Category: Events

by AspiDimitrov

Herts Announce Hunlock Series Expansion During Live TV Broadcast

The 2011 champions in the British senior and youth leagues have been determined, but the question on the minds of everyone connected with Herts Baseball is – Who will win the 2011 Hunlock Series?

Every year just when the MLB season enters its most exciting stage, current, former and potential future members of Herts Baseball Club come to Grovehill Ballpark for a 3-week competition in memory of Herts Baseball Club’s number 36, the late Kyle Hunlock.

In previous years, the Series involved three teams, the Herts Red Roosters, Herts Blue Dogs and the Herts Black Widows.  Following the club’s growth especially among youth members, this year a fourth team has been added to the Series.  The name of the team is the Herts White Lightning.

MANAGERS BATTLE FOR EVERY INCH LIVE ON TV

The 3 weeks of Hunlock Series action was kicked off on Monday night with a 2-hour live show on the Herts Baseball TV Channel.  During the show the club announced the managers of the four teams which will be competing.  The Red Roosters will be managed by Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan who continue their partnership having managed the Herts Hawks this season in the British AA-League.  The Blue Dogs will have three co-managers hoping to lead them to victory. They are John Kjorstad, Andrew Slater and Kal Dimitrov.  The Black Widows will be managed by Aspi Dimitrov.  The expansion team, White Lightning, will be managed by father and son partnership of Arnold and Zack Longboy.

The managers of the four teams did their best to gain a competitive advantage during this draft before a single pitch has been thrown, but ultimately it will all be decided on the field of play.  The first games will be played this Sunday, 25 September 2011, from 11am at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  The second round of games will take place on 2 October and the third and final round on 9 October.

FREE AGENTS WELCOME

The players have been drafted but as usual there will be a large number of free agents becoming available over the 3 weeks of the Hunlock Series.  Anyone interested to be added to one of the four teams should contact Herts Baseball Club.  The Series is open to any players over the age of 13 regardless of whether they are experienced professionals or beginners who have never played baseball before.  Players from other clubs are also welcome and several have already been drafted.

Herts Red Roosters
1 William Belbin (UTILITY/)
2 Greg Bochan (P/SS)
3 Andy Cornish (1B/CF)
4 Rob Crouch (UTILITY/)
5 Glen Downer (UTILITY/)
6 Jon Gamble (UTILITY/)
7 Nicolas Goetz (3B/P)
8 Matt Johnston (LF/CF)
9 Jonathon Lewys (LF/RF)
10 Rod Naghar (RF/3B)
11 Kimiyoshi Saionji (2B/LF)
12 Adrian Smithers (UTILITY/)
13 Charlie Williams (UTILITY/)
14 Jeff Witter (1B/2B)
15 Reagan Wood (UTILITY/)
 
Herts Black Widows
1 Tom Adams (UTILITY/)
2 Charlie Boneham (UTILITY/)
3 Jake Caress (UTILITY/)
4 Cameron Choudhuri (UTILITY/)
5 Jonny Compton-weight (UTILITY/)
6 Aspi Dimitrov (LF/3B)
7 Richard Ganster (UTILITY/)
8 Lewis Green (UTILITY/)
9 Liam Green (2B/C)
10 Justin Henderson (UTILITY/)
11 Tristan Le coz (UTILITY/)
12 Kyle Lloyd-jones (UTILITY/)
13 Kieran Manning (UTILITY/)
14 Charlie Mayhew (UTILITY/)
15 Jose Morillo jr (UTILITY/)
 
Herts Blue Dogs
1 Paul Curtis (2B/RF)
2 Chris Deacon (UTILITY/)
3 Kal Dimitrov (C/3B)
4 Philip Dwamena (UTILITY/)
5 Tim Elkins (UTILITY/)
6 Daniel Gould (3B/LF)
7 Duncan Hoyle (UTILITY/)
8 Rob Jones (UTILITY/)
9 Oz Kemal (UTILITY/)
10 John Kjorstad (LF/RF)
11 Jamie Munn (CF/LF)
12 Kennet Pike (RF/LF)
13 Nick Russell (P/SS)
14 Theo Scheepers (SS/)
15 Perrie Sherman (C/3B)
16 Andrew Slater (3B/1B)
 
