The British Baseball Federation has released the full 2012 schedule for the National Baseball League (NBL), which will play their first official games of the year on Sunday 1 April. Nick Hadley, BBF Southern Senior Leagues Commissioner, has published the full slate of NBL match-ups following weeks of work at Board level and a close consultation process with the managers from the eight NBL teams.

Competing in the National League in 2012 are the reigning champions Southern Nationals, London Mets, Croydon Pirates, Essex Arrows, Herts Falcons, Bracknell Blazers, Lakenheath Diamondbacks and Southampton Mustangs. The Mildenhall Bulldogs and Richmond Flames — who were part of the 2011 NBL season — will not be entering top-tier squads into the National League this year.

The season also features several weeks of special intra-Federation play with the NBL sides facing off against the Great Britain Junior National Team. The full post-season selection process will be detailed in the coming days, but it has been announced that the playoffs will take place on the 18-19 August and the 2012 National Baseball Championships will be staged over the three-day Bank Holiday weekend of 25-27 August.

The 2012 NBL schedule will be uploaded to the BBF website calendar and individual team pages later in February, when the site will undergo a refresh of the full Federation league and team structure.

For the complete schedule visit www.britishbaseball.org

Liam Carroll has been selected by the Great Britain Baseball programme and the British Baseball Federation to serve as Head Coach of the newly formed GB Under-23 National Team. Carroll will join team General Manager Jo Ratcliff on the staff, who was appointed in November 2011. The Under-23 Team has been created to fill the gap between Junior and Senior international baseball and to give promising young players additional competitive experience that will help them succeed at Senior level.

US tour

The GB Under-23 team will travel to Boston, Massachusetts in July 2012 for a specially-created “Revolution Tour”. The players – who are halfway through a try-out and roster selection process – will face off against a selection of teams from two very competitive summer ball associations: the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) and the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). Throughout the spring and early summer, Carroll will work with a large pool of players in the UK to fashion and then select a competitive squad.

The tournament will include a special series opener and welcome party on the island of Martha’s Vineyard and an Independence Day celebration in Montpelier, Vermont, some 239 years after the American colonists dumped three shiploads of British tea into Boston Harbour.

Background

Liam Carroll is BaseballSoftballUK’s full-time Regional Coach and Club Development Officer for London. He has a long history with the Great Britain Baseball programme, first as a player with the GB Cadets (1996-1997) and Juniors (1998-2000), and then as a Senior team player at the European Championships in 2003.

Carroll has also coached extensively for Team GB. He was an Assistant Coach with the GB Cadets in 2007 and 2010 and with the GB Juniors from 2004-2006 and again in 2010. In 2008, as Head Coach, Carroll led the GB Juniors to a second place finish at the European Championship Qualifier.

Carroll’s North American career began as a player at Porterville College in California. He went on to serve as Director of Baseball Operations at NCAA Division 1 University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) between 2005 and 2010, where he worked with 16 players who subsequently signed professional contracts with Major League Baseball organisations.

In the British domestic leagues, Carroll has played for the Bracknell Blazers, Brighton Buccaneers and London Mets. He was an Assistant Coach for the London Mets in 2007 and 2008 when they won back-to-back BBF National Baseball Championships. Assisting Carroll on the New England tour will be Brian Essery (GB Senior Team Pitching Coach) and Darryl Reid (GB Senior Team Third Base Coach). Additional staff will be named during the spring.

Eight thousand Olympic Torch Bearers will carry the flame on an eight thousand mile journey throughout Britain next year before the torch finally comes to rest in Olympic Park — and Manchester Softball League Head Harry Somers and Norman Wells, Honorary President of the Liverpool Trojans Baseball Club, have been selected by a special Sport England panel to be among them.

Long and winding road

LOCOG, the London Games organisers, recently announced the route that the torch will follow between May 19 and July 27, when it will pass through 1,018 cities, towns and villages. On the last day of the 70-day relay it will travel down the River Thames to Olympic Park for the Opening Ceremony.

According to LOCOG, the torch will come within 10 miles of 95% of the population. It will go through every English county and every local authority area in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Harry Somers

Harry Somers has been an active volunteer throughout the 20-year history of the Manchester Softball League (MSL). He has had a significant impact in several volunteer roles, and has been League Head for the last three years, during which time the MSL was awarded the League Glover Cup by the British Softball Federation for progressive development.

Harry has been a popular leader of the rapidly growing 27-team league. In addition to his role as League Head, Harry collates statistics from every game and makes them available online within hours, a service hugely appreciated by MSL players.

Another of Harry’s contributions is the weekly production of the MSL publication “Bases Loaded”, formerly known as the MSL Review. This high-quality publication is used in a variety of ways to celebrate league success, improve players’ game knowledge and most importantly to promote a community feeling within the MSL.

Harry Somers also played a key role in securing funding and overseeing the construction of the first purpose-built softball diamond in the North of England at Parrs Wood School and Sports Centre in Didsbury. The diamond, which has a dirt infield and permanent outfield fence, has played a key role in attracting new players to the MSL, and the GB Slowpitch Team plans to hold training sessions on the field.

Norman Wells

Norman Wells has been an active baseball player, coach and volunteer since 1946 as a founder member of the Liverpool Trojans and he is still involved as a scorer and avid spectator. His leadership, determination and drive helped re-form the Trojans after the club struggled in the late 1950s.

Norman’s vision, and the quality of baseball on Merseyside, led the club to five consecutive national finals and three British championships between 1976 and 1980 and the club continues to compete regularly at national finals.

His enthusiasm and passion for the club sees him still involved as Honorary President and at the age of 90 he scored the opening game of the Trojans’ season in 2011.

This year, Norman’s efforts have been recognised with Lifetime Achievement Awards presented by Sefton Borough Council in October and at the Merseyside Sporting Champions dinner in Liverpool on November 4.

