Category: Club News

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts submits motions to the British Baseball AGM

The MLB and MiLB Winter Meetings in America are enormous conventions held over a large number of indoor venues and arenas, bringing all members of the industry together

The final baseball games of 2013 will be played this Sunday as the Hunlock Series reach their climax. While activities on the field slow down after this weekend, off the field winter is an exciting period for British baseball. This is the time when the British Baseball Federation (BBF) and the member clubs hold their annual general meetings and carry out the planning and preparatory work which will shape the British baseball leagues in 2014 and beyond.

The BBF recently announced that its AGM will be held on 9 November 2014 in Leicester. As part of that process member clubs have the opportunity to nominate candidates for BBF Board positions, candidates for Life Members, propose constitutional amendments and submit motions to the AGM.

We have received a copy of the motions submitted by Herts Baseball Club and they are listed below.

MOTION 1: Add Under-11 division to the BBF postseason and National Baseball Championships.

MOTION 1 BACKGROUND: The number of teams in this age group is growing (6 U11 teams entered the Herts Futures Tournament in 2013) and it can be promoted further by adding it to the BBF postseason and NBCs in the same way as the U17 and U14 age groups. This would also help increase attendance at the NBCs.

MOTION 2: Change regular season game format in the Single-A League, from single 9-inning games to doubleheaders (two 5-inning games with 10-run mercy-rule after 4 innings). Any one pitcher cannot pitch more than 7 innings over the two games of the doubleheader.

MOTION 2 BACKGROUND: With many beginners playing at Single-A League level, adopting this format could help teams (i) develop more pitchers (ii) give managers more flexibility to give game time to bench players while maintaining competitiveness (iii) with no independent umpires at this level, a player can umpire one game and still play in the second.

MOTION 3: From the start of the 2015 season all clubs with an NBL team must have at least one active youth team. Their NBL team will be demoted to the next league tier if they fail to meet this requirement.

MOTION 3 BACKGROUND: All of the country’s leading clubs must have a youth programme in order to (i) become more stable organisations (ii) grow their membership and fan base (iii) improve their financial position (iv) develop and feed more players into the youth leagues, senior leagues and the GB national teams (v) promote and grow the sport in their region. Once they realize the incredible benefits of adding a youth programme, clubs will be grateful that the BBF prompted them to make this step.

MOTION 4: From the start of the 2016 season all clubs with a AAA-League team(s) must have at least one active youth team. Their AAA team(s) will be demoted to the next league tier if they fail to meet this requirement.

MOTION 4 BACKGROUND: See supporting information for Motion 3.

MOTION 5: All disciplinary actions (fines, suspensions etc) and player transactions (transfers) to be published on the BBF website.

MOTION 5 BACKGROUND: The objective is to increase transparency, make disciplinary actions more effective which would also help protect umpires. Publishing this information would also provide more talking points and can enhance the media coverage of British Baseball.

MOTION 6: The existing special relaxation of the balk rule for U17 games to apply to U17 regular season games only. This special relaxation of the balk rule shall not apply in the U17 League postseason, when the standard balk rule as per MLB rulebook shall be in force.

MOTION 6 BACKGROUND: The relaxation of the balk rule has some benefits during the regular season as new/younger pitchers are introduced to the rules of U17 league baseball for the first time. However, by the time we reach the postseason, pitchers would have had sufficient time to learn and comply with the balk rule as applied by MLB.

We would be interested to hear the views of Herts fans, as well as other baseball fans, on the motions submitted by Herts Baseball Club. You can post your comments on the Herts Facebook Page.

 

 

by Ken Pike

September blues? Not this time.

 

Raptors celebrate making post season
The Herts Raptors celebrated a successful season despite losing their last game.

By Ken Pike

Well that’s it, another season said and done for the Raptors. Time to pack our backs, go home for a long off-season and chill ou….wait…what? Finals? Funny guy, pull the other one. Oh, you’re serious? Well I never! The erstwhile ‘Craptors’ have shed  the mantle of rubbishdom in exuberant style and made it to the post season. This is a team that three years ago struggled to get any wins and now they are through to Farnham Park! Not as a wildcard either, but as one of the top two seeds. Probably second, as the Marauders at the time of writing need 1 win from their last two. While Milton Keynes could give them a run for their money it would be a BIG upset were they to lose to the 2sox (and I mean no offense to Leicester who have played with heart and soul, but not the same level of success as the Marauders).

