Category: Adult Leagues

25 September 202425 September 2024 by Rob Jones

Old rivals see off Ravens in nailbiter

Somehow it always felt as if this match-up was inevitable. For two seasons, the Herts Ravens and the Milton Keynes Bucks have traded blows in Single-A, battling for supremacy in their division. They have broadly split their regular season series.

This year, the Ravens locked up the division in a way which meant they skipped all the postseason play-ins and qualifiers, and sat back to wait. Meanwhile, MK went through round after round with their mix of big hitting, solid fielding, and wily strategy – and it just felt as if the face-off against Herts was meant to be.

The Ravens’ ace Nic Goetz got the start in this semi-final at Farnham Park and was, predictably, dealing. The first five batters all sat down, through a mix of strikeouts, groundouts and flyouts. A single did put a runner on in the second, but another strikeout fixed that pretty quickly.

But it was the Bucks who got on the scoreboard first, with a two-out rally in the third inning. A couple of singles and a throwing error and they had scored two, with the Ravens getting one back in reply in their half.

It was in the bottom of the fourth when the Herts bats really sprang to life to seize the lead. Right fielder Dan Taylor got aboard to get it started, and Henry Bell got his second hit of the day. Third base stalwart Greg Bochan drove in two with a triple to centre field. Then lefty slugger Zak Beller promptly managed to one-up him with an inside the park home run.

It was a maximum 5-run inning and a real statement from the Ravens. But these two teams are evenly matched and it was never going to be the last word.

The one moment of controversy and confusion arose in the top of the fifth, and it was a clear setback for Herts. With an MK runner on base, who had reached through an error, a ball was hit down the third base line. The feeling of everyone was that it had gone foul, but it was ruled fair. Once the ball was recovered, the batter was safe and the runner had scored. The Bucks capitalised on the moment, and soon they’d tied the game.

More hits for Gilberto Medina, Taylor, Bell, and a run from Andrew Slater created from a walk and steals, helped Herts get their nose back in front. Goetz had struck out 5 and walked none in another epic performance.

But somehow momentum seemed to be swinging against them. MK took a 9-8 lead and the Ravens were held scoreless for the first time since the second inning.

They would get one more chance in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, and came supremely close.

Dan Taylor got on base again. With two outs, Nic Goetz — who by now had thrown 149 pitches, 100 of them for strikes — helped keep the game alive with a single to bring Taylor home. Matt Lewis pinch-ran and stole a base, and the man who had been the Ravens’ leadoff sparkplug all year, Hunter Devine, singled.

So with the tying runs on base, Greg Bochan drove one high out to right field. A running, shoe-string catch from the Milton Keynes outfielder was all that kept Herts from levelling the score. Maybe those fates who brought these two teams together had decided it was MK who should progress, by a score of 11-9.

*The two teams relaxing together after the game*

All the heroes for the Ravens in 2024 remained heroes – including the co-manager and chief scorer Matt Bell; fan extraordinaire Debra who provided cookies and vocal support; and team mascot Tess.

Everyone was gutted by the result, but delighted by the 15-3 season. Several Ravens were on the BBF leaderboards – Zak Beller for home runs, Hunter Devine for stolen bases, and Nic Goetz for ERA.

The team can be proud of its achievements again, and looks forward to more adventures in 2025.

14 September 202424 September 2024 by Greg Bochan

Players have started registering for the 2024 Hunlock Series

The 2024 BBF season has had its climax but, whether your team made it to the Playoffs or not, arguably the best part of the season is still to come.

Every year, after the end of the BBF season and just when the MLB postseason is about to start, players from Herts and other British baseball clubs – as well as overseas players – compete over several weeks in a tournament in memory of Herts Baseball Club’s number 36, the late Kyle Hunlock.

SERIES FORMAT

This is the 18th year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. The format of the competition has evolved since then. The club has over 170 registered adult players this year and a considerable number of new players are expected to register to play in the Series. As players sign up over the next few weeks we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

SCHEDULE

It will be played over three Sundays on 29 September, 6 and 13 October.

