Category: Headlines

16 April 2010 by AspiDimitrov

2010 OPENING DAY – “THE SHOW” IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

Article by Matt Smith, lead writer at www.baseballGB.co.uk

The 2010 National Baseball League (NBL) season gets underway this Sunday, April 18 British baseball’s premier division contains eight teams this year, including three teams new to the top tier. Each club will play a 28-game schedule made up of four fixtures each against the other seven teams over a period of fifteen weeks.

The top two teams will automatically qualify for the National Baseball Championships (NBC), a double-elimination tournament scheduled for the weekend of September 4-5. The teams finishing third to sixth will play single playoff games (3rd v 6th, 4th v 5th) to determine the other two entrants to the NBC.

The NBL promises to be a fascinating competition and there is a real sense of optimism that this season could be one of the most competitive we’ve seen for many years. The mixture of established NBL teams and newcomers should make for many intriguing storylines as the season unfolds.

Time to introduce the eight teams.

Courtesy of www.event-photos.co.uk

Bracknell Blazers (2009 NBL Champions) website

2009 will go down in British baseball history as the year in which the Bracknell Blazers broke their 17-year duck and secured a championship at the highest level for the first time. The Blazers finished third in the NBL regular season with a 14-10 record and stormed into the National Baseball Championships riding a five-game winning streak. A defeat to the London Mets in their opening NBC game meant that the Blazers couldn’t afford to lose again — and they didn’t. The Blazers won three games on the final Sunday, eliminating the Herts Falcons and Mets and then coming from behind to beat the Richmond Flames 16-4 in the Grand Final.

Although they’ve lost an important veteran in former Great Britain player (and Baseball on 5 pundit) Josh Chetwynd, the likes of the Trask brothers remain and having had a taste of success, they are sure to want to get to the NBC again and retain their hard-won title.

Opening Day: a doubleheader away to the London Mets.

Courtesy of www.event-photos.co.uk

Richmond Flames (2009 NBL runner-up and NBL regular season Champion: 17-7) website

Until destiny favoured the Blazers, 2009 looked like being the year of the Flames. Richmond finished the regular season with a 17-7 record after sweeping a doubleheader against the London Mets on the final day. The two wins brought them level with the Mets in the won-lost column, and because Richmond won the season series head-to-head against London, they took the NBL regular season title on that tiebreaker. The Flames then won their opening two games in the NBC to qualify for the Grand Final, only for the Blazers to bring their season to a crushing end.

That made it two straight Grand Final defeats. It’s a disappointing record for the Flames, but also shows that they have been one of the very best teams in the country over that period, a point emphasised by fielding the Most Valuable Batter (Ryan Bird) and Most Valuable Pitcher (Cody Cain) in 2009, as awarded by the Great Britain Baseball Scorers Association. Is 2010 the year that the Flames finally finish off their good work?

Opening Day: a doubleheader away to the Croydon Pirates.

London Mets (2009: 17-7) website

After winning back-to-back NBLs in 2007 and 2008, the London Mets fell just short of making it three in a row in 2009. The Mets lost some key players last year from their title-winning team, particularly towards the end of the regular season and for the NBC. Although it didn’t match up with their recent successes, a second-place regular season finish was still a very worthy achievement and the team based at Finsbury Park will be a threat once again in 2010.

Opening Day: a doubleheader at home against the Bracknell Blazers.

Courtesy of www.event-photos.co.uk

Herts Falcons (2009: 12-12) website

The Herts Falcons had a very creditable first season in the NBL in 2009 following their promotion as 2008 AAA League champions. Nobody knew quite how they would cope with the step-up in standard, but winning three of their first four games helped to settle any nerves they may have had and they ended up qualifying for the NBC with a .500 record. After holding their own and proving they belong in the top tier, the Falcons will try to push on in 2010.

Opening Day: a doubleheader at home against the Southampton Mustangs.

Croydon Pirates (2009: 0-24) website

Nobody likes to see a former great crash to earth with an undignified thump, but that’s the fate that befell the winless Croydon Pirates last year. Back-to-back champions in 2004 and 2005 and losing finalists in 2006 and 2007, the Pirates’ 5-19 regular season record in 2008 had already called time on their excellent run and 2009 put the nails in the coffin. Croydon saw a lot of their championship-winning players depart and struggled to replace them, resulting in the team forfeiting a number of games in 2009 due to a lack of NBL-standard players. The only way is up and the Pirates' organisation will now be focused on laying the foundations for a team capable of emulating the glorious 2004-2007 era.

Opening Day: a doubleheader at home against the Richmond Flames.

Essex Arrows (2009: 25-0 in the AAA South) website

The Essex Arrows are one of three teams making their NBL debuts this season. Their perfect regular season record at AAA level last year made them prime contenders to join the top tier and they duly accepted the BBF’s invitation. But 2009 didn’t end in quite the way the Arrows had hoped. Although they extended their winning streak to 26 games by defeating the Liverpool Trojans at the AAA NBC, they were then knocked out of the event by losing to the Harrogate Tigers and Southampton Mustangs. The end couldn’t mar an excellent season and with over 25 years of history, impressive developments at their ballpark and a flair for publicity, the Arrows should be a great addition to the NBL.

Opening Day: a doubleheader at home against the Mildenhall Bulldogs.

Photo courtesy of SA Images

Southampton Mustangs (2009: 21-5 in the AAA South) website

Like the Arrows, the Southampton Mustangs earned a spot in the NBL by rising to the top of the AAA ranks in 2009. The Mustangs put together a very strong season, making it all the way to the AAA NBC Grand Final before falling short to the impressive Harrogate Tigers (champions of the Northern Conference). Their efforts to prepare for the 2010 season received a slight setback when scheduled games against the Bracknell Blazers and Richmond Flames were cancelled in Week 2 of the Herts Spring League; however, they were able to play a couple of games in the tournament and will return to Herts for their regular season Opening Day.