Either way that means a first round bye, home field advantage in the semi finals on September 7th. If they get to the finals they would also enjoy homefield advantage against any team except (possibly) the Marauders. Admittedly there were a couple of stumbles along the way. Mid season saw a run of two defeats to sister-team the Eagles (congrats to them for a very respectable four wins from the season) and pool rivals the MK Coyotes, while the end of the season saw them trip up again in the last two games against the Dukes and Tonbridge. But despite those blips they have also beaten each of the other pool leaders, and every second placed team bar the Dukes as well so they can go to Farnham confident of being capable of beating any team they face. Sadly they won’t have the air of impenetrability and momentum that they had mid-July though. That said, they should benefit from the return of their young pitchers Zac Longboy and Will Zucker whom they were deprived of for almost all of those four losses, and, subject-to-appeal the powerful bat of Glen Downer who could return from a long absence.

So who have been the standout performers that got the Raptors to this stage? First plaudits have to go to Arnie Longboy. The first Raptors coach to take the team to post season will put him in Herts history books, and his (usually) calm and considered leadership saw the team play with a competence and level-headedness that saw them come back from behind to win in style on several occasions. I believe it is his firm  insistence on base running discipline that has led the Raptors to being the most offensively dominant team in the league despite not having any real power hitters to speak of.

As for play, starting from the mound and going round, the afore mentioned Zac and Will have been leading lights joined by Brodie Careess. The young trio have two wins a piece and truly demonstrated indomitable nerve and supreme skill in dispatching of side after side. Longboy leads the way between them on ERA but they have all been key to the Raptors success. That said they were joined at various stages by stand-ins Theo Scheepers and Jeff Whitter who also pipped a win to their names each (and in Whitter’s case two saves as well.)

Behind the plate Ken Pike received the vast majority of pitches in what was his first full season as a catcher. Being as I am the one writing this article I can hardly sing my own praises but I have been assured by Zac and Arnie that I did a good job of the issue. While I still have much to learn I am looking forward to continuing in what has been the position I have enjoyed by far the most, and taken to with relative comfort.

First base duties were initially taken on by Jeff Whitter and covered in his absences by Charlie Mayhew. Both performed outstandingly throughout the year being solid and generally error free despite some occasionally errant throws coming their way. Jeff’s amicable and calm nature made him one of the on-field captains helping to calm the team in times of frustration, while Charlie’s continual improvement saw a climax in the final game against Tonbridge where a series of amazing full-stretch catches helped to keep the game very close indeed.

Second and short were shared intermittently between the young pitchers, Theo Scheepers and coach Arnie, while by Sonam Lama, in his first year with the Raptors, demonstrated the kind of arm power capable of easily reaching first base and thereby cemented third base as his own. The coach again led the way from the front demonstrating the fewest errors per game for an infielder, and in fact one of the lowest numbers for the whole team. That said it will be fielding errors that he will want to cut out the most, preferably by post season but certainly by next year with nearly half of the team’s conceded runs coming un-earned.

Outfield was shared by Warwyk Byrne, Charlie Mayhew (when not at first), Mark Caress and Andy Bartram. Andy has made a solid case for rookie of the year (not just by virtue of being the only rookie on the team, but also by having the lowest error-per-game rating of any of the regular players. His assured glove, good arm, and fast pace to reach the ball made him a reliable and key player for left and centre.

Along the way there were notable performances by players who only joined for brief periods too. Matt Kiddie’s pitching against the 2sox at mid-season blew the side away and showed unbelievable pace, whilst two grand-slam homers from Ben Marques against the Mavericks helped to seal the game that confirmed the Raptors as Pool winners. Raptors Veteran Glen Downer was sadly occupied elsewhere for most of the season but managed to get in two games where he played solidly in the outfield. He is appealing for special dispensation to the commissioners to be allowed to join the team for post-season.