VENUES

Games will be played at two ballparks – weeks 2 and 3 at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, and the opening week at Basing Hill Ballpark in London (both pictured above).

WHO CAN PLAY?

Any players aged 14 and over on 31 December 2024 are eligible to play in the Hunlock Series.

THE DRAFT

As in previous years, the teams will be selected by the team managers during the Hunlock Series Draft. Who will be the first round picks? How will Single-A league players and newcomers perform alongside NBL and Triple-A players?

Over the years we have seen how decisions made during the Draft can shape the outcome of the Series before a pitch has been thrown. The managers will have to make carefully calculated decisions if they are to put together a team which can compete for the Hunlock Series title, otherwise they could face a tough few weeks.

With all of the club’s managers and coaching staff observing these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity during the Hunlock Series to make a claim to play on the bigger stage in 2025.

NEW PLAYERS

The club has also received enquiries from many potential new members over the last few weeks and this event is the ideal opportunity for them to come and play and help them decide whether to join the club for the 2025 season.

HOW TO REGISTER

All Hunlock Series players will be drafted into teams. To be eligible for the Draft you will need to update your availability for ALL the Hunlock Series dates in the online Clubhouse by 7pm Monday, 23 September. If you miss the deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. You will still be eligible to play but will have to be assigned as a free agent after the Draft.

If you already have a Clubhouse account you can update availability for the Hunlock Series dates by logging on with your existing username and password. Click here to go to the Clubhouse.

If you do not have a Clubhouse account but wish to play in the Hunlock Series, please register here and select “Play Hunlock Series” in the membership category list. After registering you can log on and mark your availability.

ENTRY FEE

2024 Herts club members do not have to pay an entry fee as the Hunlock Series is part of their membership package. If you don’t have a Hunlock Series team shirt, you can buy one before your first game. The team shirt is expected to be priced at around £10.

New players or players from other clubs can play by paying the £24 entry fee which includes a free Hunlock Series shirt of the team which has drafted them.

ENQUIRIES FROM NEW PLAYERS

For more details about playing in the Hunlock Series, contact us.

11 September 202411 September 2024 by Rob Jones

Cardinals go down swinging

“One swing of the bat” has always seemed like a misleading phrase, as nothing in baseball is ever that simple. It’s a bit like saying only the last metre of an Olympic sprint final matters. But that one home run swing felt really crucial in the Herts Cardinals’ first playoff game on Saturday (September 8th).

After a 15-9 season, the Cardinals had reached the postseason. They walked over the Long Eaton Storm to secure a qualifier at Finsbury Park against the Essex Saxons.

By the bottom of the third, Herts were down 1-0. A strikeout and flyout meant they had two out. But there were two men on base. And when catcher Conner Brown connected on a pitch, it was a booming no-doubter towards centre field.

Brown’s home run put the Cards 3-1 up and they didn’t look back. He racked up a fourth RBI in the bottom of the fifth when his groundout brought in Tyler Cote who had reached with one of his two hits. Mike Cresswell drove in the fifth run in the next inning.

And that was enough to back up Cote’s impressive outing on the pitching mound. He yielded only one hit, walked four and struck out nine for the complete game victory.

*The Cardinals in action at Finsbury Park (pic. Mike Cresswell)*

A tidy morning of work for the Cardinals. But in the playoff schedule, that put them straight back into action in the afternoon in a quarter final facing the London Metros.

The first inning was pretty clean for both teams, then Herts threatened in the top of the second. Conner Brown scored the first run, driven in by Bob Laflamme. But the Metros were able to limit the damage to just that singleton, and they scored a pair of two-out runs in reply in their half to take the lead.

Tyler Dale was pitching a gem for the Cardinals, and scattered six hits while striking out three. But London were able to stretch their lead in the third inning to 5-1 and were staying strong. Cardinals bats made good contact but line drives and fly balls always found a fielder.

Going into the seventh and final inning, Herts needed a rally and Vytas Macenas started it off with a single. A hit by pitch got a second man on. But by the time Macenas came round to score there were two out, and a final flyout sealed the Metros’ win.

