Category: Falcons

by AspiDimitrov

The return of the Eagles

The last game played by the Herts Eagles was the 2010 Semi-Final in the AAA National Championships.

Herts Baseball Club officially confirmed that there will be four Herts teams entering the senior leagues of the British Baseball Federation. This means that the Herts Eagles will return to the league after missing the 2011 season. The big question for the executive board of the club was which BBF leagues should these four teams be entered in.

The club’s first team, the Herts Falcons, will be hoping for big improvement in the National Baseball League (NBL) after two difficult seasons. In 2010 the team ended the season with 9 wins 19 losses, and the win-loss record went down further in 2011 to 4-20. Judging by recently announced player acquisitions, the Falcons appear to be determined to turn their fortunes around in 2012.

The Herts Hawks will once again be entering the AA League, which is Britain’s third league tier. The Hawks roster is also expected to be in much better shape compared to last year.

The Herts Raptors will remain in the Single-A League. Last year they ended the season on a high with three wins in the last four games and they will be looking to continue that run. If they do that, theoretically they should secure a place in the postseason.

The club has experienced a substantial increase in new players joining the organisation during the close season. The size of the club’s rosters mushroomed further thanks to a large number of the club’s Under-17 players showing interest in being considered for the Herts adult teams. This meant that the club was ready to enter an additional team, signalling the return of the Herts Eagles. The Eagles first entered the league in 2009 playing in the AAA-League. The following season the team reached the AAA National Championship losing to the Oxford Kings in the Semi-Final. The Eagles did not enter the League last year reflecting the lower number of players in the Herts rosters.

But which league should the Herts Eagles go into in 2012? To decide this, the Board needed to carry out a careful analysis of the team rosters. The club has always been very successful at attracting players who have never played the game before and this trend has continued this winter. The majority of the Board agreed that two of the club’s four teams are not equipped to play higher than the Single-A League. Some of the Board members were of the opinion that the Eagles should enter the AAA League and move the Hawks down to the Single-A League, but ultimately, taking all factors into account, it was decided that the Eagles should enter the Single-A League. This means that in 2012 Herts will have a team in the NBL (first league tier), no teams in the AAA (second league tier), one in the AA (third league tier) and two teams in the Single-A (fourth league tier).

The entry of a fourth Herts team also means that the club will now be inviting candidates for the role of Manager of the fourth team.

by AspiDimitrov

Herts bring in two from across the Atlantic

 

Jake Michels was one of the leading batters for the Athletics last year

The Herts Falcons have strengthened their NBL roster further by adding Cristobal Hiche and Jake Michels, both arriving from America. Just days after announcing the arrival of Robbie Unsell, Herts have made another strong statement about their intentions for the upcoming baseball season which opens on 1 April. 

CRISTOBAL HICHE  

Cris Hiche (right) and former LA Dodgers pitcher Omar Daal (left) after a league game in the Arizona heat

Cristobal Hiche’s illustrious baseball career has seen him play at the high school, college and semi-professional league level in the USA as well as at international level representing Chile at Under-12, Under-16 and now at senior level with the National Team. In 2002 he joined the International Baseball Academy in Brazil where he played alongside the legendary Cuban player, Lazaro Vargas, who won the Olympic gold medal with the Cuba National Team twice, in 1992 and 1996. Hiche then went on to play for Glendale Community College in Arizona, followed by two seasons (2005-2007) with the Athletics in Liga Valle del Sol. Between 2008 and 2010 he played for the Sahuaripas in the Mesa Semi-Pro League alongside former or injured Minor League players trying to work their way back into the pros, as well as former MLB players such as pitcher Omar Daal, who played for the LA Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and ended his career with the Baltimore Olioles in 2003.  

Last year Hiche returned to Liga Valle del Sol playing for the Tiburones and was voted the League’s Most Valuable Player. In his career he has been used primarily as a first baseman and in the outfield.  He has not pitched since high school, but we understand that the Falcons may add him to the bullpen to give the team an additional left-handed pitcher option. Hiche was upbeat about the upcoming season despite the team having two difficult seasons in the NBL. “I am new to NBL but looking at our team and new players like Robbie, we should be fighting for the championship for sure.” He added: “The key in these leagues is being healthy and having a deep pitching rotation.” 