Herts White Lightning
1 Jim Arnott (RF/P)
2 Paul Auchterlounie (C/CF)
3 Ralph Bartholomew (SS/2B)
4 Phil Clark (UTILITY/)
5 Ilya Dimitrov (CF/1B)
6 Ali Hall (LF/RF)
7 Arnold Longboy (UTILITY/)
8 Zachary Longboy (UTILITY/)
9 Lee Manning (C/)
10 Jose a Morillo (UTILITY/)
11 Steve Nippress (UTILITY/)
12 Amit Odedra (UTILITY/)
13 Charlie Pearson (UTILITY/)
14 Mahendra Prasad (CF/)
15 Jamie Slater (UTILITY/)
by AspiDimitrov

Herts Futures Tournament Expecteed to Break Record this Saturday

Herts Baseball Club will be looking to set a new record for the largest youth baseball event at its Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead this Saturday.

The previous record was 10 teams.  This Saturday 15 teams form around Southern England are expected to take part in the Herts Futures Tournament.

The event will start with an opening ceremony at 10:30am.  After that it is will be game time as the best teams in the South look to clinch the title in the three age groups, Under-17, Under-14 and Under-11.

Traditional Baseball snacks will be on offer including hot dogs, big league chew, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and much more.  Professional photographers DE Photo will be on hand to capture every player from every team in action and players and fans will have a chance to buy framed photos from the games instantly at the venue as well as other photographic products.

Host Herts Baseball Club welcome new players at any time of the year.  Club Secretary, Aspi Dimitrov, said: “Any children aged between 6 and 16 who are interested to give baseball a try should contact the club.  It is not too late to take part in this record breaking event.”

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

by AspiDimitrov

Herts Announce 2011 Herts Futures Tournament

Herts Futures Tournament Baseball London

UPDATED (15 AUGUST 2011): Since making this annoncement there have been various changes to the BBF youth and adult postseason schedule and the Herts Futures Tournament will now be held on Saturday, 24 September 2011.

Herts Baseball Club has announced that the 2011 Herts Futures Tournament will take place on Saturday, 3 September 2011.  The event was originally scheduled to be held on Saturday, 24 September 2011, however the British Baseball Federation (BBF) has just announced that the Senior National Baseball Championships will be played on that weekend and so the 2011 Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) has been moved to Saturday, 3 September 2011. 

Herts Baseball Club Secretary, Aspi Dimitrov, feels that bringing the HFT forward to the first Saturday in September is likely to be a much better date for the event.  “It will serve as the ideal build-up to the 2011 National Youth Playoffs and the National Youth Championships which will take place later in September and is a nice way for all the young players to get straight back into baseball on their return from the summer school holidays” said Dimitrov.

The opening ceremony of the first ever Herts Futures Tournament in 2008. Since then the ballpark has added a second diamond and permanent outfield walls.

The Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the British baseball calendar. It brings together youth teams of all age groups from across the country for a day of baseball at one of the best baseball venues in the United Kingdom.  Grovehill Ballpark is the home of Herts Baseball Club.  It is the only baseball facility in the country which features two purpose-built full-size baseball diamonds, both with permanent outfield walls. The venue recently hosted the National Baseball Championships which is Great Britain’s equivalent of MLB’s World Series. During the Herts Futures Tournament additional diamonds are added for the Under-14 and Under-11 age groups.

This year the Tournament will include a competition for Under-17 teams for the first time, which means that teams from all age groups (Under-17, Under-14 and Under-11) will be entering the HFT. 

You can follow the 2011 HFT on the Herts Baseball News site.  For more information  about the event or if you require details about how teams can enter the Tournament or how players can join the Herts teams in time for the HFT, visit the Herts Futures Tournament homepage or contact Herts Baseball Club

by AspiDimitrov

Since We’ve Been Gone

Recharging batteries after busy inning at third base

As the Jones family flew into the United States last week, what did I most notice out of the plane window?