This has been another another tremendous season for the Cardinals, and a playoff win is a further step forwards. They will return reinvigorated in 2025.

*MK facing London at Grovehill (pic: Rob Jones)*

Over at Grovehill on Saturday, Herts were hosting a round of Single-A playoff games for the British Baseball Federation (BBF). The games were all close, with Milton Keynes Bucks 2, Bracknell Phoenix, and Guildford Millers running out as winners.

The Sunday was due to see Double-A playoffs at the field, but overnight rain and a fresh downpour in the morning threatened to derail things badly. Teams were coming from all over the country, with Bootle Trojans the first to arrive before 8:30.

Rather than see the visitors waste their long trips, the Herts ground crew performed miracles to mop, rake, dry and mark the diamonds ready for baseball. Some sponges and kitty litter also played a part, as did visiting players. The club is immensely grateful to all of them!

Wragby, Richmond, Leeds and London were the winners. The playoffs continue this weekend and beyond.

Cardinals in 2024 action (photo: Herman Ng)

26 August 202425 September 2024 by Rob Jones

Cards start their playoff run; Ravens wait in the wings

The Herts Ravens and the Herts Cardinals now know what September holds for them as they enter the British Baseball Federation (BBF) post-season.

In the Triple-A league, the Cardinals’ 15-9 record put them in the first round of wildcard playoffs. They claimed victory over the Long Eaton Storm on Sunday September 1st because their opponents could not muster a full team and had to forfeit.

The next hurdle is the Essex Saxons, who they face on Saturday September 7th at Finsbury Park. First pitch is at 11am. The two teams split their season series, so look evenly matched.

If they win that, the Cardinals leap straight back into action at 2 o’clock that afternoon at the same venue, facing the London Metros. We are cheering them on all the way!

The Herts Ravens of Single-A ended their regular season with two narrow defeats by the MK Bucks, their closest challenger in their division all year. The two teams split their series of games over the season but the Ravens had locked up the division and take the number 2 seed nationally based on their 15-3 record.

Last year, they had to clock up the miles to play back-to-back playoff games, the last of them in Cardiff.

But in 2024, the Ravens’ seeding means they go straight into the final weekend. On Saturday September 21st they will be the home team in semi-final 1 at Farnham Park. They would be the home team for the final there the next day if they win through, so we are already anticipating some walk-off drama!

Elsewhere in Single-A, the Herts Buzzards closed their regular season with victory in a high-scoring hit-fest against the Essex Redbacks. The teams shared out 30 hits between them, and the Buzzards ended with a 14-13 win and a pitching victory for Declan Carlean.

The Herts Eagles ended with a tough visit to Finsbury Park. They played well, but an injury and admin issues led to an unsatisfactory final day.

*Essex Arrows secure the NBL pennant (pic: Henry Bell)*

There is plenty of activity at Grovehill Ballpark throughout September for anyone wanting to get their baseball fix. Our excellent facilities and fields allow us to host games for a range of other teams – and volunteers are always welcome to help us put on the events!

There were a final round of NBL games there on September 1st, as they wrapped up their regular season and decided playoff placings. Essex Arrows secured the league title. On September 7/8th there are quarter finals for the Single-A and Double-A leagues, and then a further fixture on the 15th.

Our youth players have also returned to action, after the separate summer camps which ran during July and August (which, we are delighted to say, attracted some new talent to the club).

There is training at both Basing Hill and Grovehill on August 31st, with activity combined at Basing Hill the following week. This is all building up to the Youth Baseball National Championships (YNBCs) at Farnham Park. The U-10s and U-12s are there on September 14th, with the U-15s and U-18s following up on September 21st.

*Herts has a long pedigree at YNBCs – this is from 2014*

Hawks walk-off leads the way in weekend of big wins

13 August 202413 August 2024 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hawks walk-off a highlight in weekend of big wins

by Ken Pike and Rob Jones

The Herts Hawks of the AA-league went into their final double-header of the regular season knowing that a win might secure them a playoff berth. It would depend on other results, thanks in part to a number of teams falling foul of the forfeit rules. But the first task is to beat the team in front of you.