Defensively the Raptors were 5th in the league for runs conceded, but as for batting, well that’s where the stats really get interesting. While Arnie has not shared the statistics including the last two games, the production was spread throughout the team and at game 12 the numbers were as follows:

  • Runs leader was Ken Pike (41), followed by Arnie (35) and Sonam (35).
  • Hits went to Arnie (24) followed by Pike (20) and then Sonam and Brodie on a par (19).
  • Home run leader by a mile is Ben Marques (2) followed by Jim Arnott (1).
  • On Steals Ken Pike led by some distance (41) over Lama (25) and Arnie and Charlie (24 each).
  • Base on balls leader was Charlie Mayhew (26) followed by Theo (22) and Arnie again (18).
  • Arnie lead the way for AVG, SLG and OPS too but was closely followed in all three by a variety of people including his son Zac, while OBP leader Charlie Mayhew was clear of the rest of the field by some way.

While Arnie, Ken and Sony consistently led the line-ups between them, the whole team demonstrated consistency and ability at the plate averaging 24 points per game and having scored 46 runs more than any other team over the season. They had 7 games in which they scored 30 runs or more.

So in summary? Well the team will be relying on that offence to see them through at Farnham, but that being said the defence had consistently improved throughout the year and should they play to the kind of levels that saw them hold pool B leaders the Blackjacks to 12 or the Eagles and Archers to 4 and 6 respectively then they will be a real danger team. They have proven themselves fallible, but they have also proven that when they set their minds to it they are a force to be reckoned with, and they will surely be fired up to the max in Slough come September. Key warm-up friendlies, hopefully against higher division opposition such as the Hawks, will be key to preparing the team up for things to come. Meanwhile, we all cross our fingers and get our lucky charms at the ready and pray for a successful post season.

Please note, any players from teams not going to Farnham park, your assistance either as, experienced base coaches, bat men, general helpers and especially supporters will surely be massively appreciated and you will get to be a part of Herts Baseball history with the Falcons and Raptors both set to feature. Give Arnie and Lee a shout if you can help out in any way.

 

 

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Ryan Bird wins Home Run Derby

Herts Falcons slugger, Ryan Bird, won the Home Run Derby at Grovehill Ballpark on Saturday. He launched a total of 10 home runs over the course of the two rounds of the competition to the delight of the players and fans who had gathered in Hemel Hempstead.

The contest saw 43 competitors from the age of 6 to 50+ compete in the same competition by virtue of different home run boundaries in line with the outfield fences which the players are used to in their respective league games.

The large number of entries forced the organisers to reduce the number of outs in the first round down to 5. This put enormous pressure on the players as they needed to produce home runs with very little margin for error if they were to progress through to the final round.

Some big names made good contact with the ball but luck was not on their side and their hits were just short of the outfield wall. One of the big favourites, Herts Falcons 2012 Home Run Leader, Dave Tretheway, really should not have taken part as he is about to undergo an ankle reconstructive operation after sustaining the injury while playing squash, so it was always going to be difficult for him to compete on one foot.

There was a lot on the line for brothers Brodie Caress and Jake Caress, as well as Charlie Mayhew and Drew Mayhew, who were competing not only for the Home Run Derby title but also for family bragging rights. They each hit one home run, so that perhaps was the only scenario which ensures peace at home.

Joining them with one home run in the first round were Cris Hiche, Liam Green, Conner Brown, and Takuso Motoheshi, but for all of them one home run was not enough to secure a place in the final.

Three players managed to get more than 1 home run form the 5 outs in the first round. Warwick Byrne (Herts Raptors), Ewan Clegg (London Mets) and Ryan Bird (Herts Falcons) each hit two home runs.

In the final Ewan Clegg impressed with 4 more home runs to bring his tally to 6. Several of them went over the permanent outfield fence so he didn’t need the shorter fence set for his Under-17 age group.