His service to baseball has also been recognised by his peers through the highest accolade in his sport when he was inducted into the inaugural class of the British Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Few volunteers in British baseball and softball have worked as hard or done as much over a long period of time as Harry Somers and Norman Wells, and their selection as Olympic Torch Bearers is a well-earned reward.

Herts Baseball Club has announced the dates of the 2012 Herts Spring League. The Opening Games will be played on Saturday, 17 March 2012 and the league has been extended to four weeks this year due to the European Championships. This is the fifth year of the Herts Spring League (HSL). Every year this competition keeps setting new records. Last year 20 teams entered the HSL – a new record. The geographic spread of participating teams seems to be expanding as well, with teams as far away as Leicester and Southampton being involved. This year’s competition is set to be even bigger and teams have been keeping the Herts front office busy with enquiries over the last few months. Spring is the time when managers put together their teams and aim to turn them into winning machines ahead of Opening Day. Similar to the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in MLB, the HSL provides a competitive edge to spring training.

League Format

Teams will be placed in two or more divisions (e.g. HSL Majors and HSL Minors) based on the teams’ ranking going into the new season. The exact format will depend on the number of teams entering the HSL and the availability of venues, therefore full details will be published when the league line-up is confirmed. Over the years the HSL has featured teams from the National Baseball League (NBL), AAA, AA and A-Leagues, as well as international teams such as the GB Under-19 National Team and the ASL Eagles, who won the very first edition of the HSL Majors in 2008. The number of team entries has been going up every year. 2008 – 10 teams, 2009 – 13 teams, 2010 – 17 teams, 2011 – 20 teams. Can the HSL set another new record in 2012?

There has also been interest from Under-17 (Pony) League teams who want to enter so this year the HSL expects to have U17 teams involved as well. The high standard of most of the BBF U17 League teams will certainly enable them to compete comfortably at the level of adult teams form the AAA and AA League teams.

Schedule

The BBF announced that the NBL season will commence on 1 April 2012 which is much earlier than previous seasons due to the GB Team’s involvement in the European Championships. The HSL schedule will be adjusted to ensure that NBL teams can complete their HSL games by Sunday, 25 March 2012.
HSL Majors

The HSL Majors involving the NBL teams will be played over two weekends (not three).

HSL Majors (Week 1 of 2)

Sat, 17-Mar-12
Sun, 18-Mar-12

HSL Majors (Week 2 of 2)

Sat, 24-Mar-12
Sun, 25-Mar-12

HSL Minors

The other HSL Division(s) involving AAA, AA, A-League and Under-17 League teams will be played over three weekends, as in previous years:

HSL Minors (Week 1 of 3)

Sat, 24-Mar-12
Sun, 25-Mar-12

HSL Minors (Week 2 of 3)

Sat, 31-Mar-12
Sun, 01-Apr-12

HSL Minors (Week 3 of 3)

Sat, 07-Apr-12
Sun, 08-Apr-12

Most games will be played at Grovehill Ballparkin Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, but there will also be games at other venues around London to fit the ever increasing number of HSL games.

You can follow all the latest HSL news on the official Herts Baseball website www.hertsbaseball.com

It looks like baseball and softball will finally have a home in South East England. BSUK expects to break ground in February 2012 for a major facility development project at Farnham Park near Slough that will result in four dedicated fields that can be used for baseball, fastpitch and slowpitch play.

Come the start of the 2013 season, it should all be in place at the southern end of Farnham Park.

The Farnham Park facility is located in Slough, easily accessible from the M25, M4 and M40.

Plans currently being finalised will see the site developed to have four softball and two baseball fields. Three of the softball fields will have skinned (dirt) infields, dugouts, backstops and possibly even some bleacher seating. The fourth softball field will have a grass infield, backstop and dugouts, and will play out of the corner of the main baseball diamond. The softball diamonds will be suitable for use, with minor modifications, for slowpitch, fastpitch and youth baseball.

Baseball will have a fully-enclosed main field, hopefully (money allowing) with concrete dugouts and all the features of a European club-level facility. There will also be a second baseball diamond with a backstop and dugouts to enable tournaments to be played on the site.

All these fields will have high-quality playing surfaces that will be regularly maintained to keep them in top condition. Temporary fencing kept permanently on site will allow rapid conversion of fields from one format to another. There will be storage facilities near the diamonds for equipment and the temporary fencing, and perhaps even a small concession stand.

All of this only needs a few more t’s crossed and i’s dotted to become a reality, and that should happen just before and just after Christmas. Contractors are being sought and designs costed, though some of these plans are dependent on the extent of available funding.

The ground-breaking ceremony should follow in February 2012.

Some parts of the development should be able to see some play during the 2012 season, but the full project will be ready for Opening Day in 2013.

For more information visit www.baseballsoftballuk.com

Baseball Softball UK, in coordination with the British Baseball Federation (BBF) and the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB), will host a special one-day baseball coaching clinic on Sunday 20 November in Milton Keynes. The clinic will be led by Sam Dempster, MLB Envoy and Head Coach of the Great Britain Baseball National Team. Coach Dempster has more than 30 years of baseball coaching experience, and has recently led Team GB to a European Qualifier victory in Israel. Dempster, who has spent the past five summers working as Major League Baseball’s envoy coach to Great Britain, is making a special trip to the UK from Canada to instruct at the clinic.

This Clinic will also be the initial launch vehicle for C.E.B’s New Coach accreditation programme, and it is expected that almost 30 coaches attending this clinic will be the first group of aspiring young coaches in Europe to receive the new C.E.B. Level 1 Certificates. This initiative which runs alongside National Baseball Federations Coaching education programme, will begin the process of applying certain recognized standards, transparency, and universality, amongst the 37 European baseball federations affiliated to the European Federation.