Was it the skyscrapers? The huge, snaking interstate roads? No, it was the baseball fields. The sight of more and more of those distinctive cut-out diamonds warmed my heart. At one site there were about nine, all clustered together. Not a major league training complex, not a national centre. Just a few diamonds, casually sprinkled in the suburbs. It’s a different world over there.

We actually spent most of the holiday in Canada, where I took in my first Major League game for about five and a half years. The Toronto Blue Jays, who had started the season with a burst of runs and victories, hosted the Oakland Athletics. Jose Bautista was out of the line-up, most of the big stars have long been traded away, but the Blue Jays are still soldiering on. This game was a pitcher’s duel, coming down to a couple of manufactured runs and a wild pitch. Oakland won 2-1.

It didn’t win over the extended family to the joys of the game — “Swing miss, swing miss, swing miss, sit down” is still how my sister characterises baseball — but I certainly enjoyed the experience. And I got within just a few feet of one of those diamonds I had been excited about seeing from the air.

Sadly, while I was gone, the British season got under way without me. And it sounds as if it started badly for Herts. No wins. But it also sounds as if a much depleted Falcons side was only undone by one bad inning, and the Hawks and Raptors faced leading contenders from their divisions. It will take more than a defeat to dissipate the excitement of opening day. I know I can’t wait to get started, and I guess that the players who already have a game under their belts still feel that way too — they want to really get going, and get winning.

Part of the reason for my pwn enthusiasm is the boost from the Herts Spring League. Since we have a weekend off, I thought I would take the opportunity to reach back to the pre-season for some observations which never quite made it to the blog.

First of all I have to ask everyone involved one question — was that fun or was that fun? I usually refer to Spring Training in inverted commas, to suggest in my amusing little way that the experience is often cold and wintry. But it was pretty bright and sunny when I was there, and good baseball was to be found. It was great for Herts to attract another record number of teams for the tournament.

My own ailing physique actually found the experience quite reassuring. Since starting the year by moaning that my 38 year old body seemed to be creaking under the strain, I had tried doggedly to put in hours at the gym or on the streets. I can rarely get to baseball training but I can run home after doing the school drop-off, and my shifts at work have been kind in allowing me to get on the treadmill and lifting (suitably small) weights.

And I felt pretty good after playing two games. I was bleeding after ripping skin off my hand by misfielding a line drive, but what’s a bit of blood between friends? Overall, it’s nothing! I was ready for more.

I made my competitive debut as third base, often referred to as the Hot Corner. And it was like a firing range down there! There were drives over my head, balls along the line, and an infuriating bloop over my head. I managed to stop quite a few, with my legs, my chest and sometimes even my glove. One ball fair knocked me on my backside as it kicked up off the infield grass, and another I had to slide for in the gravel. But they both ended in the glove. The throws were a little too hurried and didn’t make it in time by inches. But that gives me stuff to work on.

For the record and for my ego I should say that I did make some outs, including a tag to cap off some good relay work from the outfield and snag an aggressive Herts Hawks runner.

As for the batting… well, the first against the Hawks was probably the worst I can think of for some time. Hitting second in the line-up and with a runner on first, I would almost never swing at the first pitch. Why would you? Even in any situation I am pretty patient, and won two batting titles basically on the fact that I wouldn’t swing at junk. So did I wait patiently and let my runner steal? Err, no. I watched the pitch, waited, and then the rush of blood became too much to contain so I swung at it. By then, though, it was far too late. It came off like a checked swing and hopped down to the first base man.

Fortunately the runner had enough of a jump that I didn’t hang him out to dry in a double play. And later at-bats were a bit better. My second ground-out to the Hawks was down to Nick Russell’s nifty fielding, and against the Redbacks I got three good hits and I’m pretty sure a walk thrown in too. So there’s another whiff of optimism as I count down to my own Opening Day. See you all there, as soon as I can.

by AspiDimitrov

RICHMOND AND MK WIN THRILLING HSL FINALS

 

Richmond clinched the 2011 Herts Spring League Championship in the Majors Division, while the Milton Keynes Bucks were crowned Champions of the Minors Division.