JAKE MICHELS

Apart form pitching Jake Michels is also expected to fill the third base position just as he did for the Athletics last year

24-year-old Jake Michels comes from New York and in the last four seasons has played for the Athletics in the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association (HVNABA). During his time in the HVNABA his primary positions have been pitcher and third base.  His career batting average with the Athletics is an impressive .391 with a slugging average of .500.  He has two home runs and that stat is likely to be much higher this year in the friendly confines of Grovehill Ballpark. Crucially his batting stats have been rising steadily over the last 4 years and he had his best offensive season last year, so it seems that the Falcons are welcoming a player whose value is rising. Last season Michels was ranked amongst the top five in Hits (2nd), Doubles (2nd), RBIs (4th). 

A statement by the Athletics on their official website confirmed the departure of Jake Michels and emphasised the pivotal role played by him adding that: “The loss of Jake Michels will be difficult to overcome.” Michels has already arrived in the United Kingdom and has started spring training with Herts in preparation for the new season. Despite spending the last four years in New York, Michels is no stranger to British baseball. He represented GB as a member of the GB U-19 National Team in 2006 and is currently being considered for the GB Under-23 squad which will be travelling to Boston later this year. 

It is clear that Michels is looking forward to the new season and looking to compete.  “I believe with the additions Herts has made the team will be, not only a playoff contender, but a contender to be there until the end. With the addition of myself, Cris, Robbie and several more players who I understand will be announced shortly, we will score a lot of runs and bring a depth of pitching to each game.” “From what I have seen so far, pitchers should not be looking forward to pitching against the top half of Herts batting lineup in 2012” said Michels. 

Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, is very pleased with these additions to the roster.  “Both Cris and Jake have settled in already and it feels like they have been part of the team for a long time” said Manning. He added: “Both have played baseball at a very high level and their experience will help our team enormously”. 

WILL YOU BE WEARING THE HERTS JERSEY IN 2012?

Herts’ recruitment efforts ahead of the new season continue and in fact new players can join at any point during the year.  The club welcomes players from complete beginners to accomplished players. 6 to 16-year-olds play for the Herts youth teams while adults (over the age of 14) play for the club’s major and minor league teams. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

by AspiDimitrov

Herts baseball teams return to Grovehill Ballpark

photo by hp2photographic.com

Report by Will Baxter, hertsbaseball.com

This weekend the Herts teams returned to Grovehill Ballpark for the first time in 2012. The last baseball game played at Grovehill Ballpark was on 9 October 2011 in the Hunlock Series. That seems a long time ago now. Although there are still 42 days left before the start of the new league season, Spring Training is well underway with a series of indoor sessions in the last few weeks.

However, there is no better feeling than going back to the ballpark.  The ground conditions may not be ideal after months in the harsh winter conditions and without cutting the grass as the heavy maintenance vehicles cannot enter the field, but the sun was out and it is starting to feel like the new baseball season is just around the corner.  

Herts baseball fans will be very pleased to learn that catcher, Dave Westfallen, returned to training after a long period on the DL with a shoulder problem.  It will take some time before he returns to full fitness but the progress is very positive.

The Herts coaches put the players through the riggers of a hard training session and finished with a scrimmage game giving the players the opportunity to go through some game situations.

by AspiDimitrov

NBL’s best pitcher joins Herts

This evening Herts Baseball Club confirmed the acquisition of pitcher and infielder, Robbie Unsell, from the Richmond Flames. This is arguably the biggest player transaction so far this winter in the National Baseball League (NBL).

The 25-year-old American who is now based in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, confirmed his decision late last night. He said: “Herts’ home ballpark has been one of my favourite places to play at since joining the League three years ago. The Club has some of the best facilities in Great Britain and fantastic organisation, which makes it a very attractive club to play for.” He added: “I am also really impressed with the club’s marketing efforts and the promotion of baseball in the UK. That’s why the prospect of playing for Herts is exciting for me.”

Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, is also excited to have Unsell in his team: “Robbie would be one of the first players in the starting lineup in any of the NBL teams, so for us this is a major boost. I am looking forward to working with him.’

Unsell makes the move to Hertfordshire as a free agent after spending the last three seasons with the Flames. During that period he has become one of the most valuable players in the NBL picking up a large collection of awards. He is considered one of the best short stops in the country and was given the NBL Short Stop Fielding Award in 2011. Last year he was also added to the Richmond pitching rotation and his performances on the mound were phenomenal. He had the lowest ERA (earned run average) of 0.90 and WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) 0.98. We have to go back to Troy Kantor of the 2008 London Mets (ERA 0.51) and Simon Pole in 2002 with the London Warriors (ERA 0.62) to see the kind of pitching stats which Robbie Unsell had last year. He deservedly received the 2011 NBL Most Valuable Pitcher Award*.

Unsell will also bring a lot to the Herts Falcons offensively. His speed around the bases has caused havoc for opponents over the years winning the Most Stolen Bases title in 2009 (21) and 2010 (23). Last year he led the league in On-Base Average (.589) and in Runs Scored (42) confirming him as one of the most dangerous lead-off men in the country. The arrival of Robbie Unsell in Hertfordshire will open up the opportunity to compare his speed with that of the 2011 MVP for the Herts Falcons, the lightning-fast Sri Lanka National team player, Mahendra Prasad.

Unsell’s time with the Flames proved to be one of the most successful periods in Richmond’s history. They won the NBL title in 2010, runner-up in 2009 and reached the postseason playoffs in 2011. Herts is one of the biggest sleeping giants in British baseball. Will Robbie Unsell’s arrival bring the same kind of success for Herts?

The Falcons have struggled in the last two years in the NBL, however Unsell sees this as an exciting challenge and an opportunity to turn the team around. ‘I honestly think that with a few additions, we can have a real positive impact on the Herts team this year’ he said.

Aspi Dimitrov, President of Herts Baseball Club, explained how significant Robbie Unsell’s arrival is for the club as a whole. He said: ‘Whether it is fans of MLB baseball clubs or Premier League football clubs, new players can bring a lot of excitement in the hope of success on the field of play. However, acquiring players like Robbie means a lot more to our club. It will add value in every department. It enables us to market our club and the game of baseball much better. Members and fans of the club can look forward to seeing the highest quality of baseball at Grovehill Ballpark. Adding such talented players will also inspire the players of the Herts youth teams to emulate them.’

Herts expect to make several other recruitment announcements shortly. Dimitrov added: ‘We are in advanced discussions with more players and we hope that Robbie will be the first of many more players to join Herts this year and for many years to come.’

WILL YOU BE WEARING THE HERTS JERSEY IN 2012?

The exciting news of adding one of the best players in the country to the Herts squad does not mean that the club will be changing its key objective of attracting new players to the game of baseball regardless of their baseball abilities. The club welcomes players from complete beginners to accomplished players. 6 to 16-year-olds play for the Herts youth teams while adults (over the age of 14) play for the club’s major and minor league teams. New players can join at any time of the year. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

*NBL statistical data courtesy of  Project COBB

by AspiDimitrov

Falcons to open 2012 NBL season at home versus Blazers

Riley Fisher at the 2009 National Championships versus Bracknell. Will the Falcons be able to get to the Finals in 2012?

The British Baseball Federation (BBF) has announced the 2012 schedule of the National Baseball League. The Herts Falcons will open the new season on 1 April 2012 at home against the Bracknell Blazers. The two teams met twice last season with Bracknell winning both games. The second game ended dramatically with a 11-10 win for the Blazers in extra innings. Will the Herts Falcons be able to start the season with a win this time around?

This season opener could prove to be a special occasion as Grovehill Ballpark will be hosting many AAA, AA and Single-A League teams on the same day as part of the 2012 Herts Spring League. There is nothing better in British baseball than a packed Grovehill Ballpark on Opening Day.

On the following weekend the Falcons travel to Waltham Abbey for a clash with local rivals, Essex Arrows. This is followed by a trip to Southampton.