But the winner at the end was Ryan Bird. The two-time National Baseball League Most Valuable Player put on an outstanding hitting display to the rhythm of the play-by-play commentary by Cristobal Hiche on the public announce system. He hit 8 more home runs for a total of 10 over the two rounds. Some of the bombs which he launched were elevated so high up into the air that it seemed as though they would go over the M1 motorway and drop in St Albans. There are many stories of Major League Baseball superstars ruining their swings for weeks after taking part in the Home Run Derby as they try to elevate the ball up. Herts Falcons fans will hope that this event will not affect Ryan Bird’s batting as the team prepares for the National Baseball League postseason which will determine the 2013 national champions.

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FINAL ROUND (home runs out of 10 outs)
PLAYER TEAM WALL DISTANCE HOME RUNS
Ryan Bird Herts Falcons NBL 8
Ewan Clegg London Mets U17 League 4
Warwick Byrne Herts Harriers U17 League 0

.

FIRST ROUND (home runs out of 5 outs)
PLAYER TEAM WALL DISTANCE HOME RUNS
Ewan Clegg London Mets U17 League 2
Ryan Bird Herts Falcons NBL 2
Warwick Byrne Herts Harriers U17 League 2
Brodie Caress Herts Harriers U17 League 1
Charlie Mayhew Herts Harriers U17 League 1
Conner Brown Herts Harriers U17 League 1
Cristobal Hiche Herts Falcons NBL 1
Drew Mayhew Herts Harriers U17 League 1
Jake Caress Herts Ravens U17 League 1
Liam Green Herts Ravens U17 League 1
Takuso Motoheshi London Mets U17 League 1
Andrew Briden TBC A League 0
Bruce Dullea Sidewinders AA League 0
Callum Vangundy Herts Harriers U17 League 0
Carlos Casal Herts Ravens AAA League 0
Carlos Casal Jr Herts Harriers U17 League 0
Coleman Bohn London Mets U14 League 0
Connor O’Shaughnessy London Mets U17 League 0
Dave Tretheway Herts Falcons NBL 0
Dexxter Bohn London Mets U17 League 0
Dick Williams TBC A League 0
George McGarry London Mets U17 League 0
James Dullea Herts Giants U11 League 0
Joe Williams London Mets U17 League 0
Josh Jones Herts Giants U11 League 0
Joshua Briden TBC U14 League 0
Jules de PH London Mets U17 League 0
Katie Everex-Armstrong Herts Cardinals U14 League 0
Lee Manning Herts Falcons NBL 0
Lewis Auchterlounie Herts Giants U11 League 0
Marianna Casal Herts Cardinals U14 League 0
Marrty Cullen Jr London Mets U17 League 0
Marty Cullen Harlow Nationals NBL 0
Nicholas Durer Herts Giants U11 League 0
Nick Russell Herts Hawks AA League 0
Pat O’Shaugnessy TBC A League 0
Paul Auchterlounie Herts Hawks AA League 0
Rory Vangundy Herts Dodgers U11 League 0
Sony Lama Herts Raptors A League 0
Sumiaki Kamada London Mets U17 League 0
Tom Everex-Armstrong Herts Harriers U17 League 0
Tom Jansson-Wright Herts Harriers U17 League 0
Tomasz Kosak Herts Eagles A League 0
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Play baseball in Herts as part of the 2013 Olympics Legacy Festival of Sport

Dacorum Borough in Hertfordshire celebrates one year on from the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012 in London, and one to go until the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow. Most importantly, the event brings the Olympic Legacy to life by giving people in Dacorum, of all ages and abilities, the chance to experience a range of sporting events and activities.

If you’re not already involved in sport, want to get back into sport or if you just want to have fun with the family and try something new, then this week provides the ideal starting point. Throughout the festival period, local sports clubs and other sporting organisations across the borough are opening their doors and running events such as offering free taster sessions at their clubs.

There are more than 15 sports to try at more than 30 events right across the borough – and we are very pleased to confirm that baseball is part of the Festival.

WHERE?

Herts Baseball Club, Grovehill Ballpark, Washington Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 6BB

WHEN?

6pm to 8pm on Wednesday, July 24

11am to 2pm on Saturday, July 27

EVENT DETAILS

On Wednesday, July 24, there is an opportunity for anyone to come and give baseball a try at Grovehill Ballpark. Participants will be able to sample all aspects of baseball – fielding, batting, throwing and catching, base running and more.

