Category: Featured

Herts publishes AGM details
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts publishes AGM details

AGM NOTICE

In accordance with the Club’s Constitution, this is a notice of the upcoming 25th Annual General Meeting of Herts Baseball Club.  The AGM will take place as follows:
 
DATE
Sunday, 5 December 2021

TIME
10:30am (AGM expected to end at around 12:30pm)

VENUE
This year’s AGM will be held online via Zoom. Club members will receive an email with details how to join the Zoom call.

JUNIOR MEMBERS
Under the Club’s Constitution, members under the age of 14 on 31 December 2021 are classified as Junior Members and do not have voting rights at General Meetings. Regardless of this, if you are under the age of 14, you and your parents are very much invited to attend the AGM, especially as so many of the parents of our youth members are involved as players, coaches, volunteers and members of staff.
 
POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS
Although only 2021 club members have the right to vote at this AGM, the meeting is very much open to potential new members who are considering joining the club in 2022.  This is a good opportunity for new players, volunteers and members of staff to learn more about the club and meet its members.  If you fall into this category and wish to attend the AGM, please contact the club.
 
OBSERVERS
The meeting is also open to observers who are not members of the Club. If you fall into this category and wish to attend the AGM please contact the club.
 
AGM PACK
Ahead of the meeting, the AGM Information Pack will be sent out to 2021 members. It will include information such as the AGM agenda, 2021 report, financial statements, election details and more. 
 
ELECTION OF 2022 BOARD MEMBERS
In accordance with the Constitution, a number of Board positions will be up for election at the upcoming AGM either as part of the annual retirement of a third of the Board positions or because they are vacant.
 
The club is now inviting nominations for the following Board positions:  
BOARD POSITIONS (appointment duration in brackets)

  • Treasurer (term ends 31st December 2024)
  • Club Secretary (term ends 31st December 2022)
  • Shop Manager (term ends 31st December 2024)
  • Facilities Manager – Grovehill (term ends 31st December 2022)
  • Welfare Officer (term ends 31st December 2024)
  • Manager NBL (term ends 31st December 2022)
  • Manager Single-A or Double-A2 – Hemel Hempstead (term ends 31st December 2023)
  • Manager Single-A or Double-A2 – NW London (term ends 31st December 2024)
  • Manager Single-A or Double-A2 – NW London (term ends 31st December 2022)
  • Head of U15 Baseball – Hemel Hempstead (term ends 31st December 2024)
  • Head of U13 Baseball – Hemel Hempstead (term ends 31st December 2023)
  • Head of U11 Baseball – Hemel Hempstead (term ends 31st December 2022)
  • Head of U15 Baseball – NW London (term ends 31st December 2024)
  • Head of U13 Baseball – NW London (term ends 31st December 2024)
  • Head of Softball (term ends 31st December 2023)

Notes:

2 The leagues which our teams will enter in 2022 will not be known until after the AGM. The Club may also decide to add or remove teams from the BBF leagues depending on the number of players registering for 2022. If the club enters fewer teams than expected, one or more of these board positions may be removed after the AGM.
 
Current Board members are eligible to stand for re-election. All members are invited to consider any of the Board positions and put their names forward for one or several of them. 
 
Being a Board Member is an excellent opportunity to be involved in shaping the future of Herts Baseball Club. If you are considering applying for any of the positions, but are unsure about it, you can get in touch with current or past Board members who can give you more information about what the role involves and what to expect if elected. If you require more information about any of the above Board positions please contact the club.
 
HOW TO CONFIRM YOUR CANDIDACY
If you decide to run for any of these Board positions please confirm your candidacy by posting a message in the Herts Baseball Online Forum (Click here to view). If you have difficulties accessing the forum with your username and password please contact the club.
 
NOMINATION PROCESS
Nominations require two votes – nomination and second.  Nominations of Board members can be received at any time, including during the AGM. Nominations can only be accepted from persons eligible to vote at the AGM. If you are concerned about the nomination process, members of the current Board would be happy to consider supporting your nomination and giving you the necessary two votes to be able to stand for election, so feel free to get in touch with current Board members. To nominate or to second a candidate, post in the Herts Baseball online Forum.
 
