Category: Club News

by Matt Bell

HERTS BASEBALL GETS A FACE-LIFT

In advance of our busiest season with our greatest-ever level of membership, a more expansive and fluid website was in order. After some deliberation by the Executive Committee, and the input of many club members, we are pleased to unveil the new look of Herts Baseball.

New features include:

– new logos and team pages
The Herts Baseball Club has adopted a new Club logo, and new logos for each of its three teams, the Falcons, Hawks and Raptors. Now each of these squads has its own homepage, as does the newly formed Herts Little League programme. Visit these individual pages for team rosters, player stats and the season schedule and results.

– the introduction of the Herts Baseball Newswire
The Newswire will allow our volunteer correspondents to post game reports, Club news, and even photo albums for the entire organisation to access. Like the now well-established Forum, the Newswire has several categories of information and the latest news is instantly highlighted on our Club and Team homepages. For the tech savvier of you, note the RSS feed capabilities so you can customize how and when you are notified of new content on the 'Wire'.

Archive news reports from past Herts Baseball seasons have already been posted on the Newswire. Take a walk down memory lane as you read up on the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons.

NOTE:  Club members can REGISTER with the Newswire, and thereby set themselves up to post comments on articles and join in discussion about controversial and interesting topics.

– enhanced use of YouTube's video galleries
As videography becomes a more consistent feature of the Herts Baseball Club we're finding better and more efficient ways of delivering the content to your desktop. The Club now has a dedicated YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/HertsBaseball) to which we'll post every new segment.

But you needn't navigate away from the HBC site to watch this content – we will increasingly use custom video galleries embedded right in our own Gallery, like this one from the 2007 Awards Night.

– player profile pages on the team rosters
The most requested feature previously missing from our website…? A little more ego stroking (as if the stats, game reports and photo galleries weren't enough)!

With the help of Hunter Devine, individual player profile pages have been added to the team roster pages. These, you will see, are merely copies of the stat highlights from the Awards Night roll call. In the coming months Hunter and the webmasters will continue to develop a system by which current and past season stats can be displayed on individual player pages, together with a photo and some more personalized content. For example, did you know that Aspi's favourite meal is macaroni and cheese with a cup of Pepsi?

Throughout the season and in the years to come we will continue to develop our website, the Newswire and the Forum. These three tools offer very different, but important means for Club communication. If you have any suggestions at all, discover any 'dead' links, or have some great content to add, don't hesitate to contact our webmasters, Jason and Kimi.

by Matt Bell

THE THREE AMIGOS: A BRAND NEW MANAGERIAL LINEUP FOR ALL HERTS BASEBALL TEAMS

Herts Baseball will face the upcoming 2008 season with a brand new managerial team. This was one among the number of pivotal decisions reached at the Annual General Meeting of Herts Baseball Club that took place on Sunday, 11 November 2007.

The new managers elected by the Club are: Jason Greenberg (Herts Falcons), Carlos Casal (Herts Hawks) and Jake Kikel (Herts Raptors).

Jason and Carlos were elected to replace the outgoing managers Bruce Dullea and Paul Auchterlounie, while Jake was selected to handle the Herts’ new expansion team, the Raptors. Everybody at the Club was fully appreciative of the hard work and experience that Bruce and Paul

had brought to the Club as managers in 2007. The feeling was well summarized by Club Secretary Aspi Dimitrov: “The Club owes Bruce and Paul a debt of gratitude for leading the two teams in 2007 – one of the most successful seasons in the Club’s history. As a board member, I was in a privileged position to have witnessed first hand how they dealt with various issues during the season, including some really classy moves and decisions, details of which unfortunately will have to be kept confidential at Board level. I am sure that the new managers will be able to consult with Bruce and Paul on a regular basis and use the knowledge that they have gained in their time as managers”.

The choice of new management reflected the new sense of purpose and determination that the Club members had shown throughout last season, and was predicated on the targets for new development and achievement that the Club is looking for in the new season. According to sources close to the Club management, the “task of the new management team” would be to “make playing for the Club an enjoyable, but at the same time, competitive experience”.

The membership’s enthusiasm for the new season was also reflected in the fact that all three managers will be provided with able and keen assistance from a number of volunteer deputies, so that the workload will be spread throughout the ranks in the Club.

Pundits have been reluctant to go out on a limb about the new appointments, but as one expert pointed out: “It will come, and when it comes, it’s going to be good”.

this article was posted on behalf of the author, Kal Dimitrov

by Matt Bell

“HERTS IN RAPTURE” – HERTS BASEBALL ESTABLISH A THIRD TEAM

At its regular Annual General Meeting, Herts Baseball Club approved a decision to establish a third team for the upcoming season 2008. The team will be called “The Raptors”, and it is anticipated that it will play in either the British Baseball Federation First or Second Division. A final confirmation of the Raptors’ involvement in the BBF league will be made early in 2008.