On Saturday, July 27, apart from the opportunity for newcomers to come and try baseball, they will also be able to take part in games, the home run derby and other baseball contests.

On both days they will be able to meet and play alongside players from the Herts youth and adult teams.

WHO IS THE EVENT AIMED AT?

Boys and girls aged 6 to 16 and men and women aged 14 to 55+, from complete beginners to accomplished players is welcome – So Basically Everyone

COSTS?

Anyone can take part free of charge.

FOOD AND DRINKS?

Throughout the event on Saturday, July 27, the Herts Baseball concessions will be selling hot and cold drinks and all sorts of traditional baseball snacks from hot dogs to Big League Chew.

WHAT IS PROVIDED BY THE ORGANISERS?

All equipment will be provided by the organisers during the events.

WHAT WILL PARTICIPANTS NEED TO BRING?

Any sport clothing for a hot summer’s day and footwear suitable for grass surface.

DO WE NEED TO CONTACT THE CLUB IN ADVANCE?

We advise all those who are considering attending one of these events and who are not already in the Herts Baseball mailing lists to contact us ahead of the event providing an email address or telephone number so they can be notified if the event is cancelled due to unsuitable weather conditions or other circumstances.

by Ken Pike

Road to the single A playoffs

By Ken Pike

As you might have already heard thanks to a very proud ‘yours truly’, the Herts Raptors are confirmed as being in the playoffs (with the caveat that they do not forfeit any games between now and the end of the season, which could bring other teams back into play – but we won’t let that happen) and with any luck some of you are planning to come and support. With other Herts teams, including the Falcons, being right in the mix for also going to British Baseball’s new home,Farnham Park, there might be a big convoy headed from Hemel to Slough in the first couple of weekends of September. It would be great to get as much support as possible for this historic occasion for the club, so we urge you all to get your friends and family to come along.

Just so you know what to expect over playoffs, the structure for the single A post season is as follows:

  • 12 teams in three pools play in A South.
  • The two best pool winners get first round bye into the NBC.
  • The 3rd pool winner (#3 seed) and next 3 best teams based on win %, regardless of pool play wild card round on September 1st, with the Semi Finals and Championship game at Farnham Park on September 7th and 8th.

As in all leagues, all teams will be seeded based on win % to establish postseason ranking.

 

Now the Raptors final position is not set in stone and here are the two main permutations:

Worst case scenario (which still ain’t bad to be honest)

The Raptors have some work to do to determine exact postseason positioning, but the main part is done. They are set for Farnham Park.

The worst case scenario is that they don’t win another game and the Coyotes win all of theirs then the Raptors would be #4 seed and placed as the top wildcard team. This would result in them having to play in the first round of the playoffs on the 1st of September at Farnham Park against the second best wildcard team while the Pool winner with the lowest record of the pool winners will play the third wildcard team. If the Raptors win the wildcard game they would face the #2 seeded team (which would in that scenario likely be the Coyotes) on September 7th.

Best case scenario

If the Raptors win 1 more game (or the Coyotes lose one) by the end of regular season, then the Raptors will clinch the Pool A pennant and a #1 or #2 seeding is already sealed in that scenario. This would mean they will get a 1st round bye and the first game would be on September 7, also at Farnham Park, and they would nominally be the home team facing one of the wildcard round winners. As to being first or second seed, that depends on a very close race with the Marauders and will likely not be settled until the last game of the regular season.

The final is on September 8 at Farnham Park.

 

Expect to cheer on your fellow teams, as well as fight tooth and nail for your own team!

by Ken Pike

Raptors bats ablaze to clinch playoffs on hottest day

Will Zucker hits another grounder as the Raptors drove through their nearest opposition in 30 degree heat

by Ken Pike

 

The Raptors hosted Southern Single A Pool A rivals Milton Keynes knowing that a win would clinch a  guaranteed playoff position and set them up to win the pool outright and earn a first round bye at Farnham Park. They were facing a team that had beaten them by the narrowest of margins earlier in the year, and while the self assured pronouncements that the Raptors had been missing key players were not without basis, there was still room for doubt and question over what the result would be.