Opening Day: a doubleheader away to the Herts Falcons.

Photo courtesy of SA Images

Mildenhall Bulldogs (2009: AA Champions) website

The Mildenhall Bulldogs made their debut in the BBF leagues last year and they certainly made an instant impact. Alongside fellow United States Air Force (USAF) team Alconbury Braves, the Bulldogs stormed the Midlands League and made their way to the AA NBC. There, the Bulldogs dispatched the Manchester A’s 10-6 in the semi-final and then defeated the Braves 8-1 to win the Grand Final at their first attempt. The Bulldogs' quality was recognised when they were invited to make the big leap right up to the NBL, by-passing the AAA level in the process. Their 2009 form and 2010 Herts Spring League results, including a narrow loss to the Herts Falcons and a 14-3 victory over the Mustangs, suggest that they will not be overawed by the competition.

Opening Day: a doubleheader away to the Essex Arrows.

Photo courtesy of SA Images

Further details

Full details on the NBL competition can be found on the BBF website. All four of the doubleheaders are scheduled to begin at midday (Game Two in each case is scheduled to start at 14.30) and details of the venues can be found on the websites of the Arrows, Falcons, Mets and Pirates.

13 April 201017 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS IN THE 2010 HSL ANNOUNCED

Over the three weeks of the Herts Spring League we saw fantastic baseball, great plays, dramatic wins and explosive hitting. The HSL has announced those players who stood out from the rest.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP)

Shannon Henry (Leicester Blue Sox) – The undoubted star of the HSL delivering in a big way with his bat and also on the mound in the Final against the Sidewinders to pick up the dramatic win and the title for Leicester. His batting stats over the four HSL games were: 3 singles, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 14 RBIs, batting average of .643 and slugging 1.357.

BEST PITCHER – Brandon Blide (Mildenhall Bulldogs) – allowed only 2 earned runs in 13 innings over the course of the HSL (ERA 1.38, K 21).

BEST RELIEVER – Pete Kikel (Herts Falcons) – pitching a no-hitter against the Herts Eagles

BEST CLOSER – Henry Collins (Bracknell Blazers) – picking up the save in the Final against the Herts Falcons.

CATCHER – Jon Mabie (Mildenhall Bulldogs)

FIRST BASE – Tim Elkins (Herts Eagles)

SECOND BASE – Oscar Sierra (Southampton Mustangs)

THIRD BASE –Perez (Mildehall Bulldogs)

SHORTSTOP – John Blose (Mildenhall Bulldogs)

LEFT FIELD – Dan Kerry (Herts Falcons)

CENTERFIELD – Mike Trask (Bracknell Blazers)

RIGHT FIELD – Chris Porter (Essex RedBacks)

BEST PLAY OF THE HSL – John Oliver (Herts Eagles) making a diving catch in right field to stop a Mildenhall rally.

Note: The nominations above were based largely on statistics from the games played at Herts therefore they do not fully reflect the outstanding individual and team performances in the games played at Ham Ground in Richmond.

11 April 2010 by AspiDimitrov

BRACKNELL AND LEICESTER TAKE THE TITLES IN THE HERTS SPRING LEAGUE

The final weekend of the 2010 Herts Spring League on April 10-11 was blessed with glorious spring weather and fine baseball at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead and Richmond Baseball and Softball Club's field in Ham.

Majors Division

At Hemel Hempstead, Bracknell Blazers captured the Majors Division title by scoring early runs and then holding off the Herts Falcons for a 5-2 win. Mike Trask started for the Blazers, who used four pitchers on the day, combining for five hits and five walks but no earned runs.

Dan Kerry started for Herts and took the loss in a five-inning stint that saw him give up only three hits — but 10 walks proved his undoing.

Ryan Trask had two hits and two RBIs for Bracknell, who served notice that they won't surrender their National Championship title easily in the expanded National Baseball League (NBL) that begins play on April 18.

In the battle for third place in the Majors Division, Mildenhall Bulldogs also made a statement of intent about the coming season by thrashing the Southampton Mustangs 14-3. Both teams have been newly-promoted to the NBL for the 2010 season.

The Bulldogs took an early lead with three runs in bottom of the first inning, but Southampton soon cut that back to 3-2, and then 4-3.

But six Mildenhall runs in the bottom of the fourth inning put the Bulldogs on the road to an easy win.

Mildenhall first baseman Perez had a homer, a double and six RBIs to lead their attack, wile pitcher Brandon Blide struck out 14 Mustangs in nine innings while surrendering just five hits.

Fifth place in the Majors Division went to one of the BBF's new teams this year, Essex Redbacks, who defeated Herts Eagles by 12-7, while Richmond Flames took seventh place with an 11-4 win over the Milton Keynes Bucks.
Majors Division Placings
1 – Bracknell Blazers
2 – Herts Falcons
3 – Mildenhall Bulldogs
4 – Southampton Mustangs
5 – Essex RedBacks
6 – Herts Eagles
7 – Richmond Flames
8 – Milton Keynes Bucks

Minors Division

The tightest games of the weekend were in the Minors Division, and you'd go a long way to find a more exciting game than the title decider between the Leicester Blue Sox and the Sidewinders.

The Sidewinders led 10-2 after three innings and 15-5 after three, and the title was surely theirs.