The Norwich Iceni, being tough competition, would not have been the Hawks’ opposition of choice under a beating hot sun at Grovehill. The Hawks went for it full throttle from the first inning of Game 1 when the first two pitches resulted in outs.

This was the start of a close and fast game with defence on both sides being highly effective. Norwich took the lead after two, but the Hawks kept chipping away and held the visitors to zeroes in most innings.

In the end, after more than 2 hours in the baking dust, it came down to the last inning with the Hawks behind by 1 run.

Ken Pike dropped a bunt and got on first thanks, in part, to a slip by the pitcher. He promptly worked his way to second where a hit from Dale Hardwick brought him round with another error from Norwich. The pressure was telling. Hardwick, now on first, made his own call for lightning-fast rookie Kobby Darteh to come in as a pinch runner.

The youngster said thanks by stealing second before Gio Basilea stepped to the plate and, a couple of swings later, launched a ball deep into the outfield. Darteh’s first and only contribution to the game became the winning run sending the Hawks into cheers. Pike took the pitching win, scattering 8 hits and striking out 6.

The second game was a similarly edgy affair, with Basilea and then Lee Manning sharing the duties on the mound. Harry McMenamin drove in two, while Jack O’Brien hit a double. But the heat was taking its toll and in the end Norwich built up a lead that despite a late surge proved to be just enough to clinch the win 8-5.

On Saturday, the Herts Buzzards of Single-A had secured the first big headline of the weekend. They took a dramatic win at Grovehill against MK Bucks, one of the powerhouses of the division. It was a game with lots of traffic on the basepaths, with Herts’ Declan Carlean, Danny Preston and Lee Dunn racking up multiple hits.

The Buzzards had edged ahead 12-11 entering the final inning. Then Dunn locked down the complete game win from the mound, his 100th pitch a fly-out to seal victory. MK had their revenge in Game 2, but the Buzzards can be proud of a great win.

Their Single-A stablemates, the Herts Eagles, came away from their Sunday trip to Richmond with a sweep. They beat the Dukes 11-3 and 17-7, with Danny Chan and Ben Myzer the winning pitchers and there was praise from the team for their solid work.

First baseman Neil Chilton got the Eagles’ fielding highlight of the day, ending the third inning with an unassisted double play to end the threat of a Richmond rally. Gregoire Iseli and Ahmed Hassan led the offense. The Eagles are finishing the season strong.

The Herts Ravens’ unbeaten record finally fell in Game 2 of their double-header at MK Bucks on Sunday. The home side hung on for a 16-15 victory on a very hot day which drained everyone’s energy.

But the Ravens’ 9-4 win in Game 1 had secured them the division title for the second year in a row. Nic Goetz sparkled as always on the mound, guest star Danny Preston bashed a home run, and Hunter Devine did everything across the two games – as catcher, outfielder, batter and base-stealer.

The club’s expert statisticians say the Ravens had actually been on a 34-game regular season unbeaten run. That’s pretty extraordinary, and the team feel well poised for the Single-A playoffs, whatever that might bring.

All box scores can be found at the British Baseball Federation website.

28 May 202428 May 2024 by Rob Jones

Ravens sweep up in Essex

The Herts Ravens continued their unbeaten start to the season, when they visited the Essex Redbacks in Chelmsford on Sunday (26th May). But it was not all plain sailing.

Herts opened up Game 1 with a single and a steal from Hunter Devine, who was then driven in by a double from Zak Beller. So far, so normal. Beller came around to score, too.

The Ravens ace pitcher, Nic Goetz, was on the mound. He racked up three strikeouts in the first two frames. Again, pretty normal. But Essex also got three hits and a walk in the early innings – pretty unusual. And the Herts bats just weren’t able to get good contact against the Redbacks’ starter Ben Brett.