The new team will allow not only increased playing time for all members, but will represent a valuable addition to the continuously expanding Herts Baseball Club. It will also provide a pool of highly competitive players for the other two teams, as well as put pressure on the players in those two teams to perform better.

this article was posted on behalf of the author, Kal Dimitrov

by Matt Bell

LITTLE LEAGUE EXECUTIVES CONFIRMED

Herts Baseball Club confirmed its intentions to actively pursue the continuation and expansion of the Herts Baseball Little League by appointing the “masterminds” of Herts youth baseball – Lee Manning and Marty Cullen – as Vice Presidents-Little League Operations for the upcoming 2008 season.

In a sneak preview of the upcoming Little League events, Cullen and Manning indicated that “Some great things are in store for the kids in 2008. The Little League will provide a great way for kids between 7 and 13 year olds to enjoy baseball throughout the summer, whilst providing that experience with a keen competitive edge. The club will release more details soon so stay tuned to www.hertsbaseball.com”

this article was posted on behalf of the author, Kal Dimitrov

by Matt Bell

2007 AWARDS NIGHT RECIPIENTS

2007 AWARDS NIGHT RESULTS

FALCONS
MVP
Jason Greenberg
Batting Champion
Andy Cornish (Avg .506)
Infield Gold Glove
Kimiyoshi Saionji (F% .985)
Outfield Gold Glove
Andy Cornish (F% .920)
Best Pitcher
Nic Goetz (ERA 3.71)
Home Run Champion
Jason Greenberg (4)
Home Run Champion
Andy Cornish (4)
Most Stolen Bases
Yuji Endo (25)
Most RBIs
Jason Greenberg (30)
Most RBIs
Andy Cornish (30)
Coach's Award
John Oliver
HAWKS
MVP
Rodney Naghar
Batting Champion
Peter Kikel (Avg .455)
Infield Gold Glove
Ross Davies (F% .976)
Outfield Gold Glove
Dave Hamilton (F% .800)
Best Pitcher
Larry Martillo (ERA 6.48)
Most Stolen Bases
Ross Davies (19)
Most RBIs
Kal Dimitrov (11)
Rookie of the Year
Chantal Gerrard
Most Improved Player
Jonathon Lewys

OTHER AWARDS

Nob-Out – Lee locking his car keys and home keys in his car and deciding to solve the problem by taking a (-5) aluminium bat to smash the car window and ending up bending the metal frame of the car door with his “Major League” follow-through.

Play of the Year – Short Stop Yuji Endo making a full-length dive towards third base, stopping the ball, springing up and making a great throw to get the out at first.

Umpire of the Year – Geoff, good calls, bad calls, ugly calls…

by Matt Bell

CONGRATS TO MAGNIFICENT GB BASEBALL TEAM

Hertfordshire Baseball Club wishes to congratulate our Great Britain National Baseball Team who took the Silver Medals at the 2007 European Championship in Barcelona.

Apart from the silverware, this achievement has very exciting implications for British Baseball. By virtue of finishing second, the GB Team has qualified for the World Championship and the final qualifying stage for the 2008 Olympic Games.

This incredible achievement against some of the giants of European baseball also means that Great Britain may be invited to the next World Baseball Classic, which is the showpiece event of international baseball including some of the biggest stars of Major League Baseball some of whom earn more than David Beckham.

Special congratulations go to the GB Head Coach, Stephan Rapaglia, who over the years has been very supportive of the Hertfordshire Baseball Club.

by Matt Bell

SOARING FALCONS SHOT DOWN BY PILOTS

[ BOX SCORE ]
[ PHOTO GALLERY ]
[ POST-GAME VIDEO RECAP ]

The Herts Falcons lost 8-5 to the Humber Pilots in the Final of the British Baseball’s Division 1 and missed out on the title.

After five months of exciting baseball clashes across the country, the 2007 British Baseball Season culminated with its showpiece event, the Final4. The Herts Falcons reached the Final after crushing their opponents in the Southern Section of Division 1. The Northern Section was won by the Humber Pilots who also managed to beat the Milton Keynes Hurricanes in a classic Semi-Final game winning 2-1.

Expectations were high in the Falcons camp ahead of the big game, but they were visibly stunned by the Pilots as early as the first inning when they found themselves trailing 5-0. It took the team from Hertfordshire several innings to regain their composure. In the 5th inning they managed to hit back with 4 runs making the score 6-5. All of a sudden a miraculous come back seemed to be within the Falcons’ grasp.