But then the Leicester charge began. Six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning certainly chopped the lead, but a Sidewinders run in the top of the seventh meant the Blue Sox still needed five in their last at-bat to tie and six to win. Surely they couldn't stage that kind of rally again…?

Well, they could and did! Six more runs poured across the plate in the bottom of the seventh and Leicester had a wildly improbable triumph.

In a game of 33 runs, Shannon Henry was the pitching saviour for Leicester, holding the Sidewinders to just one run over the final two innings in relief of Richard Hu. Shannon also chipped in with three hits and four RBIs, while Oscar Martinez and Richard Hu had three RBIs each for the winners.

Third place in the Minors Division went to the Windsor Bears, who defeated Richmond Dragons by a score of 18-2.

Guildford Mavericks captured fifth place with a 13-12 squeaker over Herts Hawks, while a bad day for Herts continued (they had four teams in the Majors and Minors playoffs and all of them lost) when London Marauders crushed the Herts Raptors 31-5 to win seventh place.
Minors Division Placings
1 – Leicester Blue Sox
2 – Sidewinders
3 – Windsor Bears
4 – Richmond Dragons
5 – Guildford Mavericks
6 – Herts Hawks
7 – London Marauders
8 – Herts Raptors

All photos by Soody Ahmad.

OTHER HSL LINKS

Full HSL Scoreboard and links to box scores

4 April 201017 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

BOTTOM OF THE NINTH HEARTBREAK FOR BULLDOGS

The Herts Falcons clinched top spot in their Herts Spring League group in the most dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth with two outs in the deciding final game against the hard-hitting Mildenhall Bulldogs. This sets a mouth-watering HSL Final in the Majors division against the 2009 British National Baseball League Champions, the Bracknell Blazers on Sunday, 11 April.

The Bulldogs eased their way to a comfortable 12-2 win against the Milton Keynes Bucks earlier in the day which meant that the final group game between the Bulldogs and the Falcons would determine the group winner. The visitors from Mildenhall managed to take the lead early in the game, but Herts kept coming back to tie the game in the third and dramatically in the bottom of the eighth when newly-recruited Sri Lancan national team centerfielder, Mahendra Prasad, ripped a two-out single into right field to drive in two runs. With two outs and the game tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth Carlos “the Jackal” Casal managed to get to third with his trademark aggressive running, stealing second and then third after getting on base on a hit by pitch. With Casal representing the winning run on third base, all eyes were on Falcons player-manager Jason Greenberg who stepped into the batter’s box. Deep into the count Greenberg made solid contact with a fastball. It seemed that the ball was taking an eternity to come down as the Mildenhall centerfielder was comfortably waiting under it to take the game into extra innings. Most of the fielders were already heading to their bench when the unthinkable happened. The ball popped out of the centerfielder’s glove and Carlos Casal came home to score and win the game for the team from Hertfordshire. After the initial few seconds of joy in winning what was a fantastic game of baseball, the Falcons players visibly tried to subdue their celebrations in an effort to avoid rubbing salt into the wounds of the Bulldogs. Freakish moments like this do occur in the wonderfully unpredictable game of baseball. This may have cost Mildenhall the game and a place in the HSL Championship Game, but on a positive note for them, the law of averages would suggest that they will not make another error like this for a very long time especially judging by their accomplished defensive performance. This, in many ways, is bad news for all the other NBL teams. The HSL games have shown that Mildenhall will be a major player in this year’s National Baseball League.

The weather played havoc with the HSL games in Richmond on Saturday, which means that the Bracknell Blazers finished top of Majors-A group on conceding less runs per game than Southampton. The Blazers will meet the Falcons in the HSL Championship game in the Majors Division. The game will be played at Grovehill Ballpark at 4pm on Sunday 11 April.

Mildenhall will meet the Southampton Mustangs in the Bronze medal game. To determine 5^th and 6^th place the Essex RedBacks will play against the Herts Eagles, who bounced back on Saturday with a 7-1 win against the MK Bucks in which Darrin Ward pitched a complete 9-inning game allowing only 1 run and 3 hits.

LEICESTER CRUSH WINDSOR AND HERTS TO CLINCH PLACE IN THE HSL MINORS FINAL

Despite losing to the Thames Valley Bisons in week one of the HSL, the Leicester Blue Sox knew that they still had a mathematical chance of finishing top of the group, but they needed to win two games in a row. Their first test was against Windsor and they passed it with flying colours. Next up were the Herts Hawks and although they kept in touch for five innings, they ran out of steam and the Blue Sox took advantage to win convincingly 24-13. Slugger Shanon Henry continued to impress with a home run which went deep over the right field wall. He is 5-for-11 (.545) so far in the HSL with two doubles, two triples and a home run (10 RBIs). The win went to the versatile Richard Hu who got on the mond in the fourth inning to settle the Leicester nerves with the game tied 10-10.

To determine the 2010 HSL Minors Champions, they will play against the Sidewinders who kept up their 100% record with wins against Richmond and Guildford on Sunday.

For more information about the Herts Spring League visit the official HSL website links below:

HSL Scoreboard and Schedule (links to box scores are available for all games played at Herts)

HSL Group Standings

HSL Stats (League Leaders)

2 April 201017 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

A NEW PEARL IN THE CROWN OF HERTS BASEBALL

As the adult and little league baseball seasons approach, Herts Baseball Club is one of several clubs in the country unveiling a new baseball diamond and improved baseball facilities.

Over the last 3 years the club has been on a relentless mission to create the best facilities in British Baseball. Last month the club reached a major landmark by completing the creation of the second diamond at its home ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. This project was made possible thanks to funding from BSUK as part of the facilities grant awarded to Herts last year as well as funding from Dacorum Borough Council and separate Herts fundraising projects and donations from Herts members and supporters.