In 32 degree heat the Raptors had taken a very easy warmup to conserve energy and hydration levels while Milton Keynes took the opposite approach. After watching their sister team, the Eagles’ playoff hopes sadly fail at the hands of the Pool C leaders, London Marauders the delayed Pool A titans clash could commence. Young Brodie Caress’ reassured mound performance only saw a couple of Coyotes get on base, but the first inning was ultimately cleaned out without any damage being done. The Raptors’ bats had been vicious all year and if anything the sun had set them on fire as they made mincemeat of the opening Coyotes pitcher going around the order and drawing a replacement pitcher to the mound before three outs were recorded opening up an 11 run lead right from the word go.

Back in the dugout a touch of overconfidence asserted itsself with players lamenting that the Raptors could have been looking at a perfect season were it not for a couple of weak performances, but Milton Keynes came back to the field with more intent. They notched up two scores as some defensive errors started to creep into the Herts team. T he sun played a serious part with several balls lost in the blazing sky and the heat causing some more lapses of concentration. The starters for the home side have an average on base percentage of well over .500 and more than 170 stolen bases (17 per game) before going in to this game so two runs was hardly a concern. The Raptors promptly brought around another 8 runners to pump the lead to 17.

The third inning played out somewhat differently though. Whether the heat had finally got to the Raptors as well, or whether Brodie Caress’ young arm was getting tired is uncertain but a series of errors and missed chances allowed 8 Milton Keynes Players to cross home plate. The final out came courtesy of short stop Will Zucker who ignored the fact that he could not see the ball which had again disappeared in the sun, and he guessed at its location… correctly. Certainly a wobble for the home defense, but quickly mitigated with 4 reply runs leaving a reduced lead of 13.

The Raptors blip was shortlived however as they came back refocused. Brodie struck out two Coyotes before the final out at first retired the side in order and the Raptors bats came back out to knock in another 3 and the lead looked healthy again at 16. The young pitcher’s arm and concentration had been shot by the fifth inning where five players crossed the plate. Never the less it was far too little as the Raptors brought in another 10 going around the order one and a half times in the bottom of the inning and putting the game beyond any reasonable doubt with a lead of over 20 runs.

In an effort to shut down the game and get out of the sun, coach Arnie Longboy brought out sidearm closer Will Zucker. Will made a slightly shakey start, thanks in part to accidentally hitting a Coyote very squarely on the knee with a wild pitch. While it took him an inning to get his composure fully back he allowed only 2 runs in the sixth and seventh while the Raptors responded with 2 of their own.  The lead remained at 20 at the top of the last inning, but this was too much of an ask for a now dehydrated and exhausted Coyotes team who valiantly got 2 runners around before Will Zucker struck out the final batter to bring the Raptors team to ecstatic jubilation knowing they had just secured the first playoff in Raptors history.

As the players cheered and embraced it was plain to see what this result meant to them, and it is certain they will be bringing their determination and love of the game to Farnham park for the off season. Having beaten every team they faced over the past 7 games, including the heavyweight Marauders, Blackjacks, Arrow and now Coyotes they carry a serious momentum with them. Another win and they top their pool, while topping the single A league can be guaranteed with three straight wins inthe remaining games or a mixture of wins and Marauders losses.

Raptors coach Arnie Longboy said: : “I am so proud of the team and what we’ve done to get this far.  A few people have asked me how we’ve managed to score so many runs this season.  First of all we have had production throughout the entire line up.  The fact that our number nine hitter leads the team in RBI’s should tell you something.  Secondly I think the guys have come to realize that just some basic fundamentals of base running and situational hitting can make a big difference.  Yes, we continue to have the occasional fielding errors and that’s to be expected.  But more importantly we have managed to eliminate almost all mental errors on the base paths that cost us outs.   And with our mix of young talent, sophomore players, and veterans really starting to gel it should make for an exciting rest of the season and of course Farnham park!”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R
MK Coyotes 0 2 8 0 5 2 2 19
Herts Raptors 11 8 4 3 10 2 0 38

 

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Baseball to compete with 16 other sports in St Albans this Saturday

St Albans City and District Council has invited Herts Baseball Club to take part in the opening of a new beach volleyball venue this Saturday, May 25. Verulamium Park in St Albans, is one of 6 successful venues to gain a new beach volleyball court after the Olympics. It is made with 4000 tonnes of sand taken directly from the 2012 London Olympics venue at Horse Guards Parade.