 

Twenty teams played 46 games over the last three weekends as part of the annual Herts Spring League competition. This was the final rehearsal for the teams from the British baseball leagues before the start of the new baseball season.

 

Over the years the teams have become accustomed to the unpredictable weather during this Spring competition, but this year, and this weekend in particular, the games were played in weather conditions which we can expect only in the height of summer.  Temperatures were as high as 23oC and the barbeques were out in force around Grovehill Ballpark in Herts.

 

Once the first pitch was thrown it was all about the baseball and we were not disappointed.  Both the Majors and Minors Finals were decided by a one-run difference and everyone was kept on the edge of their seat right to the end. 

 

In the Majors Division the Richmond Flames clashed with the newly formed Southern Nationals.  At the end, the 2010 National Champions, Richmond, came out on top with a dramatic 6-5 win.

 

In the Minors Division Final, we saw a repeat of the 2010 Single-A National Final between the Milton Keynes Bucks and the Guildford Mavericks.  The game was played at exactly the same venue in Hemel Hempstead and again turned out to be a classic match-up.  The MK Bucks were once again victorious, but it took everything they had in their tank to win 11-10.

 

The remaining teams in the competition also played their final games.  Herts Falcons, Lakenheath Diamondbacks and Mildenhall Bulldogs played in a three-way playoff to determine the Bronze medallists in the HSL Majors.  Each team won one and lost one so it came down to who conceded the fewest number of runs in these games.  On the basis of that rule Mildenhall was confirmed as the winner of the 3rd Place Playoff.  Lakenheath finished fourth and the Herts Falcons fifth.  Bracknell finished 6th. Essex Arrows secured 7th Place after an impressive 11-8 win against their old rivals, the Southampton Mustangs.  The Sidewinders beat the Herts Hawks 10-4 to finish fifth in the HSL Minors.  Ahead of their first season back in the British baseball leagues, the Cambridge Royals won convincingly against the Leicester Blue Sox. Finally, despite a late fight back by the Herts Raptors, the London Marauders came out on top 13-10.

 

All attention now turns to next Sunday’s Opening Day of the 2011 British baseball season.  If the Herts Spring League is an indication of what we can expect this year then we are in for one of the most exciting seasons in recent times.

 

For full details of the scores in the final weekend of HSL action visit the official HSL website.

by AspiDimitrov

HSL GROUP GAMES END WITH TIE-BREAKS AND PHENOMENAL COMEBACKS

 

  

The group stage of the 2011 Herts Spring League was completed in dramatic fashion at the weekend with battles for positions in both the Majors and Minors Divisions. 

  

In Majors A Richmond clinched first place after maintaining their unbeaten record with wins over Southampton (5-0) and Herts (1-0).  Herts Falcons’ 18-2 win over the RedBacks secured second place for them.  The Bracknell Blazers finished in third place despite a catastrophic last inning collapse against the RedBacks.  The boys from Essex were trailing 6-0 going into the last inning but came out like mad men with their baseball bats in the bottom of the inning to win 7-6.  Bracknell bounced back with a 4-1 win over Southampton. 

  

Richmond’s opponents in the HSL Championship game required a careful mathematical calculation as three teams in Majors B Division ended up with the same number of wins.  Ultimately the Southern Nationals clinched on the second tie-break rule which states that the team which has conceded the fewest number of runs in the direct games amongst the tied teams will be placed first. 

  

In the Minors Division the Championship game will be between the Guildford Mavericks and the MK Bucks, after both won all of their group games.  This would be a repeat of the 2010 Single-A National Final when the two teams produced an classic pitchers’ duel. 

  

For full list of scores from the group stage and the final group standings you can visit the official HSL website. 

  

This sets up an exciting schedule for the Finals this weekend with games taking place at Richmond and Herts.  Ideally, the Final would be played at Herts but by virtue of Richmond being scheduled to host games at their field this weekend it was logistically difficult to stage the Final anywhere else. 