The funds were invested in constructing a backstop, creating the infield clay areas, pitching mound, as well as a cut-off drain to improve the drainage in the infield. The funding was also used to repair the infield on the first diamond. The icing on the cake is the two scoreboards, one for each of the diamonds, which must be the biggest and best scoreboards in living memory in British Baseball.

All of this makes Grovehill Ballpark the only baseball venue in the country which has two high standard baseball diamonds with permanent outfield walls.

The venue will be a tremendous boost for the Herts youth baseball programme. The expanded facility increases the capacity to six little league diamonds which will enable the club to accommodate the growing number of teams in its Little League and especially when hosting events like the Herts Futures Tournament.

Herts Baseball Club President, Aspi Dimitrov, said: “We are grateful for the incredible support we have received from Dacorum Borough Council, BSUK and all of the club’s members and supporters without whom this would not have been possible.” He added: “These facilities will benefit not only the residents of Hemel Hempstead and Hertfordshire, but the whole British Baseball community as teams from across the country come to Grovehill Ballpark to take part in league games, tournaments and other events. Our only concern is that rumours are being spread on the internet that a Bracknell Blazers jersey was secretly buried under the home plate to cast a Bambino-like curse on our Club”.

The Herts Little Leaguers will probably be the first to grace the second diamond in the middle of May when the new grass is expected to be all set for baseball. With the Southern Adult League schedule published a few days ago it has been confirmed that the first official adult league game on the second diamond will be on 23 May when the Herts Hawks host the Sidewinders. Herts Baseball Club has not yet confirmed the date when the facility will have its official opening. The club is hoping to bid for one of the NBL special events which are scheduled in June as announced by the British Baseball Federation and, if they are awarded that event, then it could be the ideal occasion to mark the official opening of the new facility.

This project is ongoing and it will continue for many years to come. What’s next? Dugouts? Grandstand? Floodlights? One thing is certain. Herts Baseball Club has proven that there are no boundaries to what its members can achieve with the support of its partners and supporters.

31 March 201017 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

BBF PUBLISHES 2010 SEASON DETAILS AND SCHEDULE

The Brtish Baseball Federation has issued details of the 2010 League Season. It is set to be another exciting season for all four Herts baseball teams in each of the four leagues of the British Baseball league structure.

The Club’s first team, the Herts Falcons, open the National Baseball League (NBL) season on Sunday, 18 April, at home against the Southampton Mustangs who are one of the three expansion teams entering the NBL this year. The Herts Eagles will start their AAA-League campaign on 25 April with a trip to the Bristol Badgers, who will have building work at their field in the second half of the season, so they will play all their home games in the first half of 2010. On the same day the Double-A Herts Hawks travel to the Essex Archers. This means that the Hawks will be one of the first teams to play at the revamped Townmead Field in Waltham Abbey. The fouth Herts team, the Raptors start the season on 18 April making their longest trip of the year to Southampton where they will face the Mustangs.

The following are additional details about each of the BBF leagues in 2010.

2010 ADULT LEAGUE SEASON PREVIEW

The BBF Adult Leagues have made tremendous progress recently and going into the 2010 season there are positive news in all departments. The number of teams entering the league has grown from 45 to 51 teams (13% increase). This includes nine new teams entering the BBF leagues (the leagues they will be playing in are shown in brackets):

· Bracknell Blazers III – A (South)

· Chelmsford Clippers – A (South)

· Essex RedBacks – AAA (South)

· Glasgow Baseball Association – AAA (North)

· Horsham – AA (South)

· Leicester Blue Sox II – AA (Midlands)

· Mildenhall Bulldogs II – AA (Midlands)

· Poole Piranhas – AA (South)

· Tonbridge – A (South)

The BBF has just concluded a contract with the number one baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, confirming them as the official ball supplier of British Baseball. New baseball fields are starting to appear on the British Baseball map, with the Essex RedBacks, the Chelmsford Clippers and Herts Baseball Club unveiling new diamonds this season. Existing baseball venues are being improved by clubs receiving grants from BSUK and other organisations, as well as carrying out separate fundraising projects. Essex is one of the clubs which will be unveiling its improved facilities including an impressive grandstand with a 150-seat capacity. Baseball clubs are putting emphasis on increasing publicity by working closely with regional and national media organisations which is starting to generate a lot of interest from new players who want to get in the game and former players who want to get back into baseball.

National Baseball League (NBL)

The NBL has been expanded from 5 to 8 teams. The new members are the Essex Arrows, the Mildenhall Bulldogs and the Southampton Mustangs. The British Baseball Federation’s decision to expand the league will not only bring excitement to the NBL in 2010, but the hope is that the three clubs will take advantage of this unique opportunity to continue their growth and development and create vibrant baseball communities in their regions.

The following is the NBL line-up in 2010:

· Bracknell Blazers

· Croydon Pirates

· Essex Arrows

· Herts Falcons

· London Mets

· Mildenhall Bulldogs

· Richmond Flames

· Southampton Mustangs

Number of regular season games per team: 28 games

Number of weeks: 15 weeks (13 double-headers and 2 single games as part of NBL Special Events – see below for more details)

League Format: Teams play 4 games against each of their opponents.

Postseason: teams finishing in first and second place progress automatically to the National Baseball Championships. Teams finishing third, fourth, fifth and sixth will have to win in a single 9-inning playoff game to progress (see Postseason Playoffs and NBC section below for full details).