After four innings, the Ravens led 2-1, and it was time for a manager’s pep talk. The team’s defense had helped keep things that tight – with Greg Bochan at third base making a series of strong throws to narrowly get runners at first.

Now, at last, Herts strung together some hits. Sony Lama drove a triple out to right field – by far the best hit of the day. Zak Beller followed up with a single, and went 3-for-4 on the day. Andrew Slater singled, too, and 3 runs crossed to pad the lead.

Goetz gave up one more walk but also rediscovered the legendary zip on his fastball. He also fielded his position brilliantly and helped prevent any sort of Essex rally. He had gritted through for the win, with the final score 6-1.

Game 2 saw patient at-bats and strong hits from the visitors from the very start, and the first maximum 5-run inning of the day. Slater brought his famous curveball to work, and a groundout, a strikeout and a pop-out expertly taken by catcher, Devine, quickly ended a scoreless first.

Slater was supremely efficient, with the record showing he threw 30 pitches – 21 for strikes. And he was backed up by the Ravens offense. New recruits Lewis Auchterlounie and Matt Lewis worked walks and scored runs, as they blended well with the veterans of the team.

And again the defense stood firm. Zak Beller took an impressive catch when a bloop hit threatened to fall in the dead zone behind shortstop and second. And Henry Bell – who closed out the game with an 8-pitch clean inning – ended it all with a smooth-as-silk snaring of a sharp comebacker, and a throw to first. This one ended 20-0.

Essex were genial hosts on a day which swung from hot sunshine to heavy showers, and the game was played in a good spirit, peppered with one-liners from the umpire. On Sunday the Ravens head to Milton Keynes for the first time this year to face a team which pushed them all the way to the division title last season.

12 April 202412 April 2024 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Cresswell takes over as President

Herts Baseball Club is delighted to announce the appointment of long-time player, coach and cheerleader Mike Cresswell as our new President.

He adds a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the Executive Board as the club moves into 2024 and beyond.

Mike joined Herts as an 18 year old equipped with, as he puts it, “a plastic glove and a keen interest in the sport”. In the years since, he has developed not only as a baseball player but as a crucial figure in the club.

He played for the Raptors in Single-A, moving onto become their co-manager. In that role, he helped lead them to a famous playoff victory over the defending champions Tonbridge in 2016. Mike moved on to Double-A with the Hawks, Triple-A with the Londoners and then — inevitably — the Falcons of the NBL. In 2024, he’s a Cardinal.

But his contributions have gone way beyond that. Mike has run midweek training sessions at Grovehill for some time now, helping to bring on new recruits and get them ready for competitive baseball. And he has always been there to cheer on other Herts teams at every opportunity.

Applying for the vacant President’s role, Mike Cresswell offered passion, loyalty, and ideas for the way forward. The hope is to lay the foundations for a women’s baseball team, and to build from the ground up with teams full of good chemistry.

The new Herts President said: “This is a club that I hold very close to my heart. To give back, to not only Herts but the baseball community as a whole, is an opportunity that I welcome with both arms.”

“I look forward to this role, and watching Herts grow and build as part of the British Baseball landscape.”

The Herts adults teams are in action for the first time this weekend in the BBF leagues. The Ducks go first, travelling to Norwich on Saturday. Everyone else follows on the Sunday.

The youth players are at Farnham Park on Saturday to take part in the first BBF Super League event of 2024.

5 March 202412 April 2024 by Herts Baseball News Editor

13 teams take part in the 2024 Herts Spring League

Herts Baseball Club can announce that 13 teams have entered this year’s Herts Spring League (HSL). The teams come from across a range of British baseball leagues including the Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A Leagues.

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 seventeenth year of the HSL.

This year’s teams are:

Schedule and Format

The action will take place at both Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead and Basing Hill Ballpark in north west London.

The HSL will be played over three weekends commencing on the 24 March and ending on 7 April. The format and full game schedule are expected to be announced shortly and hertsbaseball.com will bring this and all other HSL news as they happen.

29 January 20245 February 2024 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Going under cover

The phrases “if you build it” and “people will come” have a magic resonance in the world of baseball.