DATE TIME VENUE FINALS VISITING TEAM HOME TEAM
09-Apr-11 11:00 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Herts Falcons Mildenhall Bulldogs
09-Apr-11 12:45 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Mildenhall Bulldogs Lakenheath Diamondbacks
09-Apr-11 14:30 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Lakenheath Diamondbacks Herts Falcons
09-Apr-11 10:30 Herts (Field2) Finals MAJ 7th/8th Essex Arrows Southampton Mustangs
09-Apr-11 13:30 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 9th/10th Herts Raptors London Marauders
09-Apr-11 10:00 Richmond Finals MIN 3rd/4th Richmond Knights Essex Redbacks II
09-Apr-11 13:00 Richmond Finals MAJ 9th/10th GB Juniors Essex Redbacks
09-Apr-11 16:00 Richmond Finals MAJ 1st/2nd Southern Nationals Richmond Flames
10-Apr-11 11:00 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 7th/8th Cambridge Royals Leicester Blue Sox
10-Apr-11 14:00 Herts (Field1) Finals MIN 5th/6th Herts Hawks Sidewinders
10-Apr-11 14:00 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 1st/2nd Guildford Mavericks Milton Keynes Bucks
by AspiDimitrov

HSL WEEK 1 ROUND-UP

 

Before the battle – Herts and Southampton clash in the HSL Majors (Group A) 

  

Baseball returned to ballparks around the South East with the start of the 2011 Herts Spring League (HSL).  18 games were played at Herts, RAF Feltwell and Richmond. 

  

MAJORS (GROUP A) 

First up were the teams in the HSL Majors Group A and the most eagerly awaited game was 2010 National Championship rematch between Bracknell and Richmond.  The Flames came out on top once again and the 11-2 score line was strangely similar to last year’s 10-1 win. There were several new faces in the Richmond line-up and it looks like they will be very valuable additions to the Richmond roster this year.  Earlier on Saturday Richmond picked up another convincing win against the Essex RedBacks. 

  

Another team to get off to a perfect start in the Majors Group A are the Herts Falcons.  The HSL hosts started their Spring Training campaign with an 8-4 win against the Southampton Mustangs and followed that up with an 11-9 come-from-behind triumph over the Bracknell Blazers.  With Richmond and Herts going into the final group games with a 100% record it sets up an exciting prospect of the group being decided in the direct game between the two teams at 5pm next Sunday, 3 April 2011, at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  The other teams, and Southampton in particular, are not out of the race and they may have something to say about that. 

  

MAJORS (GROUP B) 

The Southern Nationals who earlier this week were confirmed as one of two new NBL teams for 2011 had a dream start in the HSL with two wins.  They first overcame the GB Juniors National Team by a score of 10-0.  They followed that up with another shut-out win over the Mildenhall Bulldogs, but this time it was a much closer encounter decided by one run.  The GB Juniors were then involved in a real pitchers’ duel with the Essex Arrows, which the Arrows won 1-0.  Richard Chesterton driving in the winning run.  All the games in Group B of the HSL Majors were played at RAF Feltwell which is the home of the Mildenhall Bulldogs and the Lakenheath Diamondbacks, the latter also being confirmed as an NBL expansion team for the upcoming season.  These two teams faced each other on Sunday but the game ended in a 5-5 tie.  This will certainly be an interesting rivalry to follow in this year’s NBL. 

 

MINORS (GROUP A) 

The Sidewinders swept their opponents aside in style.  They first took care of the Richmond Knights with a 24-2 win and followed it with a 23-2 victory over the London Marauders. Earlier in the day Guildford beat the Knights in a thrilling 7-6 ballgame. This would suggest that the race for first place in this group is between the Sidewinders and the Guildford Mavericks, but Sidewinders are expecting to be missing many of their players in week two which may open the door for all the other teams to get back in the race. 