Vice-President of C.E.B, Mick Manning, thanked the BBF and BSUK for allowing CEBs involvement, “This is a wonderful opportunity to launch our initiative at such a well attended and prestigious Clinic, I know that Sam and his team will do a great job, and I’m sure that everyone attending will have a great day. I look forward to presenting our New CEB Certificates to my friends at the BSUK/BBF office, for distribution to each of the attending coaches, and I do hope that each coach will continue to further their education and improve their coaching skills, using the BBF and CEB syllabus, to help grow British and European Baseball”

C.E.B. hopes that other member federations who are planning, Coach education Clinics this winter, and for spring 2012, will request C.E.B. co-operation and Certification also, and further details may be found on the CEB website www.baseballeurope.com or by contacting the C.E.B. office at office@baseballeurope.com

Press Release Great Britain Baseball

The Great Britain Baseball Senior National Team is recruiting talented ballplayers from all parts of the globe. In late 2012, Team GB will compete at the European Championships in Holland and the World Baseball Classic qualifying rounds. The British Federation is assembling a competitive roster to help them win both competitions, and they are calling for all British ballplayers with high school, collegiate or professional experience – living in the UK or further afield – to contact the coaching staff.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent Great Britain at the most elite and prestigious level,” said Jason Greenberg, General Manager of Team GB. “Our players travel to fascinating places and compete against the world’s top talents, and the WBC and the Euros will provide unique exposure to MLB and international scouts.”

Team Captain Brad Marcelino added, “We have a good mixture of personalities that love to get after it and compete for every pitch. Our team has a history of winning and playing above outsiders’ expectations. We will be facing opponent rosters comprised of mostly MLB and ex-MLB players, and we are prepared to take GB to the next level in 2012. No competitive ball player will want to pass this up, as the experience of playing for your country is one you will never forget.”

ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY IN THE WBC

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association set the eligibility requirements for the World Baseball Classic. Each player on the GB roster must meet at least one of the following criteria:

1) Holds British citizenship and carries a valid passport
2) Is a permanent legal resident in the UK
3) Was born in the UK or British territories
4) Is a direct descendant of a British citizen
5) Has a parent who was born in the UK or British territories
6) Is eligible for British citizenship or to hold a UK passport

The full eligibility rules as stipulated by World Baseball Classic Inc. can be found online at:

http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/about/rules.jsp#player_eligibility

ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY IN THE EUROS

In order to represent Great Britain in a European (CEB) competition, players must:
✦ Hold British citizenship
✦ Have a valid UK passport

2012 EVALUATIONS AND COMPETITIONS

GB Baseball is scheduling tryout events for potential recruits in England, the United States and Canada. The first event will take place at the University of San Diego on Sunday 8 January. Any player with high school, collegiate or professional experience who is eligible to represent Britain in the World Baseball Classic or in European competition is encouraged to attend.

GB Baseball West Coast Tryouts
Cunningham Stadium
University of San Diego
Sunday 8 January 2012
1pm – 6pm

Additional evaluation events will be held in the Toronto, New York and London areas in April or May 2012. Specific dates and venues will be announced shortly after the winter holidays. Visit www.gbbaseball.com to sign up for the Team GB newsletter.

REGISTER TO TRYOUT / CONTACT THE STAFF

If you are interested in representing Great Britain or attending an evaluation event please contact Brian Essery (GB Coach and Recruitment Director) and Jason Greenberg (General Manager) at recruitment@gbbaseball.com.

Pre-registration for the 2012 evaluation events is mandatory.

Schedule:
Saturday, September 10:
11:00 Lakenheath Diamondbacks – Southampton Mustangs
15:00 Richmond Flames – Southern Nationals
Sunday, September 11:
15:00 NBL Championship Game
(all games 9 innings)

Complete Schedule British National Baseball Championship

Results Day 1:
Thursday, July 21:
Australia – Czech Republic 11-0 (5)
Japan – Canada 9-6 (8)
Australia – Great Britain 7-1
Czech Republic – USA 2-7

Complete Schedule on USASoftball.com

A combination of the endless Bank Holiday, Royal Wedding fever and of course umpire issues ensured that only one doubleheader survived in the National Baseball League on Sunday 1 May.

Essex Arrows at Southampton Mustangs

The Mustangs were too much for their visitors from Essex, easing to victory in both games by 5-0 and 8-2 scorelines.
Gary Davison took the pitching honours in Game One, seeing off Matt Gilbert in a well-pitched contest as well as clubbing two doubles to help the Southampton offense.

Game Two had more offensive fireworks, with Lee Ralph emerging victorious on the mound after Arrows starter Richard Chesterton was forced out of the game after diving for a ground ball in the second inning.

Southampton coach Ben Davis said: “Our defence was stellar today. The Essex guys were making a lot of contact but our defence really stood up and won us the games. These wins are massive for us as they build confidence. It gives you stuff to work with as a team and proves you can come through in close games.”

Essex pitcher Richard Chesterton said: “We just could not string two hits together. We were hitting the ball well, but straight at their guys. They kept dribbling in the runs and we could never get back into it.

“It was really annoying,” Chesterton added, “but we will get better.”

Results A

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, May 01 2011
	10:00	Bracknell Blazers	Richmond Flames	ppd
	10:00	Southampton Mustangs	Essex Arrows	05:00
	12:30	Bracknell Blazers	Richmond Flames	ppd
	12:30	Southampton Mustangs	Essex Arrows	08:02

Results B

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, May 01 2011
	10:00	Mildenhall Bulldogs	London Mets	ppd
	10:00	Lakenheath Diamondbacks	Southern Nationals	ppd
	12:30	Mildenhall Bulldogs	London Mets	ppd
	12:30	Lakenheath Diamondbacks	Southern Nationals	ppd

Standings A

Standings B

Time	Div.	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Sunday, May 01 2011
10:00	A	Bracknell Blazers	Richmond Flames	Westmorland Par...
10:00	A	Southampton Mustangs	Essex Arrows	University of S...
10:00	B	Mildenhall Bulldogs	London Mets	RAF Feltwell Th...
10:00	B	Lakenheath Diamondbacks	Southern Nationals	RAF Feltwell Th...