And so they must have drifted through the minds of two Herts baseball club veterans when they saw their vision of an indoor baseball and softball venue open at Brent Cross this past week. The 108 London is a first in the UK, and the biggest such centre in Europe.

Its creators, Mike Wakelam and Max Trautman, have been part of Herts for more years than we’d like to say. Their wisdom and enthusiasm – not to mention a little bit of skill – have left a lasting mark on the club. Together they oversaw the youth programme for a long time. Rifle through our photo archive on Flickr and they feature often.

Mike and Max overseeing a youth session in 2017

Now they have made a mark on the wider world of British baseball. The 108 is a purpose-built indoor venue with a neat, full-size infield. It had its gala opening this past week, with the backing of MLB, Barnet Council, and the developers of the Brent Cross Town project.

There are batting cages with computer technology which allows you to check your progress in detail. There are bullpens for pitchers and catchers to hone their craft. And there is a bar and barbecue, with games on TV screens.

Herts players have already been taking advantage of the facilities, with regular training sessions on a Thursday evening. Members of the Herts Cardinals, Herts Ravens — as well as the Herts Raptors who are based in Hemel Hempstead – are among those who have been there to work out.

Baseball Softball UK (BSUK), the development agency for the sports, has already made extensive use of the manicured indoor green fields. In England in January, going under cover is the best way to play. They hosted a two-day clinic for coaches this weekend, with World Series winner and current Miami Marlins coach Jon Jay among those sharing their expertise. And yes, Herts coaches were there.

Mike Wakelam told the BBC why he wanted to create the space: “I’ve been passionate about baseball and softball since I was a child, and I wanted somewhere people could enjoy the game and help it grow. The barbecue and bar is part of that, because you want the game to grow socially, and let people have a hit and have a drink with friends!”

MLB Europe described the barbecue offerings at The 108 as “mouth-watering”. Batflips and Nerds, the premier British baseball podcast and website, called the whole facility “absolutely incredible”. Barnet’s council member for sports, Ammar Naqvi, said it provided an exciting, fun place for local residents to meet and new ways for people to get active.

Herts — which has its Basing Hill field close by – very much shares the aim of growing the game of baseball wherever we can.

Players are continuing sessions at The 108 in the coming weeks, and do get in touch with us if you want to know more. We are hopeful that the club can organise training there, too, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, a number of indoor sessions have been arranged at other venues:

Youth: Saturday 17th February and 9th March, 1-3pm, JFK Catholic School, Hemel Hempstead

Adults: Sunday 18th February and 10th March, 12-2pm, JFK Catholic School, Hemel Hempstead

Adults: Sunday 4th February, 12-2pm, Ark Elvin Academy, Wembley

We look forward to seeing you all soon to play baseball (under cover, it’s cold outside!). And before you know it the sunshine and the season will be here.

2 December 20234 December 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

2023 Season Review

The following article was featured in Herts Baseball Club’s 2023 Annual Report distributed to club members ahead of its annual general meeting held on 26 November 2023.

It has been another record year for our club growing by 16% and we now have 248 adult and youth members. This has enabled us to have one or more teams at each of the four adult league tiers and in all four youth league age divisions. Substantial investment has gone into upgrading both ballparks and facilities and we are in a strong position to go further in the coming years after adding new revenue streams which increase our healthy cash reserves. MLB and other strategic partners have recognised us as an organisation they can work with and we hosted two MLB events – one in Hemel Hempstead and one in London. There are exciting opportunities on the horizon.

This would not be possible without the hard work, care and dedication of board and non-board staff, and the wider membership. We have been receiving very positive feedback from club members, parents and fans and I would like to join them in thanking you, the members, for your incredible contribution.

Adult Baseball

In 2022 we saw the unusual scenario of having one team in the Triple-A League and our other four teams all in Single-A. This year, the number of teams increased from five to seven and the allocation of teams was more balanced – one team in the NBL, one in Triple-A, two in Double-A and three in Single-A. From previous years we know that moving up the leagues is not an easy step to take. It became even more difficult when, after submitting the league entries in January, the Hawks lost five or six players from their strong 2022 roster and a similar number of new experienced players who were expected to strengthen the Ducks, withdrew their club registration shortly after registering due to change of circumstances. That had a significant effect on the competitiveness of those two teams in Double-A.