  

 

Essex RedBacks running over the Leicester Blue Sox on Sunday 

  

MINORS (GROUP B) 

Group B in the Minors section of the HSL got off to a great start with a very high quality game between the Milton Keynes Bucks and the hosts Herts Hawks.  This was a rare encounter between AA Midlands and AA South teams which was a good opportunity to see how these two regions compare.  The Bucks took an early 2-0 lead but the Hawks were always in contention.  Thanks to good pitching and defence by both teams, this was a fast-moving and crisp game of baseball.  The Hawks mounted a come back with two runs in the late innings, but it wasn’t enough as the Bucks won it 3-2 with a 6-inning game completed within one hour and thirty five minutes, which is unusually fast for a AA game. 

  

MK Bucks maintained their perfect record with a 8-0 win over last year’s HSL Minors winners, the Leicester Blue Sox.  This group remains nicely poised after the Essex RedBacks’ minor league affiliate also ended the day with two wins and no losses.  Their first win was against Leicester and the second against the Herts Raptors who made an incredible came back from 15-5 down in the final inning to take a 16-15 lead, but in the bottom of the final inning the RedBacks struck back driving in the winning run on a sacrifice fly to right field with one out. 

  

The HSL action continues next weekend with the final group games taking place at the ballparks in Herts, Essex and Richmond.  For full details visit the official HSL website. 

 

by AspiDimitrov

BRITISH BASEBALL COMES OUT OF HIBERNATION AS HERTS ANNOUNCE 2011 HSL

 

The biggest pre-season baseball tournament in Britain is back. Commencing on 26 March, the Herts Spring League will see a record 20 teams travel from as far afield as Leicester and Southampton to hone their skills and compete for the title. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it’s Britain’s very own version of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues currently under way in the US, and it signals that the season is just around the corner.

 

THE TEAMS

As in previous years, teams from the British NBL, AAA, AA and A Leagues will be placed in the Majors and Minors Divisions, based on the team rankings going in to the new season.  This time around, the HSL will also feature the Great Britain Juniors National Team as they prepare for the international schedule in 2011.  They will face NBL opposition throughout so it will be a beneficial competition for Will Lintern’s men.

 

Bracknell has dominated the HSL winning the Majors Division two years in a row.  Will any of their opponents manage to dethrone them this year?  They open the 2011 HSL with a mouth-watering clash against the Richmond Flames in a repeat of the 2010 National Baseball Championship Final.  The HSL Majors division is packed with teams of the highest calibre including most of the NBL teams.  This includes the Lakenheath Diamondbacks and the Southern Nationals which the BBF is expected to add to the ever-expanding National Baseball League (NBL).  Similar to the Mildenhall Bulldogs, the Lakenheath Diamondbacks are made up predominantly of US air force personnel stationed in East Anglia so they are expected to be a very tough opponent. 

 

The HSL Minors will once again see some off the best teams from the British AA and A Leagues and, as always, it will be fascinating to see how teams from the Midlands will fare against their Southern counterparts.  The Leicester Blue Sox won it last year in a dramatic final against the Sidewinders and they are back to defend their title.  There will be two new teams in the Minors groups – the Cambridge Royals who were recently resurrected and will enter the British Leagues this season as well as a second Essex RedBacks team who are proving themselves as a fast-growing force in British Baseball.

 

With so many teams entering this year the Majors and Minors are divided into several groups and at the end of the group stage the teams will go head to head in the HSL Finals to determine the overall standings and the 2011 HSL Champions. 

 

THE VENUES

The action will be spread across three weekends – starting on Saturday, 26 March and ending on Sunday, 10 April – and at four excellent venues, Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, Ham Ground in Richmond, Townmead Field in Essex and RAF Feltwell which is the home of the Lakenheath Diamondbacks. 

 

Herts Baseball President, Aspi Dimitrov was delighted with the surge in interest: “We have once again broken the previous year’s record with 20 teams entering the HSL, but Herts Baseball Club would not have been able to satisfy this demand without the other organisation who have so generously agreed to host HSL events at their own ballparks. Richmond, Lakenheath and Essex have been so supportive and professional over the last few months and our club is very grateful to them.”