Standings A

Standings B

Results A

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, April 17 2011
	10:00	Croydon Pirates	Bracknell Blazers	00:05
	10:00	Essex Arrows	Richmond Flames	06:02
	12:30	Croydon Pirates	Bracknell Blazers	13:12
	12:30	Essex Arrows	Richmond Flames	02:11

Results B

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, April 17 2011
	10:00	London Mets	Southern Nationals	05:04
	10:00	Herts Falcons	Southampton Mustangs	05:15
	10:00	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Lakenheath Diamondbacks	04:05
	12:30	London Mets	Southern Nationals	06:05
	12:30	Herts Falcons	Southampton Mustangs	08:11
	12:30	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Lakenheath Diamondbacks	06:09

Standings A

Standings B

NBL Pool A

• Croydon Pirates
• Richmond Flames
• Southampton Mustangs
• Bracknell Blazers
• Essex Arrows

NBL Pool B

• Mildenhall Bulldogs
• Lakenheath Diamondbacks
• London Mets
• Herts Falcons
• Southern Nationals

Time	Div.	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Sunday, April 17 2011
10:00	A	Croydon Pirates	Bracknell Blazers	Roundshaw Playi...
10:00	B	London Mets	Southern Nationals	Finsbury Park L...
10:00	B	Herts Falcons	Southampton Mustangs	Grovehill Park
10:00	A	Essex Arrows	Richmond Flames	Townmead Leisur...
10:00	B	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Lakenheath Diamondbacks	RAF Feltwell Th...

The British Baseball Federation has released the league and divisional structures for the 2011 baseball season that will begin for all leagues on Sunday 17 April. 51 adult teams will play at four levels and in ten divisions during the 2011 season. The flagship National Baseball League has expanded again this year, to ten teams and two divisions. The AAA level will have North and South divisions, with four teams in the North and six in the South.

At AA level, there will be North and Midlands divisions with five teams each and two South divisions with seven teams in one and six in the other. At A level, there will be two divisions, both in the South, and both with four teams each. The playoff and National Championship structure that will emerge from these divisions will be announced by the BBF shortly. Meanwhile, here is how the teams will line up for play this season.

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE
Division A
Bracknell Blazers
Croydon Pirates
Essex Arrows
Richmond Flames
Southampton Mustangs

Division B
Herts Falcons
Lakenheath Diamondbacks
London Mets
Mildenhall Bulldogs
Southern Nationals

AAA LEAGUE
AAA North
Halton Jaguars
Liverpool Trojans
Manchester A’s
Menwith Hill Patriots

AAA South
Bracknell Blazers II
Bristol Badgers
Essex Redbacks
London Metros
Oxford Kings
Richmond Knights

AA LEAGUE
AA North
Bolton Robots of Doom
Humber Pilots
Manchester Torrent
Oldham North Stars
Sheffield Bladerunners

AA Midlands
Birmingham Maple Leafs
Leicester Blue Sox
Leicester Blue Sox II
Milton Keynes Bucks
Nottingham Rebels

AA South 1
Brentwood Stags
Croydon Pirates III
Essex Archers
Essex Redbacks II
Kent Mariners
Latin Boys
Sidewinders

AA South 2
Guildford Mavericks
Herts Hawks
Poole Piranhas
Richmond Dragons
Thames Valley Bisons
Windsor Bears

A LEAGUE
A South 1
Braintree Rays
Cambridge Royals
Herts Raptors
Old Timers

A South 2
Guildford Mavericks II
London Marauders
Southampton Mustangs II
Tonbridge Baseball Club

The latest Active People Survey released by Sport England on March 17 confirms that adult participation in baseball and softball is continuing to rise.

The survey, run on a rolling basis across nearly 200,000 people a year, shows an average over-the-year participation rate of 9,500 adults playing baseball or softball weekly. But the real figures are almost certainly higher because the sports are mainly played seasonally.

Compared to the last set of results, released in October 2010, there has been an increase of 400 participants, from 9,100 to 9,500. But compared to Active People Survey results published in January 2010, the figures have increased by well over 3,000 and this marks a substantial rise in the numbers of people playing.

These figures mean that there are 1,200 more people playing according to Active People criteria than the target of 8,300 for this year, and participation is just 400 shy of BSUK’s Year 3 targets.

The figures correspond with BSUK data showing a similar increase in the number of teams now playing the sports regularly.

Good News

John Boyd, BSUK’s Joint CEO and Head of Development, said: “It’s encouraging to see the latest survey results — they represent good news. Sport England uses this data as the primary assessment of how well sports are performing against their agreed targets, and we’ve seen an increase in line with our planned targets. The number of adult teams playing baseball and softball has increased from 493 two years ago to 681 and the number of youth teams from 85 to 190.

“That means that we are on target, halfway through our current four-year plan, to deliver planned growth in the sports.

“Much work has gone into achieving this from our staff and volunteers,” John continued. “The achievement so far has only been possible due to the continued hard work and support of those who volunteer their time to organise the sports on the ground. These figures are a testament to the buy-in and efforts of the whole baseball and softball community.”

LONDON – Hawk Sport, the premier supplier of American sports apparel in the UK and Europe are today delighted to announce that it is be the Official Uniform Supplier to the Great Britain National Baseball Programme for 2011-2013.

The three year deal will see Hawk Sport provide playing jerseys, practice shirts, pants socks and belts to all age groups within the National Teams Programme. The Great Britain Senior baseball team, ranked 21 in the world, will get their first chance to wear the new uniforms at the European Championship qualifier in Tel Aviv, Israel in July.

For the first time the British Baseball Federation has licensed the sale of replica jerseys and other apparel to the public. Hawk Sport will be the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of Great Britain baseball uniforms which will be released at the start of the British domestic baseball season in April. Hawk Sport are committed to the grass roots development of baseball and softball in the United Kingdom and are pledging to donate a share of the sales of all Great Britain baseball merchandise back to the British Baseball Federation.