Despite this being an expansion season, the Cardinals, Raptors and Ravens achieved a considerable improvement with a combined record of 42 wins and 30 losses (.583) compared to 29 wins and 49 losses (.372) in 2022.

Cardinals and Ravens qualified for the Triple-A and Single-A postseason, respectively, reaching the semi-final stage which is an outstanding feat.

Falcons and the NBL Pilot Project

After a one year absence, the Herts Falcons were back in Britain’s top league. In addition to the return of a number of former Falcons players, we saw a large number of talented young players with international experience with the various Great Britain national teams.

There were games when the team showed that they can compete against the best NBL teams, but at the end we have to give credit to our opponents and accept that the Falcons did not do enough to stay in the playoff race.

But there is no doubt about the enormous potential of this group of young players not only to close the gap on the leading NBL teams but to overtake them in the coming years.

There was a recognition of this when Falcons third baseman, Jack Warrington, was selected as the only British player among the top 90 young European prospects to take part in the MLB Development Tournament during the MLB London Series in front of the MLB scouts.

The return of the Falcons to the NBL was in conjunction with the club’s Pilot Project which had the aim to increase the number of fans and provide a more immersive game day experience.

Despite operating on a limited budget, we sold a total of 284 tickets for the four NBL home games. The total included a number of complimentary tickets given to local primary schools and an organisation which supports people in Dacorum facing homelessness or social exclusion.

The department made a small profit. It would have been interesting to see what the results would have been if the team’s win-loss percentage was higher and had avoided some of the blow-out losses.

The project achieved most of the goals which were set, including:

Falcons’ return to the NBL
Grow the club’s fan base
Increase attendances at home NBL games
Increase publicity and media coverage
Raise the club’s profile
Inspire more children and adults to play baseball and join Herts

Youth Baseball

The Herts youth baseball programme grew again this year setting another record high.

The club was represented in all four age brackets of the national youth baseball championships picking up a silver at U19 level and two bronze medals for the U16s and U11s.

There is still a gap between our youth teams and the leading youth programme, but that gap is getting smaller every year.

The coaching staff deserve a lot of praise for raising the standard further and providing more playing opportunities, some of which were added extras on top of the membership packages.

Coach Lee Manning once again ran the midweek youth baseball sessions in Hemel Hempstead and coach Stephen Wong added ten summer holiday sessions and four April half-term sessions. The Basing Hill branch also added twelve midweek evening sessions to the calendar.

U13 players also had the opportunity to work with coach Monte Brooks from The Master’s University, California who have seen a number of their players play in MLB.

Like any organisation, there will be hurdles that we need to overcome. This year, a large number of U11 players in Hemel Hempstead made the transition to U13 leaving a lower number of players in that U11 group. That made it difficult for U11 coaches to run regular season games. Although the size of our programme is at a record high, we are still slightly short of the level needed to run local league play in every age group on our own. Disproportionate fluctuations in numbers from one year to the next can leave one or more age groups vulnerable so we need to keep pushing for growth to reach the scale which will ensure stable regular season game schedule.

This year it was very satisfying to see the work of the youth baseball staff in the previous three years show results with many Herts youth players starting their transition to adult league baseball with the Hawks and in the Hunlock Series.

I must give a special mention to the parents. They see that the club is looking to build something special and provide children with lifelong memories and they have become very involved supporting all aspects on and off the field, from coaching and umpiring to concessions and field maintenance.

Financials

The club continues to be in a healthy financial position. We were able to avoid any major increases in membership fees this year. However, we are operating in difficult economic conditions with high inflation. We need to do our best to keep baseball affordable while continuing our prudent management of the club’s finances. There will be some cost pressures which we will not be able to avoid and club members also will have to adapt to the new membership fee structure which the BBF is about to announce for 2024.