8-TEAM NBL

The schedule confirms the rumours that the NBL will feature eight teams, compared to ten in 2011, due to the Mildenhall Bulldogs and the Richmond Flames withdrawing from the NBL. This leaves eight NBL teams to battle for the title. The schedule indicates that teams will play each of their seven opponents four times, two at home and two on the road. This implies a regular season of 28 games.

The regular season will feature a special NBL event on 22 July 2012 with all 8 teams battling it out at the same venue. The schedule also includes four game days with the involvement of the Great Britain Under-19 National Team. Herts Baseball News is awaiting confirmation from the BBF about whether these games versus the GB Team will count towards the league standings.

POSTSEASON

We are also awaiting news of the format for postseason qualification. The teams which reach the postseason will be involved in playoffs on 18-19 August and the winners will progress to the National Baseball Championships which this year will be decided over three days rather than two on the August Bank Holiday weekend, 25-27 August.

WEAR THE HERTS BASEBALL JERSEY IN 2012

Herts Baseball Club welcomes youth players from 6 to 16 and adult players from 14 to 50+ from complete beginners to experienced ballpalyers. New players can join at any time of the year. For more details click here for adults or here for youth players.

by AspiDimitrov

2011 Awards for Herts Adult Teams Announced

Mahendra Prasad, Nick Russell and Ken Pike picked up the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, and the performances of many other Herts players were recognised at the Herts Baseball Club’s 2011 Annual Awards. 

The end of the 2011 season seems a long time ago now, but finally the outstanding performers of last year were announced today. 

Darrin Ward featured heavily in many of the award categories for the Herts Falcons including Best Pitcher, Home Run Champion (2 HR), Batting Champion (Avg .298) and Most RBIs (15), but it was Mahendra Prasad who collected the coveted MVP trophy. At the start of the season he faced the impossible task of having to fill the centerfield position vacated by the phenomenal Dan Kerry, on paternity leave after the birth of his daughter. Prasad proved to be one of the outstanding outfielders of the National Baseball League, and probably the fastest player around, despite suffering a hamstring injury in the second half of the year.  Prasad also picked up the Outfield Gold Glove award. 

The Herts Falcons’ Infield Gold Glove went to Louis Hare while Jon Lewys picked up Most Stolen Bases (8). Liam Green made his NBL debut in 2011 and his performances including his remarkable 0.00 ERA in his two games on the mound at such young age, attracted the praise of many in British baseball.  Everyone at Herts hopes that Green will be the first of many talented players coming out of the Herts Youth academy and making their mark at the highest level of British baseball. 

Andrew Slater (centre) presents the Hawks MVP award to Nick Russell (right)

The awards event was the first opportunity for club members to see Nick and Sarah Russell after the birth of their son Luc earlier this month, who also made an appearance. Their car was significantly heavier on their return trip up the M1 as Russell scooped the Herts Hawks MVP award and the Best Pitcher Award (3 W).  It was also confirmed that Russell was voted as the MVP of the 2011 Hunlock Series. 

Jim Arnott couldn’t attend due to bereavement in his family. He was awarded the Herts Hawks Batting Champion title. The Gold Gloves went to two of the club’s most reliable players Ralph Bartholomew (Infield Gold Glove) and Matt Johnston (Outfield Gold Glove). Hawks Co-Manager, Andy Cornish, was the Home Run Champion with two dingers in 2011.  Hunter Devine drove in the most RBIs (14) for the Hawks, while Ilya Dimitrov received the Most Stolen Bases title with what must be a record 37 steals. 

In a very closely-run Herts Raptors MVP vote Manager, Ken Pike, was confirmed as the Raptors MVP and he also collected the Most Stolen Bases title.  The club does not currently have an award recognising the work of managers, but if there was one, Pike and co-Manager, John Kjorstad, would be very deserving candidates for such an award after they managed to turn the Raptors’ season around in a big way with three wins in the last four games of the league season. Kjorstad himself was the recipient of the Outfield Gold Glove and the Home Run Champion awards, while the team’s South African ace, Theo Scheepers, picked up the Infield Gold Glove and Most RBIs. 

