Herts baseball club pitched-in to organise a successful charity fundraiser at Grovehill last week – bringing to the UK an initiative run by Major League Baseball (MLB) to fight Motor Neurone Disease.

The club welcomed up to 200 baseball fans and curious locals to the ballpark to enjoy a hotdog while watching competitive league games featuring many of the club’s international players, and take part in its charity raffle and family-friendly batting and throwing competitions.

Lou Gehrig Day is held annually across MLB to raise awareness and funding to fight the devastating degenerative condition and honour Lou Gehrig, the legendary New York Yankees star whose career and life it cut short. It’s known as ‘Lou Gehrig Disease’, or ALS, in the United States.

MLB kindly backed Herts’ efforts by donating official merchandise for its charity raffle, including several New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels jerseys.  Other prizes were generously donated by UK baseball businesses Baseball Outlet, Home Plate Cards, and The 108, as well as club members and supporters.

This created great excitement and helped to raise over £1,300. The funds will be shared between MNDA’s national office to fund medical research, and the Hertfordshire branch which supports locals living with the condition.

Playing a key role in organising the event – now in its second year at Herts – was Pete Hogg from St Albans, who plays for Herts Hawks in the British Baseball Federation AA league: “The MND Association is a charity that has been close to my heart for several years and as a lifelong baseball fan, I felt inspired to bring Lou Gehrig Day to the UK. I wanted to give back and create an opportunity for everyone to take part and do something fun.

“I’m really grateful to everyone who volunteered their time and effort, and donated prizes, food, and equipment to make it happen,” said Hogg.

“We had a fantastic mix of attendees, from family and friends of the club, to members of the public curious about baseball, and people specifically there to support the charity, which was amazing to see. Everybody made the day feel very special and I’m extra thankful too for all the donations that came from people who couldn’t make it down to the event.”

Also in attendance was Lindsey Lucas, Branch Chair at MNDA Hertfordshire, who delivered the ceremonial first pitch – a pre-game tradition where a guest of honor throws a baseball to officially start the game.

She commented: “The Hertfordshire Branch are immensely grateful to Pete Hogg and Herts Baseball Club for their efforts in organising their Lou Gehrig Day event. Events like this are a very important way of increasing awareness of MND and without the funds raised, we would not be able to fund equipment for people living with this challenging disease in Hertfordshire.”

MND is a progressive disease that affects the nerves found in the brain and spinal cord known as motor neurones. It is life-shortening and there is no cure.

To support Herts Baseball Club’s fundraising efforts please visit: https://givestar.io/gs/lou-gehrig-day-2025-at-herts-baseball-club 

Last week, Hertfordshire residents and businesses joined members of the baseball community in support of Motor Neurone Disease research for a charity event at a sunny Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. 

The fundraising event for the Motor Neurone Disease Association on Sunday 2 June attracted people from across Hertfordshire and beyond. They enjoyed hotdogs, home-baked cakes, and other food and drinks donated by volunteers and local businesses in a tremendous display of community spirit and support for a vital cause. The most intrepid took part in ice-bucket challenges.

Of course, this is a baseball club – so we had sporting challenges too. People of all ages and abilities joined in with a friendly softball match and other fun baseball games. Two of Herts’ British Baseball Federation (BBF) AA-league teams, the Hawks and the Ducks, battled it out in league games in front of a record number of spectators. Fittingly, they won one game each!

The event raised over £1,460 for the MND Association charity. It will be split between the national branch to fund medical research and the local branch to provide care and equipment for people in Hertfordshire living with MND. 

June 2nd is a significant date for Major League Baseball (MLB), as America’s top professional league marks Lou Gehrig Day each year in honour of the former Yankees star player, and the degenerative disease that bears his name.

MLB featured Herts Baseball Club on their global website in the lead up to the event and donated an array of prizes, including team hats, jerseys, and tickets to the London Series games between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies at the London Stadium, which were eagerly won by attendees. Other great prizes included a bat, donated by Baseball Outlet, batting cage time donated by The 108 in Brent Cross, and a softball signed by the Great Britain Women’s World Cup team, donated by BSUK.

The event took on an additional layer of significance as the day drew to a close, with the breaking news that another sporting legend, former Rugby League player Rob Burrow, passed away from Motor Neurone Disease.  

Event organiser for Herts Baseball Club, Pete Hogg, who also ran the inaugural Rob Burrow Marathon for MNDA in 2023, remarked: “The generosity and enthusiasm of our volunteer team and everyone who chipped in with prizes and donations made the day a roaring success. I can’t thank them all enough. We are thrilled with the turnout and that everyone had an amazing fun day.”

“Rob Burrow and Lou Gehrig are both sporting icons who share the same tragic fate at the hands of Motor Neurone Disease, but will be remembered for generations to come as inspirational figures in their respective sports. The funds raised today will make a real difference in the fight against it.”

The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Hetty Smith from the MND Association’s Hertfordshire branch, who was the guest of honour at the event. Speaking on behalf of the MND Association, she shared her gratitude: “The Hertfordshire Branch are immensely grateful to Pete Hogg for organising this event. Without the support of people like Pete and his friends, family, and colleagues, we would not be able to fund equipment for people living with this horrendous disease in Hertfordshire. Half of the funds raised will go to the National Office towards research funding which is hugely important. Events like this are also a very important way of raising awareness.”

Herts Club President Michael Cresswell added: “We are grateful to the residents of Hertfordshire and beyond for their incredible support. Whether they attended, donated, or volunteered, their contributions have made a meaningful impact in our collective fight against Motor Neurone Disease. Herts Baseball Club plans to make Lou Gehrig Day an annual event and we hope to inspire other international clubs, players, and fans to get involved and make next year even bigger.”

The successful fundraiser not only generated significant funds for MND research but also showcased the growing enthusiasm for baseball in the UK. As the sport continues to gain momentum, events like this highlight its potential to bring people together for a greater good.

To support Herts Baseball Club’s fundraising efforts please visit https://givestar.io/gs/lou-gehrig-day-at-herts-baseball-club.