British Baseball Federation National Programmes Officer, Marty Cullen said: “We’re really excited! To have a British company provide this level of support to the GB Programme and to baseball in the UK, is phenomenal. The guys at Hawk Sport have been great and its really obvious that they share our vision. The fit couldn’t be better.”

Hawk Sport Managing Director, John Irving said: “Hawk Sport are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to support our country’s national baseball teams. The programme receives no funding from government and we feel it is our duty to help out where we can. We can’t wait to see the players competing in Israel in their Hawk Sport uniforms and are hugely excited about their future on the world baseball stage.”

The Confederation of European Baseball announced this week that the Great Britain Senior National Team will travel to Tel Aviv, Israel in July for a European Championship Qualifier tournament. The Israeli Association of Baseball is hosting a CEB competition for the first time, and whichever team wins the Tel Aviv group stage will go on to play in the 2012 European Championship. Lithuania and Georgia are the other national teams joining Britain and Israel in the qualifier pool.

The latest IBAF World Rankings in 2010 place Great Britain as favourites in the competition. GB remains 21st in the world among IBAF baseball countries, with Lithuania trailing at 48th, Israel placed at 57th, and Georgia as-yet unranked.

IBAF World Rankings at 31 December 2010
GREAT BRITAIN – 21st
LITHUANIA – 48th
ISRAEL – 57th
GEORGIA – unranked

Team GB suffered defeat at the 2010 European Championship in Stuttgart, Germany, losing three of five games to Italy, Sweden and Greece, but beating Croatia and Spain who will now host their own CEB qualifiers in their bid to return to the European A Pool. Britain had one final opportunity in Stuttgart to avoid the qualifier process in a must-win relegation showdown with the Czech Republic, but failed to mount an offence in the error-ridden game and, ultimately, lost by a score of 8-4.

The GB Senior Team staff will now begin the process of selecting a competitive roster for this summer’s event, as well as arranging for squad travel plans and accommodation in Tel Aviv. “This is an exciting time,” said Jason Greenberg, the Great Britain Baseball General Manager. “We’ve got a fantastic new coach at the helm in Sam Dempster, we’ve got solid support from our Federation and the BBF Board, and we’re headed off to play high level baseball in a fascinating part of the world. Most importantly, our players are pumped to get back to the top-tier in Europe.”

The 2011 European Championship Qualifier tournaments will be run in five locations from July 25-30. All the events can be followed online at competition.baseballeurope.com. The British team’s qualifier in Tel Aviv, Israel will be televised in select locations, and the coverage may be streamed live on the internet; more details about live viewing options will be announced on greatbritainbaseball.com in July.

The executive board of the British Baseball Federation has appointed Sam Dempster to be the new Head Coach and Performance Director for Great Britain Baseball. Dempster served as Assistant Coach of the Senior National Team in 2010, helping former skipper Pat Doyle lead the squad to an eighth-place finish in July’s European Championships. The BBF board has signed Dempster to a three-year appointment, which means he will be at the helm as the British men make another pass at the European A-Pool and, perhaps, the MLB World Baseball Classic. Dempster is the Head Coach at Durham College in Ontario, Canada, and spends his summers working as MLB Envoy to Britain and Europe.

Also appointed to a three-year post is Jason Greenberg, returning as General Manager and Director of Operations for the GB programme. Greenberg first joined the staff in April 2010, and works full time in British baseball as Marketing, Communications and Events Manager for BaseballSoftballUK.

“There is no better coach to lead this team into the new decade,” said Greenberg. “Sam is dedicated, loyal, intelligent, honest, unbelievably hard working… and most importantly he knows baseball and he knows how to win. He already has the respect of our GB players and the domestic baseball community, and I have no doubt he will both strengthen the foundation of our programme while pushing our Senior Team to new heights.”

These staffing decisions were reached by the BBF board’s National Teams Committee of chairman Marty Cullen (National Teams Programme Official), Mark Salter (BBF President) and James Pearce (Development Officer), with the counsel of former GB coaches and staff.

Other recent assignments include Will Lintern as Head Coach of the GB Junior squad, and Brendan Cunliffe as GB Cadets Head Coach.

No GB Baseball staff member receives a salary, and all are volunteers working entirely in their free time.

SAM DEMPSTER

The newly appointed GB Head Coach and Performance Director brings an impressive array of experience and credentials.

Dempster has been the only coach that the Durham College men’s baseball program has ever known, as he was fashioned the programme for its inaugural season in 1992. Under Dempster‘s guidance, the Durham baseball program has been a contender in the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association (CIBA) for the last 19 years, recording only one losing season. 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 280-180 and a conference record of 185-108.

In January of 2007, 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.

“Coach D” works every summer as an MLB Envoy, touring throughout Africa and Europe on behalf of Major League Baseball (MLB) with the goal to promote and grow the game of baseball worldwide. Dempster has also organized the Lords efforts of donating baseball equipment and uniforms to several different European Baseball Clubs.

In addition to his lead role at Durham, Dempster is also an associate Canadian scout for Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers and previously a scout for the New York Yankees.

In April 2010, Dempster was inducted into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame.

Sam Dempster’s Career Stats

• Head Coach of the Lords: 1992 – Present
• Overall Record: 280-180 (.609 winning percentage)
• Conference Record: 185-108 (.631 winning percentage)
• National Championship Appearances (Eight): 1994, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
• Ontario Championships (Six): 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010

GOALS FOR 2011 AND BEYOND

The Great Britain Senior National Team will compete this summer at an European Qualifier competition, likely to be held in Tel Aviv, Israel from 25-30 July. If Team GB can take first place in this four-team tournament, they will secure their return to the European Championship in 2012.

Team GB still has their hopes set on reaching the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, if Major League Baseball opts to extend the pool of competition from 16 to 24 teams in 2013. WBC announcements are expected in 2011, but no qualifier event is anticipated until 2012. Thus, the European Qualifiers will be the Senior Team’s only official competition this summer.