In 2011 the Raptors received a much needed boost from two members of the Herts Baseball Academy who made their debuts in the British senior leagues.  Jose Morillo and Zack Longboy were awarded the Coach’s Award and Best Pitcher Trophy, respectively. 

Glen Downer may have joined Herts at the halfway point of the season but he certainly made his mark with the glove and with his bat in particular, bringing a lot of offensive power to the lineup. He was awarded the Herts Raptors Batting title as well as the Hunlock Series Blooper Award which was a baseball card signed by the infamous Bill Buckner of the Boston Red Sox.  This award was generously donated by Tim Elkins. Downer’s blooper could not be compared to Buckner’s costly error in game 6 of the 1986 World Series, but it certainly had comedy value as it takes something special to make an attempt to steal second base with the bases loaded. 

In the club-wide honours Troy Linton’s amazing diving catch as short stop for the Falcons against the Lakenheath Diamondbacks was chosen as the Play of the Year, and deservedly so. After that play fans and both sets of players were on their feet applauding it acknowledging the special play which they witnessed.  Rod Naghar received the honour of being the club’s Most Improved Player of 2011 and the Excellence in Leadership award went to the Dimitrov family.  Paul Curtis had numerous nominations  in the ‘Nob-Out’ category so he was odds-on to win, and he did with his ‘Bragging Matserclass’ after the Herts Hawks at Guildford Mavericks AA game.

Click here for details of the Herts Baseball Bowling Contest which was held before the awards presentation.

HERTS FALCONS
MVP Mahendra Prasad
Batting Champion Darrin Ward (.298)
Infield Gold Glove Louis Hare
Outfield Gold Glove Mahendra Prasad
Best Pitcher Darrin Ward
Most Stolen Bases Jonathon Lewys (8 SB)
Home Run Champion Darrin Ward (2 HR)
Most RBIs Darrin Ward (15 RBI)
Coach’s Award Liam Green
HERTS HAWKS
MVP Nick Russell
Batting Champion Jim Arnott
Infield Gold Glove Ralph Bartholomew
Outfield Gold Glove Matt Johnston
Best Pitcher Nick Russell (W3)
Most Stolen Bases Ilya Dimitrov (37)
Home Run Champion Andy Cornish (2)
Most RBIs Hunter Devine (14)
Coach’s Award Kal Dimitrov
HERTS RAPTORS
MVP Ken Pike
Batting Champion Glen Downer
Infield Gold Glove Theo Scheepers
Outfield Gold Glove John Kjorstad
Best Pitcher Zack Longboy
Most Stolen Bases Ken Pike
Home Run Champion John Kjorstad
Most RBIs Theo Scheepers
Coach’s Award Jose Morillo
CLUB-WIDE AWARDS
Rookie of the Year Oz Kemal
Most Improved Player Rodney Naghar
Excellence in Leadership The Dimitrov Family
Play of the Year Troy Linton
Nob-Out Award Paul Curtis – Bragging Masterclass
HUNLOCK SERIES AWARDS
Hunclok Series MVP Nick Russell
Series Blooper Award Glen Downer (stealing 2B w/bases loaded)
by AspiDimitrov

The Big Raybouldski

Herts Baseball legend, Paul Raybould, was crowned as Herts Baseball’s bowling supremo at the 2011 awards event for the three Herts adult league teams. It was also Raybould’s team, the Brewers, that won the team contest. 

These days Paul Raybould plays for the Old Timers team in the British Single-A League so it was a great pleasure for members of Herts Baseball Club to see him back with the Herts teams.  

It was highly suspicious when Raybould arrived at the Hollywood Bowl in Watford wheeling a large suitcase containing his bowling ball, bowling shoes and other performance-enhancing gizmos.  Numerous contestants submitted official complaints requesting Paul Raybould’s expulsion from the competition, but the Bowling Commissioner confirmed that his equipment met international regulations. 