AAA-League

In a change from the 2009 structure, the Northern Conference has been divided in two, with the top 6 teams forming the AAA (North) League. In AAA (South) Essex and Southampton may have moved up to the NBL but in their place the BBF has approved the addition of the Bracknell Blazers II, the Kent Mariners and the Essex RedBacks, which is a new club in Essex comprising adult and youth teams entering the league for the first time.

AAA (North)

· Glasgow

· Halton

· Harrogate

· Liverpool

· Manchester A’s

· Menwith Hill

Number of regular season games per team: 28 games

Number of weeks: 14 weeks (14 double-header)

AAA (South)

· Bracknell Blazers II

· Bristol Badgers

· Essex RedBacks

· Herts Eagles

· Kent Mariners

· London Metros

· Oxford Kings

Number of regular season games per team: 24 games

Number of weeks: 12 weeks (12 double-header)

League Format: Teams play 4 games against each of their opponents.

Postseason: The team finishing in first place progresses automatically to the National Baseball Championships. Teams finishing second and third will play a single 9-inning playoff game to qualify for the NBC (see Postseason Playoffs and NBC section below for full details).

AA-League

This season the AA League has a structure which resembles that of MLB in that it has several separate sub-divisions of five teams. A total of 20 teams from every corner of the country are part of the AA League line-up and with a MLB-like postseason format the season in the AA is expected to bring a lot of excitement.

AA (North)

· Bolton

· Humber

· Manchester Torrent

· Oldham

· Sheffield

Number of regular season games per team: 24 games

Number of weeks: 12 weeks (12 double-header)

AA (Midlands)

· Birmingham Maple Leafs

· Leicester Blue Sox

· Leicester Blue Sox II

· Mildenhall Bulldogs II

· MK Bucks

Number of regular season games per team: 20 games

Number of weeks: 12 weeks (8 double-header and 4 single)

League Format: Teams play 5 games against each of their opponents (2 double headers and 1 single game).

Postseason: Teams finishing in first and second place progress through to the postseason where they will play two rounds of playoff games to qualify for the NBC. Teams finishing in third and fourth place progress through to the A-League postseason where they will play two rounds of playoff games to qualify for the NBC (see Postseason Playoffs and NBC section below for full details).

AA (South) Pool A

· Croydon Pirates III

· Horsham

· Poole Piranhas

· Windsor Bears

· Thames Valley Bisons

Number of regular season games per team: 18 games

Number of weeks: 13 weeks (5 double-header and 8 single)

League Format: Teams play 2 single games against each of their opponents plus interleague double-header against each of the teams in the other AA (South) pool.

Postseason: Teams finishing in first and second place progress through to the postseason where they will play two rounds of playoff games to qualify for the NBC (see Postseason Playoffs and NBC section below for full details).

AA (South) Pool B

· Brentwood Stags

· Essex Archers

· Herts Hawks

· Richmond Knights

· Sidewinders

Number of regular season games per team: 18 games

Number of weeks: 13 weeks (5 double-header and 8 single)

League Format: Teams play 2 single games against each of their opponents plus interleague double-header against each of the teams in the other AA (South) pool.

Postseason: Teams finishing in first and second place progress through to the postseason where they will play two rounds of playoff games to qualify for the NBC (see Postseason Playoffs and NBC section below for full details).

A-League

The A-League will also have two sub-divisions of five teams and the top two teams in each of them will qualify for the postseason where they will be joined by teams finishing third and fourth in AA (Midlands) and AA (North). The A-League (South) welcomes three new teams to the line-up this season – the Chelmsford Clippers, Tonbridge and Bracknell Blazers III.

A (South) Pool A

· Bracknell Blazers III

· Guildford Mavericks

· Richmond Dragons

· Southampton Mustangs II

· Tonbridge

Number of regular season games per team: 13 games

Number of weeks: 13 weeks (single games)

League Format: Teams play 2 single games against each of their opponents plus one interleague game against each of the teams in the other A-League (South) pool.

Postseason: Teams finishing in first and second place progress through to the postseason where they will play two rounds of playoff games to qualify for the NBC (see Postseason Playoffs and NBC section below for full details).

A (South) Pool B

· Braintree Rays

· Chelmsford Clippers

· Herts Raptors

· London Marauders

· Old Timers

Number of regular season games per team: 13 games

Number of weeks: 13 weeks (single games)

League Format: Teams play 2 single games against each of their opponents plus one interleague game against each of the teams in the other A-League (South) pool.

Postseason: Teams finishing in first and second place progress through to the postseason where they will play two rounds of playoff games to qualify for the NBC (see Postseason Playoffs and NBC section below for full details).

Special Events

This year British Baseball will introduce several special events as part of the league schedule. The objective is to start to turn our league games into a real celebration of baseball which will not only enhance the enjoyment of players but will add a sense of occasion. This is expected to generate interest from the general public and attendances at our events are expected to rise.

As our clubs continue their development and improve their facilities in the next two or three seasons, they will have the capabilities to turn every one of their league game days into special events. This will be a gradual process which will have to start at the NBL level where the clubs are in a stronger position to execute this. AAA, AA and A teams that make progress and show that they are capable of staging such events will move up the leagues and the hope is that in time all teams at all league levels will be in a position to turn their regular season game dates into special events.

The BBF Special Events which are being introduced this season are listed below. Most of these events will be subject to a bidding process and clubs from all parts of the country are able to submit their bid to host them. Full details of how clubs can apply to host these events will be provided in the coming weeks.

The BBF Adult and Youth League Commissioners will be considering ways of combining both adult and youth games as part of these BBF Special Events, if possible, in order to make them even more vibrant. This would be fantastic for club spirit.

