket-purchasing experience by tweeting @hertsbaseball or on the Herts Facebook page. We will then share any helpful advice to Herts fans via Twitter and Facebook.
  • If you missed today’s deadline to register or advance tickets sell out before you manage to get yours, we have been informed of an opportunity for members of BBF clubs to register to buy tickets on 5 December before they go on general sale on 6 December. Herts members should check their emails for a message from the club containing a registration link.
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Adult and youth players now registering for the 2019 Herts baseball and softball season

Player registration for the 2019 season has commenced.

ADULT BASEBALL LEAGUES

Last season three Herts teams entered the BBF senior baseball leagues. How many teams will represent Herts in 2019? The next few weeks will be critical to see how many players will register to play for Herts in 2019 and on the basis of this the club will decide how many teams to enter before the BBF league entry deadline, and which leagues the teams will play in.

 

KEY DATES – ADULT TEAMS

February – players report for indoor Spring Training

March – first open-air training session of 2019

23-24 March – Start of the 2019 Herts Spring League (subject to confirmation of the BBF League Opening Day)*

23-24 March – Great Britain National Team Tryouts (senior and youth teams)

7 April – BBF National Baseball League and Triple-A League Opening Day (subject to confirmation)*

14 April – BBF Double-A and Single-A League Opening Day (subject to confirmation)*

May-August – Midweek Evening Baseball

10-16 June – Herts Falcons in the European Federation Cup

29-30 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 LEAGUES

The British Baseball Federation launched the Super League in 2017. It enhanced the youth baseball regular season and it is expected to be even more exciting in 2019. Many of our youth players will be moving up to the next age group to face a different challenge in 2019. They will be joined by the new players who are joining the club every week. The Herts youth teams welcome boys and girls aged between 4 and 17 from complete beginners to experienced players.

KEY DATES – YOUTH TEAMS

February – U18, U15, U13 and U11 players report for indoor Spring Training

March – first open-air training session of 2019

23-24 March – Great Britain National Team Tryouts (senior and youth teams)

April – U8 players report for their first session

7-14 April – U18, U15, U13, U11, U8 Season Opening Day*

June – Little League UK Qualifiers (U17, U15, U13, U11)

29-30 June – MLB London Series (See details below)

July-August – Little League Europe Qualifier (Poland and Italy) and Little League World Series (USA) (subject to qualification)

September – National Youth Baseball Championships (U18, U15, U13, U11)

September – Herts Futures Tournament (U18, U15, U13, U11, U8)

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

SOFTBALL

In 2017 Herts Baseball Club launched its softball programme which has enabled the club to offer playing opportunities to a much wider audience and to women in particular. Slowpitch Softball is the more recreational version of the game, which is equally appealing to male and female players. Softball is a social and enjoyable game that’s easy to learn and play, even for people who are not “athletes” or don’t have much experience of team sports. The fact that men and women play together in the same team and on an equal level gives the sport a social buzz.

Softball Spring Training will commence in February. The first few sessions will be indoors. All equipment will be provided so anyone aged 14 and over can come and enjoy the day, meet new friends and try a new sport. These will be followed by indoor softball pre-season games. For more details about the Herts Softball Programme click here. If you are interested to come and try softball at any of the upcoming open sessions contact us and we will provide you with full details and add you to our mailing list.

MLB LONDON SERIES – BASEBALL IS COMING HOME

In case you have not heard, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will be playing two MLB official league games on 29 and 30 June 2019 in London. This is the first time that MLB games will be staged in Europe. Various events and activities will take place as part of the MLB London Series and details will be announced in due course.  For now, baseball fans are advised to pre-register not later than 4:59 pm on 29 November 2018 in order to be eligible to access pre-sale tickets when they go on sale at 10:00 am on Monday, 3 December 2019. Click here for full details.

FIRST LONDON-BASED HERTS TEAM IN THE BBF LEAGUES

The first Herts baseball team based in North West London is set to make its BBF League debut in 2019. The club is in the process of securing the NW London ballpark and putting all of the components together in order to unveil the team in time for Opening Day. 2019 Player Registration has just commenced (see details below). The online registration form will ask each adult and youth player 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 about how to go about forming the first team which will play in NW London without affecting existing teams based in Hemel Hempstead.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE 2019 HERTS BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SEASON

Herts Baseball Club has commenced the 2019 registration process for adult and youth players. 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 and do not have a Herts online account will be able to register as members by completing this form. For more details about joining our teams in 2019 click here or contact us.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

What name should the new Herts NW London-based team adopt and which league should they play in?

The first Herts baseball team based in North West London is set to make its BBF League debut in 2019. Apart from preparing the NW London ballpark for Opening Day, the club’s management also has to determine various other aspects such as the name and logo of the team, its uniform, which BBF league to enter, appoint a team manager and a lot more.