Paul Raybould wearing the Herts Falcons jersey at the 2004 Division 1 National Finals

It took a few frames for him to warm up, which he attributed to the lanes being ‘very dry’ but by the fifth frame Raybould showed why he is the most feared opponent on the bowling circuit and why his bowling average is higher than his baseball batting average.  He had strikes in the next five frames to complete his first game with a score of 177.  This was a new record beating the previous record of 152 set by Tim Elkins at last year’s tournament. 

The chasing pack were given a glimmer of hope as Raybould took his foot of the pedal with a score of 111 in the second game.  Greg Bochan, Dave Smith, Paul Auchterlounie and Bobby Gould gave it a real go in a desperate attempt to catch up, but it wasn’t enough.  Gould ended the day as the runner-up with an average score of 130 over the two games and Bochan was close behind him in third place with 129. 

The Brewers won the team competition with an average of 106.6 followed by the Astros, a team featuring many of the Herts Under-17 All Stars who finished the day with 100.4 overall average. The Rockies were third (96.5) while the Expos finished in last place (91.5).  

The most improved second round score was that of Andrew Slater. He scored 134 which was a massive 50 points higher than his first round score of 84.

ASTROS GAME 1 GAME 2 AVG
Liam Green 102 112 107
Kyle Lloyd-Jones 90 94 92
Arnold Longboy 98 97 98
Zack Longboy 125 116 121
Kieran Manning 88 95 92
Cameron Manning 79 92 86
Jose Morillo 114 107 111
Lewis Green 87 100 94
Lawrence 98 113 106
TEAM AVERAGE 97.9 102.9 100.4
EXPOS GAME 1 GAME 2 AVG
Ben Marques 68 108 88
Jeff Witter 106 116 111
Lisa Witter 49 37 43
Hayley Witter 88 80 84
Aaron Witter 86 86 86
Glen Downer 110 117 114
Oz Kemal 95 106 101
Ken Pike 103 109 106
TEAM AVERAGE 88.1 94.9 91.5
ROCKIES GAME 1 GAME 2 AVG
Bobby Gould 116 143 130
Gina 69 61 65
Alex Deacon 70 86 78
Cristobal Hiche 87 83 85
Andrew Slater 84 134 109
Jen Slater 52 61 57
Chris Deacon 122 119 121
Greg Bochan 152 105 129
TEAM AVERAGE 94.0 99.0 96.5
BREWERS GAME 1 GAME 2 AVG
Dave Smith 127 110 119
Matt Johnston 90 131 111
Paul Raybould 177 111 144
Paul Auchterlounie 136 104 120
Lewis Auchterlounie 73 77 75
Janice Grzywacz  98 98 98
Tracey Manning 82 82 82
Ali Hall 87 112 100
Ilya Dimitrov 116 107 112
TEAM AVERAGE 109.6 103.6 106.6
by AspiDimitrov

Herts teams commence 2012 Spring Training

It may be cold outside but, as far as the members of Herts Baseball Club are concerned, the long dark days of winter are over.  On Sunday the Herts adult teams and Under-17 team members reported for the first Spring Training session of 2012.  Throughout January and the first half of February the Herts teams will be preparing indoors at Berkhamsted SportSpace. 

As usual in these first few weeks of Spring, the coaches put the players through their paces to rebuild physical strength and stamina and work through baseball fundamentals of the defensive and offensive aspects of the game.  Gradually the sessions will start to focus on specific positions to fine-tune the club’s pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders. 

Herts will be looking for a big improvement in the performance of all its adult and youth teams in 2012.  After the end of the 2011 season the Herts Executive Board made it a top priority to attract new players who can strengthen the club’s rosters. The club will be announcing its new players officially in due course, but all the signs are that the winter player recruitment period has been a very successful one for Herts. 

Of course the process of recruiting adult and youth team players continues and new players can join at any time throughout the year.  With its teams competing in the various major and minor leagues of British baseball, Herts is able to offer baseball playing opportunities to players of any standard from complete beginners to advanced and experienced ballplayers. For more details about joining the Herts teams, contact the club. 

Spring Training continues this Sunday and here is the list of upcoming events for the adult and U17 teams in Spring 2012.  