Coaches and players from the Herts adult and youth teams will run various baseball activities and will invite members of the public to give baseball a go and take part in several baseball competitions which will be taking place throughout the day.

Baseball will be one of 17 different sports which will be exhibited during the event. “This is an exciting opportunity to promote our club and the game of baseball in the community” said Herts Baseball Club President, Aspi Dimitrov. He added that “the club is seeing this as a competition with the other 16 sports to see who will attract more members of the public”.

The opening ceremony will commence at 11:30am and activities of the 17 different sports running from 12pm to 4pm. The event will also feature BBQ and other snacks and refreshments, music, circus skills, face painting etc. so it is expected to be an enjoyable event for the whole family. Any members of Herts Baseball Club or the wider community are able to come and take part in this event, free of charge.

The baseball activities will be held at the playing area on the back of the “Inn on the Park Cafe” at Verulamium Park. Click for address, map, car park options and other venue details

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Club structure tries to keep up with growth

10 years ago Herts Baseball Club had around 15 members and one adult team. The club has changed beyond recognition since then. There are now 5 Herts teams playing in the adult baseball leagues as well as 4 youth league teams. The facilities have doubled in size with two purpose-built diamonds and the club had 127 paying members at its last Annual General Meeting in November 2012.

This fast growth has prompted the club to seek a better organisational structure. In the early days the club could be administered by just three members of staff – secretary, treasurer and team manager. To a certain extent the model can be replicated with each new team, but there comes a point at which the model is no longer viable. Herts reached that point around 18 months ago.

Over the last six months the club has been making the gradual transition to a new more departmentalised model, which is expected to give the club the capacity to accommodate further growth in the next few years.

The size of the club’s Executive Board has increased from 8 members last year to 12. Two weeks ago the club added its thirteenth Board member when Joe Gray was appointed as the club’s first Non-Executive member of the Board.

Apart from increasing the size of the Board, the club has established eight subcommittees covering the club’s various operations and departments as shown below. Some of them are still at their very early stage and more subcommittee members will be added in due course, but the club is already starting to benefit from this new structure with much more effective communication and decision-making.

As the club grows and evolves so will its structure. The new club structure appears to be an improvement, but perhaps there are other innovative structures and procedures used by other businesses which could be applied effectively by fast-growing British baseball clubs. If you have suggestions and proposals on ways to improve existing procedures and structures, please contact us.

Adult Baseball Committee Media Committee
Andy Cornish Aspi Dimitrov
Arnold Longboy Joe Gray
Carlos Casal Rob Jones
Cris Hiche
Duncan Hoyle Retail Committee
Greg Bochan Mark Caress
Joe Gray
Lee Manning Events Committee
Aspi Dimitrov
Youth Baseball Committee Joe Gray
Aspi Dimitrov
Cris Hiche Ballpark Committee
Jake Caress Aspi Dimitrov
Lee Manning Dave Ames
Mike Wakelam Joe Gray
Softball Committee Finance Committee
TBC Aspi Dimitrov
Chris Jones
Dave Ames
Mark Caress
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Sales person required for NBL event on 22 July

Herts Baseball Club will be hosting this year’s NBL Summer Special Event on Sunday 22 July. The event will feature all 8 NBL teams who will all come to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead to play vital league games.

The Club is looking for a person to sell Krispy Kreme donuts and drinks on the day. Here are some more details about the responsibilities during the event:

• Pick up 10 boxes of Krispy Kreme Donuts from their branch at the Tesco store in Watford and deliver them to Grovehill Ballpark

• Sell donuts and softdrinks on foot around Grovehill Ballpark during the event

• Event duration is 4 hours from around 11am.

• No cooking involved

• A fee of £26 will be paid

If you are able to provide these services and are available on Sunday, 22 July, please contact Herts Baseball Club

 

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.