However, GB Baseball is planning several domestic activities, including Cadet and Junior tryouts at the end of January, an exhibition game at the Bradford Bulls stadium near Leeds on 3 July, and spring and summer workout and evaluation events.

Joe Gray, founder of Project Cobb, describes his newly-published book (the first published under the Project Cobb initiative):

For the past 14 months, I have been researching and writing a 100,000-word history of Britain’s pro baseball league of 1890, and the result is my first book, titled What about the Villa?: Forgotten figures from Britain’s pro baseball league of 1890.

The publisher received copies of the book on December 17 (after a slight delay caused by the snow!), and it went on sale on Sunday, December 19. It is being sold directly by the publisher, Fineleaf Editions.

Passion for the Past

The publication starts with an exploration of the background to the league’s formation. Next comes a game-by-game account of the 1890 season, which includes box scores for almost all of the contests. Finally, the subject of the league’s legacy is examined.

The excerpt below from the preface explains how I came to write What about the Villa?:

“There were four ingredients that led me to turn the surviving material on Britain’s pro league of 1890 into a full history. The first was my passion for British baseball’s past and the second was my desire to write a book. The third was my supporting of Aston Villa Football Club, which had strong links with one of the four teams in the 1890 league. And the fourth was the relative wealth, by British baseball standards, of source material. Despite being the first season of formal domestic competition, 1890 remains the season to have been recorded most systematically in the British press. It feels like the book was almost waiting patiently for someone with my unusual combination of interests to write it. Although the focus is on the Villa (playing baseball under the official title of Birmingham Base Ball Club), I hope that the work can serve as a history of the league as a whole since their story is intertwined with that of the other three teams.

“The 1890 season represents not just the first formal domestic baseball competition in Britain, but also the start of the only professional league to date with a national scope as its remit. The pro league’s victors in 1890 are not, however, recognized in the official list of national champions held by the governing body of baseball in Britain. The 1890 entry in the list includes just Preston North End, recognising the triumph of Preston’s amateur baseball team in a much smaller-scale knock-out competition. While other modern publications do exist that refer to the professional circuit in 1890, the season is rarely described in more than a page or two. This explains why the book’s subtitle is Forgotten figures from Britain’s pro baseball league of 1890. In the title, “figures” refers to both the participants and the numerical record.

The book’s primary title – What about the Villa? – is taken from a sketch by the Birmingham-born comedian Jasper Carrott on the typical inane calls from fans of Aston Villa Football Club taken by local radio broadcaster Tony Butler during his Saturday afternoon sports phone-in. I hope that the questions I am asking as a Villa fan are not deemed to be quite as inane.”

The first annual British Baseball and Softball Photography Competitions have concluded, and the winning photographs have been selected.

Emma Morgan has taken first prize in the baseball contest, while Hubert Hung has submitted the winning softball shot. More than a hundred photos were entered in the competitions by both established and aspiring photographers. The images captured all aspects of the sports in Britain, spanned the entire season from January to September, and showed women, men, coaches, umpires, fans and even dogs enjoying the summertime fun.

Some of the photos were dramatic action shots while others showed off the comical side of baseball and softball, the elation of a last-inning win or the dejection of an inning-ending strikeout. The judging panel evaluated the photos using several criteria: subject, composition, color, foreground and background elements, lighting, creativity and “story”.

Visit the BaseballSoftballUK Website for the Galleries of the best photos.

Following discussions with Sport England, BaseballSoftballUK has been able to reaffirm its ability to deliver baseball and softball’s development strategy despite government budget cuts announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review on October 20.

While some of the capital funding promised by Sport England for facility development will probably be lost, there will be no cuts to Whole Sport Plan funding for the 46 sports that receive it between now and April 2013.

However, the importance of BSUK hitting its main Whole Sport Plan targets — including increasing the number of adults playing the sports regularly by 7,000, the number of young people by 1,500 and improving satisfaction from the sporting experience by 5% — has been emphasised by Sport England.

A summary copy of the current Whole Sport Plan can be found here.

Revenue Funding Secured

In a phone conversation on October 20, Sport England informed BSUK that the only cuts that will be passed on to baseball and softball will be to the capital investment promised for facility development in 2011-13. Sport England, which will see an overall 33% reduction in its grant-in-aid revenue from the DCMS by 2014-15, has made a commitment to protect and prioritise the front line of community sport and has preserved its existing financial investment in 46 sports.

In light of this, BSUK is able to confirm that there will be no reduction in the level of development activity and no staff redundancies at the organisation as a result of the government announcement. BSUK welcomes Sport England’s approach and its commitment to the delivery of our Whole Sport Plan.

Difficult Choices

BSUK Joint CEO and Head of Development John Boyd said: “Although the cut in capital funding is disappointing, BSUK remains able and committed to delivering our development strategy through Sport England’s commitment to protect the majority of our funding, and we will continue to work positively with Sport England to increase the number of people participating in our sports.

“The government’s commitment to reducing public spending was always going to lead to difficult choices,” Boyd continued, “and there remain challenges ahead. The cuts implemented within school sports will make it more difficult to organise sports activities for young people in school and further education and we have already started to review our approaches in these areas. Higher Education resources will also become stretched and this might have a negative impact on our university programming.

“However, we expect our New Adult League programme, Club Membership services and our player and coach development activity to remain mostly unaffected.”

Capital Cuts

Sport England faces a reduction of around 40% in its capital grant budget and has indicated that this may be applied to the capital funding promised in principle for 2011-13.

“But we are working closely with Sport England,” John Boyd said, “to try to ensure that alternative funding opportunities are available, while planning for such a cut to take effect from April 2011.”

The second class of inductees into the British Baseball Hall of Fame was announced on Tuesday 12 October 2010, and it saw five names join the three individuals elected in the inaugural class. The new figures are Alan Bloomfield (inducted under the Baseball players category), Margaret Borley (Coaches, managers, umpires, and other officials), Fred Lewis (Game builders), Sir Francis Ley (Game builders), and Gavin Marshall (Baseball players).