Note: Spring training for the Herts youth teams (6 to 16-year-olds) will commence on 12 February 2012 and new members can sign up for those sessions by contacting the club.

DAY DATE TEAMS DETAILS
Sun 08-Jan-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Spring Training (Indoor)
Sun 15-Jan-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Spring Training (Indoor)
Wed 25-Jan-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Spring Training (Indoor)
Sat 28-Jan-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A 2011 Awards and Bowling Tournament
Sun 05-Feb-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Spring Training (Indoor)
Sun 12-Feb-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Spring Training (Indoor)
Sun 19-Feb-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Spring Training
Sun 26-Feb-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Spring Training
Sun 04-Mar-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A Herts Try Outs (Adults)
Sun 11-Mar-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Spring Training
Sat 17-Mar-12 NBL Herts Spring League
Sun 18-Mar-12 NBL Herts Spring League
Sat 24-Mar-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Herts Spring League
Sun 25-Mar-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Herts Spring League
Sat 31-Mar-12 AAA / AA / A / U17 Herts Spring League
Sun 01-Apr-12 AAA / AA / A / U17 Herts Spring League
Sun 01-Apr-12 NBL BBF League Opening Day (NBL)
Sat 07-Apr-12 AAA / AA / A / U17 Herts Spring League
Sun 08-Apr-12 AAA / AA / A / U17 Herts Spring League
Sun 08-Apr-12 NBL BBF League Game Day
Wed 11-Apr-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A / U17 Wednesday Night Training
Sun 15-Apr-12 NBL / AAA / AA / A BBF League Game Day
by AspiDimitrov

2012 HSL dates announced

Herts Baseball Club has announced the dates of the 2012 Herts Spring League.  The Opening Games will be played on Saturday, 17 March 2012 and the league has been extended to four weeks this year due to the European Championships. 

This is the fifth year of the Herts Spring League (HSL).  Every year this competition keeps setting new records. Last year 20 teams entered the HSL – a new record.  The geographic spread of participating teams seems to be expanding as well, with teams as far away as Leicester and Southampton being involved. This year’s competition is set to be even bigger and teams have been keeping the Herts front office busy with enquiries over the last few months. 

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.

League Format

Teams will be placed in two or more divisions (e.g. HSL Majors and HSL Minors) based on the teams’ ranking going into the new season.  The exact format will depend on the number of teams entering the HSL and the availability of venues, therefore full details will be published when the league line-up is confirmed. 

Over the years the HSL has featured teams from the National Baseball League (NBL), AAA, AA and A-Leagues, as well as international teams such as the GB Under-19 National Team and the ASL Eagles, who won the very first edition of the HSL Majors in 2008. 

The number of team entries has been going up every year. 2008 – 10 teams, 2009 – 13 teams, 2010 – 17 teams, 2011 – 20 teams.  Can the HSL set another new record in 2012? 

There has also been interest from Under-17 (Pony) League teams who want to enter so this year the HSL expects to have U17 teams involved as well.  The high standard of most of the BBF U17 League teams will certainly enable them to compete comfortably at the level of adult teams form the AAA and AA League teams.

Schedule

The BBF announced that the NBL season will commence on 1 April 2012 which is much earlier than previous seasons due to the GB Team’s involvement in the European Championships.  The HSL schedule will be adjusted to ensure that NBL teams can complete their HSL games by Sunday, 25 March 2012.

HSL Majors

The HSL Majors involving the NBL teams will be played over two weekends (not three).   

HSL Majors (Week 1 of 2)

  • Sat, 17-Mar-12
  • Sun, 18-Mar-12  

HSL Majors (Week 2 of 2)

  • Sat, 24-Mar-12
  • Sun, 25-Mar-12  

HSL Minors

The other HSL Division(s) involving AAA, AA, A-League and Under-17 League teams will be played over three weekends, as in previous years: 

HSL Minors (Week 1 of 3)

  • Sat, 24-Mar-12
  • Sun, 25-Mar-12  

HSL Minors (Week 2 of 3)

  • Sat, 31-Mar-12
  • Sun, 01-Apr-12  

HSL Minors (Week 3 of 3)

  • Sat, 07-Apr-12
  • Sun, 08-Apr-12  

Most games will be played at Grovehill Ballparkin Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, but there will also be games at other venues around London to fit the ever increasing number of HSL games. 