NBL Independence Day Weekend

Date: Saturday, 3 July 2010

Venue: To be confirmed (Subject to bidding process). Venue requires two baseball diamonds.

Format: All 8 NBL teams come to the same venue and play one single game each as part of their regular league season. The games which will be played are as follows.

DATE

TIME

VENUE

LEAGUE

VISITING TEAM

HOME TEAM

FORMAT

03-Jul-10

TBC

TBC

NBL

Croydon Pirates

Bracknell Blazers

9 innings

03-Jul-10

TBC

TBC

NBL

Herts Falcons

Essex Arrows

9 innings

03-Jul-10

TBC

TBC

NBL

Richmond Flames

London Mets

9 innings

03-Jul-10

TBC

TBC

NBL

Mildenhall Bulldogs

Southampton Mustangs

9 innings

NBL Summer Classic

Date: Saturday, 5 June 2010

Venue: To be confirmed (Subject to bidding process). Venue does not necessarily have to have two baseball diamonds so clubs with one diamond can bid for this event.

Format: All 8 NBL teams play one single game each as part of their regular season similar to the NBL Independence Day Weekend event or, in order to enable clubs which have only one diamond to host these BBF Special Events, the event can be split into two smaller events with 4 teams playing a single 9-inning game each at one venue and the other 4 teams doing the same at a different venue. The games which will be played are as follows.

DATE

TIME

VENUE

LEAGUE

VISITING TEAM

HOME TEAM

FORMAT

05-Jun-10

TBC

TBC

NBL

Croydon Pirates

Bracknell Blazers

9 innings

05-Jun-10

TBC

TBC

NBL

Herts Falcons

Essex Arrows

9 innings

05-Jun-10

TBC

TBC

NBL

Richmond Flames

London Mets

9 innings

05-Jun-10

TBC

TBC

NBL

Mildenhall Bulldogs

Southampton Mustangs

9 innings

The Postseason Playoffs

The postseason of all four Leagues (NBL, AAA, AA and A) involve playoff games on the weekends of 21 and 28 August 2010. The BBF will consider ways of bundling playoff games together to turn them into larger and better attended events. An example of a Playoff event could include the following games at the same venue and on the same day:

DATE

TIME

VENUE

LEAGUE

VISITING TEAM

HOME TEAM

FORMAT

28-Aug-10

10:00

TBC

AAA

AAA South (3rd)

AAA (South 2nd)

9 innings

28-Aug-10

13:00

TBC

NBL

NBL (5th)

NBL (4th)

9 innings

28-Aug-10

16:00

TBC

NBL

NBL (6th)

NBL (3rd)

9 innings

National Baseball Championships (NBC)

The NBC brings together all of the best NBL, AAA, AA and A League teams from around Great Britain to one venue. This is the climax of the season and is the most prestigious event on the British Baseball calendar. See Postseason Playoffs and NBC section below for full details.

Other Events

As part of the process of creating the league schedule in the Southern Adult Leagues where there is a large number of multi-team clubs, we have selected a few dates where several teams from the same multi-team clubs can all play their league games at the same venue. Throughout the season teams from the same club have limited opportunity to spend time together as their league schedule usually sends them to different locations on a given weekend. The objective of this trial is to bring large baseball communities together and enhance club spirit. These events are experimental and there is no requirement to apply for them. It is up to the clubs concerned to determine to what extent they wish and are capable of utilising these dates as larger promotional/fundraising events. If this experiment is successful we will look to increase these events as much as possible in future seasons. The following is an example of one such event involving multi-team clubs:

DATE

TIME

VENUE

LEAGUE

VISITING TEAM

HOME TEAM

FORMAT

25-Jul-10

11:00

Herts1

NBL

Bracknell Blazers

Herts Falcons

7 innings

25-Jul-10

12:00

Herts2

AAA (South)

Bracknell Blazers II

Herts Eagles

7 innings

25-Jul-10

13:30

Herts1

NBL

Bracknell Blazers

Herts Falcons

7 innings

25-Jul-10

14:30

Herts2

AAA (South)

Bracknell Blazers II

Herts Eagles

7 innings

25-Jul-10

16:00

Herts1

A (South)

Bracknell Blazers III

Herts Raptors

9 innings

Another example is combining league games with other events. For example, the Essex Archers are scheduled to play their AA home game vs Thames Valley on Saturday, 26 June 2010 , while the Essex Arrows will play their home NBL game against the Croydon Pirates on the following day Sunday, 27 June 2010. This is done to coincide with the Waltham Abbey Town Show attracting more fans and generating publicity for Essex Baseball Club and British Baseball in general.

24 March 2010 by AspiDimitrov

FALCONS MANAGER JASON GREENBERG APPOINTED GB TEAM GENERAL MANAGER

This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

The Executive Board of the British Baseball Federation has confirmed that Jason Greenberg will be the new General Manager of the Great Britain Senior Baseball Team.

The appointment is the latest development in the BBF's effort to restaff the programme following the resignations of former GM Alan Smith and Head Coach Stephan Rapaglia at the end of February.

However, the Board has asked Alan Smith to serve the senior national team in an advisory capacity to support Jason Greenberg, and Stephan Rapaglia has been invited to continue as Performance Director for the full GB National Teams programme.

Smith and Rapaglia will help to spearhead the search for a new Head Coach for the GB Senior Team.

GB Senior Team at the 2009 Baseball World Cup

Other Appointments

The BBF Board has also appointed Head Coaches for the GB Youth Teams.