Alan Bloomfield, who was a junior footballer at Arsenal before committing to baseball, became one of the most consistently dominant ballplayers in the London area during the 1980s and 1990s. He appeared at more European Baseball Championships than any other Great Britain player and he was described by The Daily Mail of Hull in 1984 as “the best British player ever.” Bloomfield was a member of the first two Great Britain squads to win gold medals in European Championship competition, the B-Pool victories in 1988 and 1996. In 1988, he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Domestically, he competed for the Sutton Braves, the Southern Tigers, and the London Warriors, and he posted outstanding batting figures year after year. In all, he played on six national championship-winning squads.

Margaret Borley was the first member of the British baseball community to receive Queen’s honours for work in the sport, being named an MBE in 2007. Borley founded one of the country’s most successful youth organizations, the Tonbridge Bobcats Youth Baseball Club in Kent. In over 30 years of service to British baseball, Borley has led the Bobcats to numerous youth championships and helped develop a number of future Great Britain internationals, including Alex Malihoudis, Nick Carter, and Will Lintern.

Fred Lewis established baseball in the town of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in 1909 and taught and administered baseball until his death in 1960. For at least 48 years – from 1912 until 1960 – baseball was played continuously in Chipping Norton thanks to Lewis. Lewis, who was a local Scout master, found out about baseball in 1909 when he obtained a year-old baseball guide. He immediately became an ambassador for the sport, fashioning much of his baseball equipment by hand or through local artisans. Through his disciplined work ethic, Lewis developed excellent ballplayers. In 1926, a Chipping Norton team led by Lewis travelled to London to play a team of expatriates, called the London Americans, at Chelsea Football Club’s Stamford Bridge. Lewis’s all-British team prevailed in the match-up, which earned attention from the national press for his club’s performance.

Sir Francis Ley was Britain’s original baseball magnate. He was the first domestic businessman to make a committed effort to develop the sport, by establishing the country’s first dynasty team – Derby – and erecting its first authentic baseball ground. Sir Francis’s teams won national championships in 1895, 1897, and 1898. This was the most of any team in baseball’s first decade in Great Britain. Sir Francis also proved that baseball had the potential to be a commercial venture in the United Kingdom, attracting upwards of 5,000 spectators on a regular basis.

Gavin Marshall was the first born-and-bred British baseball player to earn a professional contract in the United States. He was also a successful member of the British national team and a national champion. Marshall, whose father Barry and grandfather Ron were stand-out players and coaches both in domestic baseball and for Great Britain, showed his considerable baseball talents at a young age. The Hull native made his first appearance with the Great Britain senior side as a 16 year old in 1993. Marshall earned a college baseball scholarship to Centenary College in Louisiana and then to the University of the Pacific. After his collegiate career, he signed a professional contract in the independent Frontier League with the Dubois County Dragons. He played for 2 years in American professional baseball, making 57 appearances. He continued his baseball career in style upon his return to Great Britain, pitching the Brighton Buccaneers to a 5–1 victory at the 2002 national championships.

The Board of Electors for the British Baseball Hall of Fame comprises individuals who have experience in researching the history of British baseball. This includes one seat for a representative from SABR UK (the British chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research). An additional seat is reserved for a representative from the board of the British Baseball Federation as an acknowledgement of the governing body’s endorsement of the project.

New classes in the British Baseball Hall of Fame are announced annually, on the second Tuesday in October. The inaugural class was revealed on 13 October 2009, with induction requiring at least six “yes” votes from among the eight Electors. The Board of Electors grew to ten in number in 2010 and the threshold remained as six votes.

For biographies of all the inductees to date and other details on the British Baseball Hall of Fame, please visit the official website: www.bbhof.org.uk.

Richmond Flames won their first national title since 2006 when they defeated Bracknell Blazers in the final at the National Baseball Championships played at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead over the weekend of September 4-5.

The London Mets and Southampton Mustangs, the other National League teams to qualify for the Championships, had bowed out earlier in the weekend.

SATURDAY

It was a day of surprises as the Richmond Flames, who finished third in the National Baseball League regular season standings, advanced straight to Sunday’s final by dumping both the London Mets and Bracknell Blazers.

Both Bracknell and the Mets eased past Southampton on Saturday, eliminating the Mustangs in the process and setting up a winner-takes-all semi-final showdown on Sunday.

The NBC got off to an entertaining start as Richmond disposed of Bracknell by a score of 6-3. The Flames jumped out to an early lead, and with a strong pitching display from Ryan Bird, held on despite a Bracknell rally. Cody Cain clubbed a home run for Richmond, and Michael Osborn slapped a two-run single to pace their offense. For the Blazers, Reiniel Martinez was the tough-luck loser, giving up four runs in six innings of work, while Henry Collins singled in their only earned run.

There was no such surprise in Game Two, as the London Mets cruised past the underdog Mustangs by 8-2. Southampton actually took the lead in the top of the second inning thanks to a Ben Davis RBI, but that merely stunned the league leaders into action. With Alberto Casciello, Dan Williams and Alex Pike all contributing two RBIs each, London moved into a 7-2 lead after three innings and never looked back. Reid Wilson pitched the first known top-tier postseason no-hitter (according to the GBBSA archives dating back to 1994), which was a complete game win for the Mets. Mustangs pitchers Chuck Truelson, Lee Ralph and Dave Wrigley each had two innings of work, and each were hit around by the mighty London offense. Wilson‘s no-hitter was achieved despite throwing nine walks!

In the second round of Saturday games the Flames tangled with the Mets, with London expected to move to the final by disposing of Richmond. But the Flames jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, and with Michael Osborn pitching a gem they continued to keep the Mets at bay. Carlos Manchino went 3-for-4 for Richmond, launching a home run in the process as the Flames kept picking away at London starter Bryan Anderson. The Flames scored runs in five of the seven innings to earn a fully-deserved 8-2 verdict.