BOARD AND STAFF MEMBER REBATE
Ahead of the Board elections, a reminder that, in consideration of the time and effort which Board members give in performing their Board roles and which effectively means that they are unable to enjoy the full benefit of their membership, they will be entitled to a membership fee rebate. The Board reviews the rebate system from time to time. Here is an example of how it is likely to be applied during the upcoming season:

  •  members of the Board are expected to be entitled to a rebate of around 50% or more of the respective membership fee payable by them during the year. 
  • if one Board role is held by two or more individuals, such individuals can share the rebate between them as the burden of performing the role is shared between them.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
In accordance with article 14.3 of the Club’s Constitution “Additions to, or alterations of the constitution shall be submitted to the Secretary not less than 10 (ten) days before the date of the meeting. No resolution involving an amendment to the constitution may be proposed or amended from the floor of a meeting.” If any members wish to propose a constitutional amendment please send it by contacting the club by 23:59 on 25 November 2021, at the latest. You can find a copy of the Constitution on the club’s website (click to view).

Herts stalwart Hiche steps down
by Rob Jones

Herts stalwart Hiche steps down

One of the leading figures of the past decade for the Herts Falcons, Cris Hiche, has decided to step down as the manager of the team.

Hiche originally joined the Falcons ahead of the 2012 season, and helped to push them to unprecedented levels of success. The team reached the playoff finals that year, and lost in six games to the Harlow Nationals. His first four seasons with Herts proved to be among the best in the club’s history and included reaching the NBL playoffs in three out of these four seasons, and semi-finals in 2013 and 2015.

Hiche’s outstanding performances in this period were recognised with the award of the NBL Outfield Gold Glove in 2012 and 2013, when he did not commit a single error. In 2013 he was also the Falcons’ home run leader.

After a year playing in the Austrian league in 2016, Cris Hiche returned to Herts. By 2018 he had become the manager, and once again led the Falcons to success. An impressive post-season run – in which he was now a successful starting pitcher – saw the team return to the NBL finals against the Mets.

The London side swept the finals series, but there was another aspect to this achievement – Herts had qualified for Europe for the first time in their history. In the summer of 2019, Hiche’s Falcons played in Blagoevgrad in Bulgaria in the European Federations Cup. They secured a win against the Lithuanian side, Utenos Titanai, and indulged in a famous rain-soaked streak. Don’t worry, we won’t share pictures of Cris in his undercrackers.

The Chilean has also been instrumental off the field for Herts for many years. He joined the club’s executive board as the head of the Under-17 and Under-19 programmes. In 2013 he led the Herts Under-17 team to the National Final finishing as runners-up which is the club’s best position in that age group. He has also served in posts including facilities manager and overseen training programmes for all levels.

Cris had to step away from managing in 2021 for family reasons, and has now decided not to return in 2022. Herts wishes him all the best for what comes next, and we still hope to see him return to the club to drive more success in years to come.

Herts Falcons and Herts Londoners launch player recruitment for 2022 NBL season.
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Falcons and Herts Londoners launch player recruitment for 2022 NBL season.

Today, Herts Baseball Club published details of Herts Falcons’ plans for the 2022 NBL season, as follows.

CLUB STATEMENT

2021 was a difficult season in the National Baseball League (NBL) for the club’s flagship team, the Herts Falcons.

The team has had an illustrious 26-year history and has been a member of the NBL since 2009 after the Falcons won promotion as the Triple-A League National Champions in 2008. 

The club is determined to ensure that the team not only continues to play in Britain’s highest league but that it is capable of challenging for a place in the playoffs. This will not be an easy task and it will not happen overnight, but the hard work begins today.

The club has just launched its recruitment campaign with the aim of rebuilding the Falcons squad in time for the 2022 NBL season.

Furthermore, with the project to build the new Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London making excellent progress, this recruitment drive will also aim to sign-up players with a view to making the Herts Londoners the club’s second team to join the NBL.

Apart from players, the club is also inviting candidates for team manager.

Tryouts will be held in Hemel Hempstead and in London and the dates will be confirmed in due course.  The club will also be providing applicants with details of income-generating opportunities for those players who sign-up to play for the Falcons and the Londoners.