With the MLB London Series creating a real buzz in London and Hertfordshire, there is even the possibility of the club launching more than one new team in NW London to play in the adult and youth leagues of the BBF.

 

When a new team is born, sports clubs take different approaches. Some choose an original name which is symbolic for the city or state which the team is based in such as the Arizona Diamondbacks (1998) or the Florida Marlins (1993). Others go for names with historical significance, such as the Washington Nationals who joined MLB in 2005. They were considering restoring the name of the Washington Senators who first played in the National League from 1892 to 1899. The Senators franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961 and in 1971 relocated to Texas where they continue to play as the Texas Rangers. The rights to the name Washington Senators was held by the Texas Rangers and the Washington franchise could not acquire it from them in 2005. Instead, they decided to go for the name Washington Nationals who first played in the American League between 1905 and 1956. However, they were successful in acquiring the curly “W” logo from the Rangers. There are other clubs who even turn to their fans to give the new team its name, at the risk of ending up with “Boaty McBoatface”.

“The name of the team has not been decided” said Herts board member, Aspi Dimitrov. He explained that the board has been considering this and “ideally, the club would like to retain the ‘Herts’ branding, while at the same time incorporate ‘London’ into the name, which limits our choice and it would be difficult to ask Herts fans to come up with a name within such a narrow criteria, but we would still like to hear the views of club members and fans on this”.

How about the uniform? Should we expect the first London-based Herts team to unveil a mind-blowing colour scheme such as the Miami Marlins, whose uniform, despite the team’s poor performances, has become a popular fashion item worn by celebrities? We understand that it has been decided to adopt the existing trademark Herts uniform as the club is keen not to add extra costs for those existing members who live in London and who already have that white Herts uniform.

The question which Herts fans will be most intrigued by is which BBF league will the team play in. That will depend to a large extent on the calibre of players on the roster. The club will shortly be launching its 2019 player registration. The online registration form will ask each adult and youth player 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 about how to go about forming the first team which will play in NW London without affecting existing teams based in Hemel Hempstead.

If there is a sudden influx of highly experienced players who would like to play in NW London, the club is keeping its options open about which of the four BBF leagues the team should apply for.

Of course, just as important is the formation of youth teams at the NW London branch of the club. The club is expected to adopt the same approach in the youth leagues and it would be interesting to see which department will grow faster in NW London – the adult or the youth baseball teams or perhaps softball.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

How to buy tickets for the Yankees v Red Sox in London next year


NEW YORK YANKEES v BOSTON RED SOX
Saturday 29 June 2019, 6:10 pm British Summer Time
Sunday 30 June 2019, 3:10 pm British Summer Time
London Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2ST

A trip to see the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees slug it out IN LONDON next June might be the most exciting Christmas present ever!

Hot off the press, here are some important guidelines released by Major League Baseball on about securing tickets for these games. Tickets will sell out very quickly – so please read carefully to maximise your chances of getting some.

BUYING TICKETS
There will be two opportunities to secure tickets, and priority will be given to those who have Pre-Registered.

To Pre-Register for advanced ticket access, go to mlb.com/londonseries.

  • You have until 4:59 pm on 29 November 2018 to sign up.
  •  Advanced access to tickets will start at 10.00 am GMT on Monday 3 December 2018.
  •  If you have signed up, you will receive an email before 3 December containing a unique code and instructions on how to purchase tickets.  The code cannot be shared with others.
  •  Pre-registered fans can purchase up to eight single tickets across the two games.  The code may be used multiple times, but once you have purchased the maximum number of tickets it will cease to work.
  •  If you wish to purchase additional tickets, you can do so when general sale tickets are released at 10.00 am GMT on Thursday 6 December.

NOTE 1:  Pre-Registering does not guarantee ticket availability and therefore does not guarantee tickets to the games.

NOTE 2:  If you pre-registered for tickets when these games were first announced earlier this year, you do not need to register again.

General sale tickets will be available from 10.00 am GMT on Thursday 6 December 2018, sold through Ticketmaster.

For all purchases, you are likely to need a new Ticketmaster account.  Existing Ticketmaster.com accounts cannot be used.  You can set up an account at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/member now, which will save you time at checkout.

CHOOSING SEATS

  • Tickets will vary in price depending on where you choose to sit.
  • Single tickets will range from £30 to £320.
  • The Red Sox are the ‘home’ team for both games.
  • The Boston Red Sox will be occupying the dugout along the first base line, to the right of home plate.
  • The New York Yankees will be occupying the dugout along the third base line, to the left of home plate.