Paul Vernon, also the BBF Southern Youth Leagues Commissioner, will carry on as the Head Coach of the GB Junior Baseball Team, while Will Lintern will remain as Head Coach for the GB Cadets.

European Championships

These staffing decisions have been made against the backdrop of this summer's European Baseball Championships in Stuttgart, Germany from July 23 to August 8. The BBF has informed the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) that Great Britain is committed to fielding the strongest team possible at the tournament.

But the composition of the squad, how much money is available for travel and what kind of pre-tournament opportunities the team can afford to take part in are just some of the questions that Jason Greenberg must now confront together with Alan Smith, Stephan Rapaglia and the as yet unnamed Head Coach.

GB vs. Holland at the 2009 Baseball World Cup

Urgent Business

Preparations for this summer's national team competitions have been the first order of business for the new BBF Board that was elected at the AGM on February 28. The new National Teams Programme Official, Marty Cullen, wasted little time in assembling a committee to address the issues and conduct a search for a new General Manager and Head Coach.

Sitting on the committee with Cullen, Alan Smith and Stephan Rapaglia are BBF President Mark Salter and James Pearce, BBF Development Official and MLB's World Baseball Classic Tournament Director.

Background

It was Alan Smith who recommended Jason Greenberg to the Board as his possible successor.

Greenberg works in London as a full-time employee in the BSUK Operations Department. He is a US/UK dual national who grew up playing baseball near Seattle, attended Williams College in Massachusetts and holds a Masters degree from Kings College London and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Since 2005, Greenberg has been a member of Herts Baseball Club in Hemel Hempstead, serving as Adult Programme Director and Manager of the Herts Falcons since 2008.

“The GM appointment is a great honour and an immense responsibility,” Greenberg said. “I have so much respect for the magnificent work that Alan and Stephan have done since taking over the GB Senior Team six years ago. They have left very, very big shoes to fill — and it was heartening to learn that they have agreed to stay on as consultants to the programme.

“It is imperative that we field a competitive team in Stuttgart,” Greenberg continued. “Alan and Stephan led Britain to a world ranking of 21st place and it is our goal, at the very least, to maintain that level of success. Nothing would propel GB baseball to the next level of international recognition as quickly as a high EC placing and, if all goes well, a bid to compete at the 2013 World Baseball Classic when the field expands to 24 teams.

“The ripple effect of competing on that kind of world stage will benefit every UK team, both at the adult and youth levels, by helping more and more people in Britain to get excited about baseball.”

GB Senior Team at the Belgian Trials, 30-May-2009

Daunting Task

Of course, just getting the GB Team to the European Championships this July will require a daunting fundraising drive by the GB programme.

The BBF National Teams Committee has set a target of £50,000 to be raised over the next four months, or roughly £500 a day. Such a sum would allow players to travel to Stuttgart from locations in Europe and North America, as well as provide for a pre-tournament training camp consisting of practice sessions and exhibition games.

“I must be mad to take up this job when there is so little time to fundraise and prepare,” Jason Greenberg said. “And I have no illusions — it will be a massive uphill battle just to get to Stuttgart, let alone with a squad that can compete with the best teams in Europe.

“But I have confidence in my ability to plan and help coordinate the efforts of all the great people who are now involved in making this dream a reality. No one could do this alone, and having Alan and Stephan as part of the team and having Marty, James and Mark guiding this work at Board level will help immensely.

“These are bright, capable volunteers who all share the same vision for baseball in this country. So I'm inspired and encouraged and proud to be working with them.”

22 March 201017 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

SAM DEMPSTER ELECTED TO THE WHITBY SPORTS HALL OF FAME

MLB Envoy Sam Dempster, will be an inductee to the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame in Canada on April 24. Over the years the members of Herts Baseball Club, young and old, have had the privilege to work with Coach Dempster and he has become a part of the Herts Baseball Family. Herts is in a very good position to know exactly why Sam Dempster is being elected to the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame.

Herts Baseball Club congratulates Coach Dempster and is grateful for his incredible contribution to the club’s growth and success.

The following article was first published on www.britishbaseball.com

MLB Envoy Coach Sam Dempster has been coming to the UK as a Major League Baseball Envoy since the summer of 2004, and after each summer spent teaching the British baseball community the “Dempster” way of doing things, Sam has returned to Canada to resume as Head Baseball Coach at Durham College in Ontario.

But on April 24, Coach Dempster will receive a signal honour: induction to the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame at the college.

Deserving Candidate

“Sam is truly deserving of this honour,” said Ken Babcock, Durham College Athletic Director. “His involvement with baseball on many different levels for the past 30 years is extraordinary. From youth minor ball, to his key role in the birth of high school baseball in the Durham Region, to his stellar career as head coach of the Durham College varsity baseball programme to his work as a Major League Baseball scout and also worldwide ambassador for Major League Baseball’s International Envoy programme, Sam has impacted thousands world wide. I can’t say enough about Sam Dempster as a person. He is simply one of the special ones.”

BSUK Regional Coach and GB Cadet Head Coach Will Lintern said, “The ‘Dempster Way’ can best be summarised by the quote he often puts at the end of his emails: ‘If you want to leave footprints in the sand, wear work boots’. Sam Dempster has been an absolute work horse, travelling the length and breadth of the UK to coach kids and adults of all abilities. Many clubs have benefited from the experience and knowledge that Sam has imparted on the baseball field, but no group of players have learned more about the game of baseball than those who have played on the Great Britain Cadet National Team.”

Since Will Lintern became Cadet Head Coach in 2008, Sam Dempster has been one of the team’s assistant coaches at two European Qualifier Tournaments where GB placed second and fifth and has instructed at numerous Cadet camps and practices.