Club President Aspi Dimitrov said: “This is an opportunity for players who are looking to compete in the NBL to play for one of the biggest baseball clubs in Britain with nearly 200 registered players this year and over 700 that have worn the Herts jersey over the last 26 years. We are inviting not only elite players with experience in the top leagues, but we are particularly interested to work with young players and those who may not have played in the top league yet, with a view to giving them the opportunity and the necessary game time to develop in the NBL.”

To express interest in playing for the Herts Falcons and the Herts Londoners in the NBL in 2022 and for more information about this opportunity, players are invited to complete this online form.

The invitation is not only for new players but also for current and former members of Herts Baseball Club. Completing the form will ensure that you receive details of the upcoming tryouts and other updates about playing in the NBL with Herts in 2022.

Click here to express interest in playing in the NBL in 2022
Sixth team enters the Hunlock Series. Players will be redrafted at 7pm.
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Sixth team enters the Hunlock Series. Players will be redrafted at 7pm.

With so many players registering to play in the 2021 Hunlock Series, the organisers have had to add a sixth team who will be wearing the yellow jerseys. The team will be managed by co-managers Eddie Wang and Norman Peng who played for the Herts Londoners in the BBF regular season.

The red team has also made a late managerial change.  They will now be managed by Herts Falcons player and Co-Director of Herts Youth Baseball, Will Zucker.

The addition of the sixth team means that the managers will have to redraft all of the teams.  The Live Draft will start just after 7pm this evening, Thursday, 23 September, and you can tune in to follow the Draft picks live here.

The players listed here have marked their availability and will be picked this evening.  If you don’t see your name in the list, you can still register. See details how to register here.

The addition of the sixth team will also affect the game schedule. The updated schedule will be published shortly and Hunlock Series players will receive an email with full details about Sunday’s first round of games.

No silverware but Herts youth teams put on strong performances in the national championships. U18s still in the hunt.
by Herts Baseball News Editor

No silverware but Herts youth teams put on strong performances in the national championships. U18s still in the hunt.

Herts Baseball Club entered five teams into the BBF U18, U15, U13 and U11 National Baseball Championships. As expected, they came up against more experienced teams so the odds were stacked firmly against them, but that didn’t seem to faze the Herts boys and girls.

U11 Division

Two Herts teams competed in the U11 division – Herts Falcons U11 made up of players from its Hemel Hempstead branch and Herts Londoners U11 representing its NW London branch. Both had closely-fought encounters with LYBL U11 and London Mets U11 but those two teams made it to the final which the Mets won 8-7. It would have been interesting to see what the outcome would have been if Herts had entered an all-star team selecting the top players from the Falcons and Londoners.

U11 Division

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayField
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark

U13 Division

LYBL U13 proved too strong for all teams that came up against them. They overcame the Mets U13 by 19-1 in the Final.  The Herts Falcons U13 was a combined squad with players from the club’s Hemel Hempstead and NW London branches.  Although they couldn’t cope with LYBL, they were in control against London Sports U13 in the first half of the game but four runs in the last inning cost them.

BBF (U13) Pool A

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayField
Grovehill Ballpark
Combined B U13Combined A U13
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark

BBF (U13) Pool B

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayLeagueField
BBF (U13), Pool B
Grovehill Ballpark
BBF (U13), Pool B
Grovehill Ballpark
BBF (U13), Pool B
Grovehill Ballpark

U15 Division

The Herts U15 team were expected to struggle as they were missing key players, but they came very close against both the Mets and London Sports, losing 8-13 and 7-10, respectively.  Once again LYBL dominated and they went on to lift the trophy.

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayField
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field

U18 Division

Heavy downpour in Surrey halted the U18 contest with the semi-final between Herts Falcons U18 and LYBL U18 finely poised at 0-0. The game was suspended in the bottom of the third inning with one out and it will resume on a date and at a venue which will be confirmed by the BBF in the coming days. There are signs that the Herts team, led by co-managers Colin Barrett and Duane Badenhorst, could cause an upset and progress to the Final.

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayField
ACS Cobham
ACS Cobham
Game 1 LoserGame 2 Loser
ACS Cobham
Game 1 WinnerGame 2 Winner
ACS Cobham

Herts launched its own Herts Youth Baseball League this year which saw an influx of new youth players join the club, the majority of whom are playing baseball for the first time in their lives this year.  The weekend’s action showed that there is enormous talent in the Herts youth teams and it is now for the club, the coaches and the players to realise that potential in the coming years.