You can follow all the latest HSL news on the official Herts Baseball website.

WEAR THE HERTS BASEBALL JERSEY IN 2012

Herts Baseball Club welcomes youth players from 6 to 16 and adult players from 14 to 50+ from complete beginners to experienced ballpalyers. New players can join at any time of the year. For more details click here for adults or here for youth players.

by AspiDimitrov

Herts looking for competitive edge in 2012

Lee Manning will be leading the Herts Falcons in 2012

Herts Baseball Club announced the managerial appointments for its three adult league teams as they prepare for the 2012 British Baseball season. The appointments were confirmed at the club’s Annual General Meeting which was held today in Apsley, Hertfordshire.

Lee Manning will continue at the helm of the Herts Falcons with the team looking to climb up the standings in 2012 after finishing ninth in the National Baseball League (NBL) this year. Manning who lives just a fly ball away from Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead has been with the organisation from a very young age and he is looking forward to the challenge ahead for the Falcons. It was revealed that the team has added several new names to its roster, and it will be interesting to see how they will fit into the lineup. The attraction of joining the Falcons appears to come from the fact that Herts Baseball Club is one of the largest baseball organisations in the United Kingdom in terms of size, facilities, number of adult and youth teams, players and supporters, but it hasn’t managed to become a dominant force in the NBL yet. It is a “sleeping giant”, desperate for success much in the way that the Chicago Cubs have been suffering for so long and the Boston Red Sox did right up until they ended the curse of the Bambino in 2004. There is a real opportunity for players to come in and become Herts Baseball legends and this appears to be an appealing challenge. Despite the additions of these new players, there is work still to be done and the team still has slots on its roster which need to be filled to add strength in pitching, defence and offence.

Andy Cornish
Greg Bochan

 

There is also no change for the Herts Hawks. They will once again be led by joint-managers Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan. The partnership between the two has worked very well and this is an opportunity for them to build on the progress made over the last 12 months. Like the Falcons, the Hawks also ended 2011 with a below .500 win-loss record. If the Herts Falcons succeed in adding more players to its NBL roster, it would have a positive knock-on effect with experienced players trickling down to the club’s second and third teams. It is too early to predict which team roster players will be assigned to as these decisions will be made on the basis of performance in the critical Spring Training period, but the signals coming out of Herts’ Annual General Meeting is that all the Herts teams are determined to be involved in the playoff races of all league tiers.

Arnie Longboy

Berkhamsted resident, Arnie Longboy, has been confirmed as the Manager of the Herts Raptors. Longboy has been heavily involved both as a player and coach at the club over the last few years and he will be able to count on his son, Zack, not only as a member of the Raptors’ pitching rotation, but also as his assistant. The Raptors ended the 2011 season impressively winning three out of the last four league games. The really positive news is that he will be able to count on a large number of club members including Chris Deacon, Glen Downer and John Kjorstad who have made themselves available to support Longboy in coaching and other capacities. While the Herts teams hope to get a boost out of experienced players filtering down to the Double-AA and Single-A League teams, there will be an additional fillip coming from the club’s Under-17 team players who seem to be maturing fast. Jose Morillo, Liam Green and Zack Longboy already made their mark with the adult teams this year and other U17 players are knocking on the door to do the same next season.

If the club is successful in attracting more players over the next few months, this, combined with U-17 players staring to move into the adult teams, may prompt the club to enter a fourth team into the league

Other news coming out of the Herts Baseball AGM includes the club’s exciting plans for the next wave of investment into Grovehill Ballpark. The club is expected to issue more details on this over the next few weeks in anticipation of the final outcome of its BSUK/Sport England grant application.

Herts Baseball Club welcomes youth players from 6 to 16 and adult players from 14 to 50+ from complete beginners to experienced ballpalyers. New players can join at any time of the year. For more details click here for adults or here for youth players.