In Canada, Sam Dempster has been the only coach that the Durham College men’s baseball programme has ever known. For the last 18 seasons as Head Coach of the Lords, Dempster has been instrumental in guiding the programme to its current level of excellence.

The team has only had one losing season in those 18 years, and since 1995, the team has qualified for the Ontario Championship finals in all but one year, while Dempster has gone on to compile an impressive overall record of 257-177 and a conference record of 169-108.

The Lords have won the CIBA Ontario Conference championship five times, including four straight wins from 2005 to 2008. Durham’s first conference championship came in 1999.

MLB Award

In January of 2007, Sam Dempster was awarded the Julio Puente Envoy International Coach Award by Major League Baseball at the American Baseball Coaches Association Conference in Orlando, Florida. The prestigious award is presented by MLB for unselfish, dedicated and passionate work in growing the game of baseball.

In addition to his lead role at Durham and his summer work in the UK, Coach Dempster is also an associate Canadian scout for Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers and was previously a scout for the New York Yankees. He has also co-organised the Ontario Best Ever Clinic for many years and has assisted the Team Ontario programme both north and south of the border.

Back to Britain

This summer, Sam Dempster will return to his role as an assistant role with the GB Cadet National Baseball Team, helping to deliver an enhanced regional practice schedule. The plan is for Sam to run one regional practice in the North and one in the South each week for both the Junior and Cadet teams ahead of their respective European Qualifying tournaments.

Will Lintern said: “Having Sam on the coaching staff is not only a great asset, because I know he will push both the players and the other coaches to excellence, but it also a tremendous privilege and honour to work with a coach of his calibre.”

16 March 201017 February 2012 by AspiDimitrov

RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR THE HERTS SPRING LEAGUE

Article by Rob Jones

The biggest pre-season baseball tournament in Britain is back, and this year it is even bigger and better than ever. The Herts Spring league will see a record 17 teams travel from as far afield as Leicester and Southampton to hone their skills and compete for the title. Organised by the 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.

Herts Baseball Club President Aspi Dimitrov was delighted by the surge in interest: “Every year we have had more teams wanting to play in the HSL. It’s fantastic to have another big jump in the numbers, and I think it’s going to be a great competition.“ He added: “We are also pleased to confirm that BarrysTickets.com have continued their association with Herts Baseball Club and have just been confirmed as the Official Sponsor of the 2010 Herts Spring League. The financial contribution which they are making will be used to improve and maintain facilities at Herts Baseball Club so that all teams coming to play at Herts can benefit.”

Last year’s winners Bracknell will be returning to defend their crown, led by their star slugger Ryan Trask. In 2009, their victory in the HSL was a springboard to taking the National League title, and top teams this year will be hoping to emulate that feat. Bracknell’s opening HSL game is a mouth-watering clash with the Richmond Flames in a repeat of the 2009 National Baseball Championship Final. Ryan Bird’s Richmond Flames will be battling them hard and the host team, the Herts Falcons, will count on flame-throwing Dan Kerry (pictured) to keep the offenses in check. The big guns will be joined by teams from all levels of the British game, including the current AA Champions, the Mildenhall Bulldogs, and the reigning masters of the British Single-A League, the Leicester Blue Sox.

The action will be spread across three weekends – starting on Saturday, 27 March and ending on Sunday, 11 April – and at two excellent venues, Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, and Ham Ground in Richmond. The clubs will be split into two groups, HSL Majors and HSL Minors, based on the team rankings going in to the new season – NBL and AAA teams will be joined by the expansion team the Essex Redbacks in the Majors; the AA and A teams will make up the Minors. The winners of two mini-leagues will then go head to head for the Championships.

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.

Visit the official HSL website for more details.

7 March 2010 by AspiDimitrov

FIELDS OF DREAMS

For the average person, pulling on a baseball glove or clubbing a home run would be an exciting novelty. So, for those us who get that thrill regularly, what novelty provokes similar excitement? The answer, it seems, is a mini-digger and a dumper truck. On a bright Spring Saturday, some of the finest talent that Herts Baseball Club has to offer turned out to help prepare our brand new field, and touch up our existing diamond for the season ahead. They could barely contain their glee at two life-size Tonka toys to play with. One of them told me that when the call for volunteer drivers went out, his hand had never gone up so quickly. But this was not just about sandpit play on a grand scale. This was serious work. The machines were there to dig out the areas around the three bases, home plate, and the pitchers' mound on the new field, so that several enormous piles of sand and gravel could be poured in. Marty Cullen, Lee Manning and Dave Westfallen took turns at the controls, taking strides towards turning one small patch of Hemel Hempsted from plain old grass, to a magical baseball diamond. The germ of the idea was planted years ago; the turf was laid last autumn in a blaze of wet weather glory; and in just a matter of weeks, it should be hosting Herts games. The second field will give the club the room it needs to run four adult teams, as well as a burgeoning Little League project, throughout 2010 and for many years to come.

Over on the original field, the work was less dramatic but no less important. The grass had to be edged neatly, the new Redgra spread evenly, and the mound repaired lovingly, so that it can remain a Hertfordshire landmark. Baseball fields are rare enough in the UK — a field with a full, cut-out infield is even more rare, and with a bit of maintenance it can be a thing of beauty. So Greg Bochan, Mark Hoffman and Phil Hynes were among those who helped it become reality. They used the more mundane tools of shovel and wheelbarrow to five the field a facelift. In the course of the day, more than two dozen baseball stars put in their time as volunteer groundsmen. This has been the scene of many Herts triumphs — let's hope it can be even better looking when the next triumph comes around.