Manning, Cresswell, Zucker and Coughlan are the first round picks. Series starts on 26 September.
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Manning, Cresswell, Zucker and Coughlan are the first round picks. Series starts on 26 September.

The 2021 Hunlock Series Draft was completed on Tuesday night. The managers of the teams had a plethora of talent to choose from with 72 players drafted over 18 rounds.

THE FIRST ROUND PICKS

Manning, Cresswell, Zucker and Coughlan are the first round picks. Series starts on 26 September.

On a toss of a coin, the Black team had the first pick. Manager, Matt Bell, selected Herts Falcons catcher, Lee Manning (pictured above).

Next up was the turn of Blues manager, Mike Wakelam. With his first pick he selected Herts Falcons outfielder and first baseman, Michael Cresswell.

The third team to make their pick were the Greys managed by Brad Charalambous. He went for Herts falcons pitcher and infielder, Will Zucker.

Reds manager, Aspi Dimitrov, picked catcher Bryn Coughlan (pictured above right) who will be making his long-awaited return to baseball after injury.

FREE AGENTS AND TRADES

The full team rosters determined at last night’s draft are shown here. As more players sign up to play they will be able to join the teams as free agents. We will keep you updated about free agent signings and trades over the course of the Series.

New players aged 14 or above, regardless of whether they are members of Herts or another club or completely new to baseball, can be added to the teams at any point. To be added to the teams or for more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

OPENING DAY

The Series commence on Sunday, 26 September. The first games start at 12:30pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Admission is free. For complete Series schedule click here.

Hunlock Series managers announced. The Live Draft is this Tuesday night.
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series managers announced. The Live Draft is this Tuesday night.

We are counting down to the 2021 Hunlock Series Draft which will take place this Tuesday, 14 September at 8:00pm. Players and fans can follow the Draft picks here as they happen. Participants will also be able to interact and chat about the Draft on the Herts Facebook Page and Herts Twitter as the managers make their picks. We understand the Draft may also be streamed live and viewers will be able to listen in on the discussions between the managers. If so, we will post an update with the live stream link.

Five teams go into this year’s competition. The mystery team, Formosa Islanders, were announced a few days ago and there will be four other teams. The managerial appointments have just been announced.

  • Mike Wakelam – Blue team
  • Brad Charalambous – Grey team
  • Matt Bell – Black team
  • Aspi Dimitrov – Red team
  • Formosa Islanders – (manager to be confirmed)

Fans will see some new faces in the Hunlock Series this year who have joined the club in the last few weeks, so there will be an element of surprise in Tuesday’s Draft. Some of them may be new to Herts fans but they are not new to the game. The Hunlock Series could be a glimpse at some of the new players who will be wearing the Herts uniform for the first time in 2022.

HOW TO REGISTER

All Hunlock Series players will be drafted into teams. To be eligible for the Draft players will need to update their availability for all the Hunlock Series dates in the online Clubhouse by 6pm on Tuesday, 14 September. If you miss the deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. New players will still be eligible to play but will have to be assigned as free agents after the Draft.

If you already have a Clubhouse account you can update availability by logging on with your existing username and password. Click here to go to the Clubhouse.

If you do not have a Clubhouse account but wish to play in the Hunlock Series, please register here and select “Play Hunlock Series” in the membership category list. After registering you can log on and mark your availability.

To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2021.

ENTRY FEE
2021 club members do not have to pay an entry fee as the Hunlock Series is part of their membership package. If you don’t have a Hunlock Series team shirt, you can buy one before your first game. The cost is £6.

New players or players from other clubs can play by paying the £12 entry fee which includes a free Hunlock Series shirt of the team which has drafted them.

Five Herts teams go into the national youth baseball championships this weekend
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Five Herts teams go into the national youth baseball championships this weekend

Five Herts teams go into the 2021 British Baseball Federation (BBF) National Youth Baseball Championships this weekend.

The club launched its own Herts Youth Baseball League this year which saw a new generation of boys and girls join the club. The club currently has over 80 registered youth players with the majority playing baseball for the first time in their lives this season.