A game which started in a disastrous way for them, could now turn out to be one of the most memorable comebacks in the club’s history. But it wasn’t to be. The Falcons lost in the end 8-5. Credit has to be given to the Humber Pilots who played the game with great desire and in the right spirit.

Due to the very high expectation which the Falcons put on themselves this was a very disappointing end of the season for them and their travelling fans, but overall this was a great year for the team. The Club now awaits confirmation from the British Baseball Federation that the Falcons have been promoted and will be back in the British Baseball Premier League in 2008.

At the Premier League level, the title was won by the Richmond Knights who beat the Essex Arrows in the final, while the National League (Great Britain’s top baseball league) was won by the London Mets who beat the Croydon Pirates.

by Matt Bell

SEPTEMBER BASEBALL FEVER IN HERTFORDSHIRE

The 2007 British Baseball Regular Season may be over, but we have a great lineup of Postseason baseball coming up this September.  It will include not only the Herts Falcons and the Herts Hawks but also Hertfordshire Little League kids as well.

 

2007 POSTSEASON SCHEDULE

(Events for the kids are shown in red)

 

Saturday, 1 September

·         11:00 6th Little League Summer Camp

·         12:00 Herts Falcons vs Strathclyde, Semi-Final, Division 1 Final 4

 

 

Sunday, 2 September

·         14:00 Herts Falcons vs Milton Keynes Hurricanes or Humber Pilots (if Falcons win on Saturday), Final, Division 1 Final 4

 

Sunday, 9 September

2007 Kyle Hunlock Series Weekend

·         10:00am to 12:00pm Little League exhibition game(s).  All Little League kids and parents are invited.  (No need to pay Summer Camp fee.  Participation is FREE)

·         12:00 Photocall – Falcons, Hawks, Little League kids and parents together. 

·         12:30 to 15:00 GAME1 Falcons @ Hawks

·         15:30 to 18:00 GAME2 Falcons @ Hawks

 

 

Sunday, 16 September

2007 Kyle Hunlock Series Weekend

·         10:00 to 12:00pm Little League exhibition game(s). 

·         12:30 to 13:30 HOME RUN DERBY

·         13:30 to 16:00 GAME3 Hawks @ Falcons

·         16:30 to 19:00 GAME4 Hawks @ Falcons

 

Sunday, 23 September

2007 Kyle Hunlock Series Weekend

·         10:00 to 12:00pm Little League exhibition game(s). 

·         12:30 to 15:00 GAME5 Hawks @ Falcons (if necessary)

·         15:30 to 18:00 GAME6 Falcons @ Hawks (if necessary)

 

Sunday, 30 September

2007 Kyle Hunlock Series Weekend

·         10:00am to 12:00pm Little League exhibition game(s). 

·         12:30 to 15:00 GAME7 Falcons @ Hawks (if necessary)

 

Food and Drinks:

Hot dogs and cold drinks will be sold at the halfway point of the kids’ game (11:00) and between the first and the second games of the day’s Falcons vs Hawks Series.

 

Price List: Hot Dog (Price £0.50), Cola or fruit juices (Price £0.50), Beer (Price £TBC). 

by Matt Bell

SCHOOL’S OUT… LET’S PLAY BALL!

[ PHOTO GALLERY ]
[ WATFORD OBSERVER ARTICLE ]

Grovehill Ballpark is the home of the two Division One teams, the Herts Falcons and the Herts Hawks, but last Saturday it became the home of the next generation of Hertfordshire baseball players.

Boys and girls aged between 7 and 12 from around Hertfordshire and the surrounding regions joined the first ever Baseball Little League Summer Camp organised by Hertfordshire Baseball Club with the support of BaseballSoftballUK, the development agency for baseball and softball in the United Kingdom which is funded by Sports England, the agency that delivers the Government's sporting objectives.

Eleven coaches from the club and BSUK introduced the kids to the main aspects of the game: batting, throwing, catching, fielding, base running etc. Halfway-through the day players, parents and coaches gathered for an enjoyable picnic together while watching a Home Run hitting display by current Herts Falcons Home Run leader, Andy Cornish.

After the picnic it was gametime! The players were divided into four teams, the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Mets and the Blue Jays and played two games on two separate diamonds. Every youngster who took part received baseball cards of current baseball stars. Throughout the day the players also had the chance to enjoy the MLB Roadshow which came to Hertfordshire to support the event. It included various fun baseball challenges including a pitching tunnel with a radar gun to measure the speed at which the kids were pitching.

The response from the children and their parents was tremendous and the feedback after the event indicates that the kids are already looking forward to next Saturday’s Baseball Camp.

It was very touching that some parents even approached members of the club with an offer to help not only during the Summer Camps but also volunteered to assist in promoting and spreading the news of this Youth baseball programme to help attract as many children as possible in order to achieve the target of creating 4 brand new teams which will take part in the Hertfordshire Baseball Little League planned for 2008.