 

 

 

 

GET THE KIDS INTO THE GAME

The HSL may be a tournament for adult players (14 and over), but Herts Baseball Club will be looking to get the youngsters involved as well. Saturday, 26 March will be an Open Day for boys and girls aged between 6 and 16 who may be interested to give baseball a try.  They will be able to join in with the other players from the Herts youth teams for an intensive and fun day of baseball.

 

It will start at 10:30am at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead (click for map and directions) and is absolutely free and open to everyone. Baseball equipment will be provided.  After play the youngsters and their parents can stay and enjoy baseball of the highest quality including the Herts Falcons vs Southampton Mustangs and the British Champions, Richmond Flames vs Bracknell Blazers. 

 

If the event has to be postponed due to rain, this will be announced on the Herts baseball Club website. If in doubt, contact the club or check the website before you set out for the Ballpark.

 

EXCITEMENT BUILDING UP

The Herts Spring League adds a competitive edge to Spring training.  It’s the time for managers to work out their winning formula going into the BBF league season. It is an opportunity to evaluate existing and newly recruited players – which players will earn a spot in the pitching rotation and who will be batting where in the batting order?  Who will make the first team and who will have to work their way up with the minor league teams?  Not forgetting, it’s a chance to size up your rivals for the year ahead.  It’s the first big challenge and the first big excitement of the baseball year. Don’t miss it.

 

The opening weekend will feature games at Herts, Richmond and RAF Feltwell. For a full games schedule and other HSL details please visit the official HSL website .

by AspiDimitrov

SPRINGING BACK INTO SHAPE

They came blinking into the watery sunlight from their winter hibernation. From across not only Hertfordshire but also north-west London, Buckinghamshire and even Northamptonshire, HBC ball-players took their first tentative steps into the Spring on Sunday. They gathered at Berkhamsted Sportspace to share tales of Christmas, to compare waistlines — and to start work on shrinking them.

 This is how the 2011 baseball season began for the Herts club, looking to build on its historic 2010. Little Leaguers joined members of the National League Falcons and several novice players trying the game for the first time. It’s always good to see fresh faces at Spring Training. And it’s good to be reunited with last year’s fellow travellers. For the Raptors, where I played my games last year, the manager is back on board and he hopes to retain the core of the team which showed such promise as they were baptised by fire. Arnott, Gover, Drummond. These could be big names for the club by year’s end.

The Berkhamsted hall was a tremendous facility. We were able to create batting cages with the enormous net curtains, and to separate areas for pitching, infield and outfield drills. We revelled in the smooth surface and the even bounce as we practiced fielding ground balls — and we dreamt that Grovehill might one day be just as placid. I still managed to pick up my first bruise of the year, fielding one of those ground balls with my shin. We also recreated the struggles of Minnesota Twins outfielders as we played the ball’s carom off the lights, and the basketball equipment. All good fun.

More than a full team’s worth of players showed interest in the pitching masterclass offered by Eagles MVP, Darrin Ward. Which is a good sign — at this stage in the season, anything seems possible. One of the highlights of the experience was handling a pristine, white ball from a newly-opened box. There is something special about a new baseball, like the aroma of a fresh pack of coffee. In fact, it has an aroma of its own. And it has a texture unlike the practice balls which are worn to a slippy sheen; it has real seams, standing proud. Is it a bit geeky to even notice the new ball? Maybe. But I think it’s one of the most touchable of the game’s intangibles.

And now how do I feel, 48 hours on? An extraordinary aching which had tried to paralyse my body seems to be fading. Slightly. Playing baseball does have a far harder effect on the body than my usual choice of exercise — such as running, or cycling, or even sometimes the weights. I don’t know if it’s the repeated impact involved. And of course part of it is that I am a year older. When I took up baseball I had recently turned thirty, and was training to run 10k races. Several surgeries, two children and many years later, I still look ahead to a year thinking “This time I’ll get in better shape….” At some point reality dawns that I will probably never recapture that youthful elasticity. But at least you know that the waistline may have got the message.