The five Herts teams go into the weekend as the underdogs but it will be interesting to see if they can put on a good performance and maybe even cause an upset.

The BBF selected Herts to host the U13 and U11 divisions at its Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, while the U15 bracket will be hosted by the Kent Buccaneers and the U18s by ACS Cobham.

The U11 Division will play a double-elimination format where teams are eliminated if they lose two games until only two teams remain and those two teams will play in the final to determine the national champion.

U11 Division

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayField
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark

The U13 Division has been divided into two pools.  The winners of each pool meet in the final.

BBF (U13) Pool A

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayField
Grovehill Ballpark
Combined B U13Combined A U13
Grovehill Ballpark
Grovehill Ballpark

BBF (U13) Pool B

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayLeagueField
BBF (U13), Pool B
Grovehill Ballpark
BBF (U13), Pool B
Grovehill Ballpark
BBF (U13), Pool B
Grovehill Ballpark

The U15 Division is also base don double-elimination.

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayField
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field
Williams Field

The U18 Division will see four teams play semi-finals with the winners meeting in the final.

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayField
ACS Cobham
ACS Cobham
Game 1 LoserGame 2 Loser
ACS Cobham
Game 1 WinnerGame 2 Winner
ACS Cobham
Mystery team enters the 2021 Hunlock Series
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Mystery team enters the 2021 Hunlock Series

The opening day of the 2021 Hunlock Series is approaching and it has just been announced that a mystery team named the Formosa Islanders has entered the Series.

What do we know about them? We have very little information but a quick search on the internet indicates that The Republic of Formosa was a republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its being taken over by Japanese troops. That’s as much as we have at the moment but our investigative journalists are on the case and we will keep you updated as we find out more but we may have to wait until the Hunlock Series games to get a first look at the Islanders.

The LIve Draft is next week
For those who are new to the Hunlock Series, in the days leading up to the Draft, the 100+ Herts players (aged 14 and over) and newly registered players are listed as available to pick in the Hunlock Series Draft. The team managers then take turns picking players one by one over 20 or so rounds of the Draft. It will be interesting to see which players among the club’s 100+ players will be picked in the first round and who will be the very first pick.  In previous years, that honour has gone primarily to Conner Brown. Who will it be this year? The Draft will be done live on Tuesday evening, 14 September.  We will provide more details in due course.

Make sure you are in it
Historically the Herts adult league team managers have used the Hunlock Series games to evaluate current and new players in preparation for the new season, to populate their rosters and positions and to decide which leagues the Herts teams should go into in 2022.

HOW TO REGISTER

All Hunlock Series players will be drafted into teams. To be eligible for the Draft players will need to update their availability for all the Hunlock Series dates in the online Clubhouse by 6pm on Tuesday , 14 September. If you miss the deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. New players will still be eligible to play but will have to be assigned as free agents after the Draft.

If you already have a Clubhouse account you can update availability by logging on with your existing username and password. Click here to go to the Clubhouse.

If you do not have a Clubhouse account but wish to play in the Hunlock Series, please register here and select “Play Hunlock Series” in the membership category list. After registering you can log on and mark your availability.

To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2021.

ENTRY FEE
2021 club members do not have to pay an entry fee as the Hunlock Series is part of their membership package. If you don’t have a Hunlock Series team shirt, you can buy one before your first game. The cost is £6.

New players or players from other clubs can play by paying the £12 entry fee which includes a free Hunlock Series shirt of the team which has drafted them.

Basing Hill Ballpark project to commence this week
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Basing Hill Ballpark project to commence this week

Earlier today Herts Baseball Club confirmed that they have appointed Inscapes as the contractor for the Basing Hill Ballpark project. They are a company with extensive experience in this industry and among their clients are some high profile venues such as The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (video below), Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Gleneagles Golf Course, Hampton Court Palace among others.

Inscapes Millennium Stadium Pitch Construction

They are scheduled to commence work at Basing Hill this Friday, 10 September.  The project is almost identical to Herts’ 2009-2010 project of building Diamond One at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

They will first spray off the playing area and a week or two later will cultivate, re-grade and level the field before they plant the new grass seeds.

It is expected that the new grass playing surface will be ready for its first baseball league games in May 2022 in time for the new season.

Below are images from some of the projects implemented by Inscapes.