The next Summer Camp is next Saturday and every Saturday after that until 1 September.

Hertfordshire Falcons Baseball Club wishes to thank BSUK (www.baseballsoftballuk.com), the MLB Roadshow, baseball supplier Forelle (www.forelle.com), Dacorum Council, the Ambulance and Police Departments as well as all of the club volunteers.
www.baseballsoftballuk.com
www.sportengland.org
by Matt Bell

FALCONS GO 2-1-1 AT ANNUAL LONDON TOURNAMENT

The Herts Falcons put on a performance this weekend which almost resembled Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” of the 1970s. The team battled through two days of gruelling baseball action to come out with an overall record of 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw (time limit).

The International London Tournament has been Great Britain’s biggest baseball annual event for many years. This year there were 16 teams taking part from all around the UK, France and Ireland. 12 of the 16 teams were either in the National League or the Premier League so prior to the event it was fair to say that the Falcons were ranked outsiders. They were also drawn in the most difficult group with the reigning British National League Champions, the Richmond Flames, 2004 and 2005 Champions, the Croydon Pirates, and the 2003 Champions, the Windsor Bears.

The Herts team was a combined squad of Herts Falcons and Herts Hawks players, the two Hertfordshire teams.

In the first game, the Falcons faced the Richmond Flames, and despite a valiant effort, were overwhelmed by Richmond’s pitching and hitting.

The second game proved to be the main event of the day – the Falcons hosted the Windsor bears at the Central Field. The game was played in front of a large audience and had the added benefit of the field PA system, which gave a “Major League” feel. The actual game met and exceeded the fans’ expectations. The Falcons took a firm 4-0 lead, which they took into the 5th inning. However, starting pitcher Aspi Dimitrov was visibly running out of steam, despite leaving the game with a no-hitter for 4 and a 1/3 innings.

Reliever, Lee Manning, came in at a very short notice and performed magnificently to minimize the damage of the two runners left on by Dimitrov. Despite his efforts, the Bears fought tirelessly, driving in 6 runs in the 5th and 6th innings to take a 1-run lead and set up a “grand finale” in the bottom of the 6th. Two singles from Lee Manning and Yuji Endo put both the tying and winning runs on base. Up stepped slugger Marty Cullen, with the eyes of the crowd agog with anticipation. His massive line drive to the left field fence brought the winning run in to end this “classic”, and the crowd erupted.

This win earned the Falcons the coveted 11 o’clock start, avoiding the often (and with good reason) maligned 9:00 am start (under the stringent disciplinarian regime instituted by caretaker manager Jason Greenberg, that would have meant reporting for duty at the field at 7:30 am).

The razzmatazz culminated in the Home Run Derby on day one, which involved sluggers from each of the participating teams. The Falcons representative was hard-hitting Kimiyoshi Saionji, the Falcons’ very own Hideki Matsui. He was able to go through to the second round, and only some sudden wind gusts and dodgy last-minute manipulation of the home plate positioning (to favour righties), robbed him of a place in the final round of the 2007 Home Run Derby. The Falcons management are mulling over submitting an official complaint for the loss of the substantial sums that could have been generated from potential (however unlikely) t-shirt sales and other commercial opportunities.

On the second day, the Falcons faced the Great Britain Juniors (Under 18’s National Team) and the Great Britain Cadets (Under 16’s National Team). In the first game the Falcons held a good lead to the end, only for some clutch GB Junior hitting to tie the game and, due to the time limit rule in force in the tournament, the game ended in a 6-6 draw. This was the worst possible scenario for both teams, as they damaged each others’ chances of winning the trophy.

In the second game versus the GB Cadets, manager Greenberg was able to deploy a squad made up predominantly of Herts Hawks players. The future stars of Great Britain baseball performed creditably and were able to pull back from trailing at the beginning of the game to tie it up in the 5th. However, an astute managerial decision was made to bring in closer, Yuji “Lights Out” Endo, who came in and ended all hopes of a GB Cadets come-back. He struck out 5 batters in his 2 and 1/3 innings of pitching.

The Tournament Final was between the Richmond Flames and the Milton Keynes Hurricanes, with Richmond ending up as the 2007 London Tournament winners. The Frank Brady Trophy went to the Essex Arrows, mainly due to the masterful performance of former Falcon, Paul Raybould.

All in all, this was a great tournament for the Herts Falcons, who now have to put their minds back on the vital remaining League games of the season with promotion to the Premier League at stake

Disclaimer: Any resemblance between the Herts Falcons and the Cincinnati Reds, whether implied in this article or otherwise, is purely coincidental.