Ballparks

In 2022 the club was awarded £2,851 match-funding from the BSUK Facilities Fund to be invested in improvements at Grovehill Ballpark with a total cost of £5,851. The first stage of the work involving the installation of mound clay blocks for both pitching mounds at Grovehill was completed in 2022. The main part of the project involved verti-draining, overseeding, top dressing and other procedures to improve the playing surface on both diamonds. It was scheduled for Spring 2023.

Our contractors struggled to time the project due to heavy flooding in the Spring followed by a very dry spell which made the ground too hard for the spikes to penetrate the soil. As a result, it was implemented in September 2023 and grooves of newly grown grass could be seen during the Hunlock Series games in October (see photo above).

We had wonderful support from Dacorum Borough Council who assigned two additional rooms to us.

They also re-painted all our rooms and installed new female and male toilets and washing facilities.

The club also acquired a new paint-based line-marking machine for Grovehill.

We completed the second phase of the Basing Hill Ballpark project with the installation of the infield perimeter fence.

Thanks to the Brent Cross Town Community Fund £2,632 award we were able to fund the purchase of a baseball pitching machine for Basing Hill which means that now both ballparks have one.

It is important that we increase awareness about ballpark and facilities operational and maintenance procedures and train the designated team supervisors so that we can ensure that our ballparks are kept at the highest standard year after year.

Media and IT

Our media operations continue to be among the best in British baseball, with the club and its members featured by various media organisations and publications.

The number of followers of our various media channels continues to grow at a good rate.

We saw an increase in quality and volume of video content on our YouTube channel which members and other followers enjoyed this year.

As always, our IT Director, Greg Bochan, was hard at work keeping the club’s IT infrastructure running, integrating all of its separate components to work smoothly with each other and enabling us to do things which would be impossible without this technology.

Events

Our club’s reputation for having some of the best ballparks in the UK and being able to host high profile events is paying off as we had the honour of hosting two MLB events around the MLB London Series. The first was the MLBPAA Youth Clinic featuring World Series winners, David Eckstein and Jake Arrieta, running a clinic with 60 kids from British baseball clubs around the UK.

The second was the MLB First Pitch event at Grovehill for around 200 pupils from local primary schools.

There was no Herts Futures Tournament in 2020 and 2021 but it is starting to regain momentum with the number of teams increasing from eight in 2022 to twelve this year.

The season would not be complete without the Hunlock Series. It also gave us an opportunity for all our adult teams to remember club member Dan Gipple who passed away this year.

British Baseball

Momentum is continuing to gather for baseball in the UK. The Great Britain National Team overcame the odds at the World Baseball Classic and secured a place in the next edition in 2026 without having to go through the qualifying stage.

British coach Liam Carroll was appointed as the manager of the Boston Red Sox’s Single-A affiliate.

The MLB London Series was back. In 2024 we will welcome the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.

2024

I expect to have a number of personal commitments coming up as we go into 2024. Although I will still be able to perform office-based roles such as Treasurer and Secretary, this will affect my ability to cover some of my other roles such as events and facilities manager. I am also mindful of the fact that I have been a board member of the club since 2004 and it may be appropriate for club members and the board to have the opportunity, periodically, to consider whether they wish to appoint different persons in the roles which I am covering at present. The last time I stepped down from my roles was in 2015 and perhaps now is a good time to do that again.

If no candidates are appointed at the upcoming AGM and if the board decides not to co-opt others to these roles, I would be very happy to be co-opted again to roles which I am able to perform in 2024, if the board decides that this is in the club’s best interest. Whatever the decision of club members and the board, I will of course be very keen to ensure the best possible transition and hand-over of roles which are assigned to others in 2024.

We have grown from having one adult team with 19 members playing on one diamond in 2004 to an organisation with around 250 adult and youth players today and three diamonds – two in Hemel Hempstead and one in NW London.

These are exciting times for our club and its members and there is enormous potential and opportunities to continue growing and developing the club as we strive to get to the next level.

Aspi Dimitrov

President