For further details on the London Series, fan events and activities around the games, check out mlb.com/londonseries and https://twitter.com/mlblondonseries.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Pressure is on for Herts to unveil NW London ballpark in time for 2019 Opening Day

While the United Kingdom is gripped by the drama of Brexit, Herts Baseball Club is working frantically to secure and unveil its venue in North West London to host BBF adult and youth league games in time for the start of the 2019 season. Opening Day is on 7 April 2019 which is just a week after the UK is scheduled to leave the European Union so it is expected to be a Bexit-like race against the clock.

The club was founded in 1996 and over the years has developed Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead into one of the best baseball venues in the country with support from Sport England, BaseballSoftballUK, Dacorum Borough Council and other partners. At its Annual General Meeting ahead of the 2013 season, the club recognised the need to expand into North West London to accommodate not only the large number of existing London-based club members, but also to welcome new players from that densely-populated part of London who struggle to commute to Hemel Hempstead.

As a first step, a satellite baseball club was established in Whitefield School in 2014 running baseball sessions and games as part of a school baseball league involving schools from around North West London and Hertfordshire.

In a press conference on 8 May 2018 London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, announced that the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will play two official league games at the London Stadium on 29 and 30 June 2019. The London Series is part of MLB’s efforts to market Major League Baseball around the globe and to promote the development of baseball as a world and Olympic sport.

The announcement prompted Herts Baseball Club to accelerate the timetable for the creation of a baseball venue in North West London. This year the Club ran a series of events in NW London giving the local community the opportunity to come and try baseball. The participation levels and feedback from the public have been positive.

Ceremonial first pitch at the unveiling of the second diamond of Grovehill Ballpark in 2010.

The project is into the critical stage of negotiating to secure the venue where the first London-based Herts team will make its BBF league debut. “There are only 143 days until the 2019 BBF Opening Day so the pressure is on” said club president, Aspi Dimitrov, who was realistic that “it will take several years for us to have a fully-developed ballpark, but the key for 2019 is to have a diamond which meets the requirements to stage BBF adult and youth league games so that we are ready for the arrival of MLB and the anticipated increase in the number of players interested to play baseball.”

The club will shortly be launching its 2019 player registration. The online registration form will ask each player 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 about how to go about forming the first team which will play in NW London without affecting existing teams based in Hemel Hempstead. Team managers will also use the information to decide which BBF League the NW London team will enter.

Whether this is baseball, football or another sport, the prospect of opening a new venue always brings excitement. The club already experienced this back in 2010 when the second diamond was added to Grovehill Ballpark and gave it the capacity to achieve further growth and success on and off the field of play.

WATCH: The first ever game to be streamed live from Grovehill Ballpark
by Herts Baseball News Editor

WATCH: The first ever game to be streamed live from Grovehill Ballpark


On Sunday Grovehill Ballpark hosted the British Baseball Federation Single-A National Final between the Long Eaton Storm and London Musketeers. The game was streamed live on the BBF YouTube Channel making it the first ever game to be streamed live from the home of Herts Baseball Club. The game was previously rained out on three separate occasions. This game being played on 21 October may have made history as the first game to be played so late in the season.  Usually the National Finals are played in the first half of September.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Black Barracudas win the 2018 Hunlock Series

The final and deciding round of Hunlock Series games on 14 October was postponed due to the heavy rain which made it impossible for the grounds crew to make the diamonds playable. With no more available dates, these games will not be played and the current standings are now final. This confirmed Black Barracudas as the 2018 Hunlock Series Champions.  They dominated from the very first game and are the deserved winners. 4 games back on them are the Red Roosters who finished as the runners-up after their dramatic revival in week three which saw them rise from last to second place.

Despite the rain-out, the Hunlock Series once again provided the best possible end to the British Baseball season. We saw some very high quality baseball – pitchers throwing at over 85mph, power-hitting display by Conner Brown who hit three home runs, spectacular defence including diving plays by Pete Hogg and Jarrod Pretorius, both of which were nominated for Play of the Year.  There was an international flavour with the participation of the Toulouse Astros. We hope to see them again next year.

The Hunlock Series also gave the players an opportunity to say thank you to legendary umpire, Darrin Muller (pictured above), who is retiring after 17 years during which he umpired over 2250 games including World Cup, Senior and Youth National Championships Little League, PONY, European and other games. We hope to convince him to come out of retirement from time to time for special events.

The Series saw around 100 players take part and more than 20 of them were new players who we hope to see wearing the Herts jersey when the 2019 British baseball season commences.

During the off-season Herts Baseball Club will be preparing for a very special 2019 baseball season. When we say “special”, we are not referring only to the long-awaited arrival of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees for the MLB London Series. The Club has ambitious plans for 2019 and beyond. We will keep you updated in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!

If you are not a member of the club yet, the best way to keep up-to-date is to be added to the club’s mailing list. Contact us for more details about joining the club or to subscribe to the mailing list.