With Richmond and London having advanced, the final game of Saturday was a do-or-die struggle as Bracknell clashed with Southampton with the losers set for an early exit. The game began as a pitching duel between Matt Maitland and Gary Davison and was tied at 1-1 after four innings. But Bracknell broke through late on, scoring six runs in the final innings thanks to home runs from Mike Trask, Ryan Trask and Matt Maitland as they finally prevailed by a score of 7-3.

SUNDAY

The NBL’s top two sides as far as the league standings were concerned opened Sunday’s action as Bracknell and London met with a final spot open for the winner and a hasty exit for the loser.

And befitting the occasion, the teams produced a thrilling contest, which required ten innings to find a victor.

The Blazers got off to a fast start, scoring two runs in the top of the first, thanks in part to a Mike Trask triple that drove in Leo Nogami. But the Mets responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, with a two-run throwing error from Ryan Trask aiding their cause.

Both sides began to settle down after that, but Ryan Trask got Bracknell back on the board in the top of the third with a two-run blast, only for the Mets to respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, pitcher Jason Roberts stroking an RBI double.

Back and forth the game went, with Jason Roberts and Henry Collins matching each other pitch for pitch. And once again the Blazers hauled themselves level at 6-6 in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs triggered by Ed Jeffrey’s RBI double.

And it was Jeffrey at it again in the top of the seventh, beating out an RBI single on a bang-bang play at first base to put Bracknell ahead by a score of 7-6.

So Bracknell had the lead, but Henry Collins couldn’t close out the game and Jonathon Cramman lifted a sacrifice fly to the outfield to score Dan Williams with the tying run.

On to extra innings it went, with both pitchers continuing to produce the goods on the mound.

It was the tenth inning before there was any further scoring and it was Ed Jeffrey once more, smashing a solo home run to deep center field to take the score to 8-7 in Bracknell’s favour.

This time Collins was able to hold the lead, striking out the Mets’ Will Lintern to end the game.

Bracknell coach Rob Rance - ejected mid-game for arguing with the home plate umpire – said: “We certainly did it the hard way. But to be honest I do not think these guys know any other way. We were a little bit flat and I got a little bit upset, but I hope my ejection put a bit of fire in their belly.

“There are no real words to describe what Henry did on the mound for us,” Rance continued. “He is a real machine and he pulled us through when we needed it.”

Alex Pike, the dejected London Mets coach, said: “It is bitterly disappointing to not even make the final, but the fact that we went down fighting takes away some of the bitterness. We really wanted it today and I think that performance showed it. We had opportunities, but we left far too many people on base and that killed us.

“Obviously we came here thinking we could win,” Pike added, “but baseball is a funny game and today showed how unpredictable it can be.”

THE FINAL

So after two days of thrilling action, the Flames met the Blazers in the final, with Cody Cain and Brendan Cunliffe facing off on the mound.

Bracknell were looking to secure back-to-back titles, while Richmond were seeking their first championship since 2006.

Richmond had a great chance to take an early lead when Cain launched a deep fly ball in the bottom of the first inning, but Bracknell centre fielder Mike Trask made a superb throw to the plate to nail Rob Unsell.

Both sides were relying on strong pitching and defense, with Cain and Cunliffe keeping the scoreboard blank through the first two innings.

But a succession of walks allowed the Flames to load the bases in the third, and Ryan Bird laced a two-RBI single to give Richmond the lead.

The Blazers immediately ate into that deficit when Ryan Trask doubled home Mike Trask in the fourth inning.

The Flames were growing in confidence, though, and they opened up a 4-1 lead with a succession of hits in the bottom of the fourth. With Cody Cain in dominant mood, Bracknell were struggling to get anything going and their exertions earlier in the day seemed to be taking their toll.

Richmond moved further ahead as pinch-hitter Chris Cook singled home Grant Delzoppo in the fifth inning, and a wild pitch allowed Richmond to tack on another.

With the light fading, the Blazers were unable to make any further impression on the scoreboard, while the Flames helped themselves to four more runs in the sixth inning to run out 10-1 winners.

Cody Cain claimed MVP honors after a dominating pitching display that saw him register 12 strikeouts.

Victorious coach Grant Delzoppo said: “It feels great. London and Bracknell have been the form teams all year so to come through as underdogs was great. We hit form at the right time and doing well on Saturday gave us that extra rest which was important.

“We have some older guys here,” Delzoppo continued, “and I think that experience pulled us through. We had some great pitching, especially from Cody, and we are absolutely delighted to be back on top.”

Bracknell coach Rob Rance said: “I think the London game pretty much killed us and the final was a game too far. We were carrying a couple of injuries and that really hurt us.

“But we should not be too disappointed,” Rance concluded. “We have had the best regular season in our history and if we had come through again and did what we did last year it would have been amazing.”

Go to www.baseballsoftballuk.com for recaps of the other championships in British Baseball and some pictures.

Sam Whitehead

• 27 years old
• Attended Ponoma-Pitzer College
• British National Baseball League with Croydon Pirates
• German Baseball-Bundesliga with Tuebingen Hawks, Heidenheim Heidekoepfe (Champion in 2009)
• British National Team (Silver Medal at 2007 European Championship)

Jakub Janda: Please describe your career since you started playing baseball to the present.

Sam Whitehead: Well, when I was little, my parents put me in a lot of sports from basketball to soccer to swimming to football, but baseball was always my favorite. I started playing tee ball when I was around 5 years old, right after I moved to San Diego. I played on various travel teams growing up and on my high school team for 4 years. After I finished high school, I wasn’t sure if I would continue playing since I was never the power hitter or the guy that threw 90mph, so I wasn’t recruited by many schools, but I walked on at a small Division 3 school in the Los Angeles area, Pomona-Pitzer. The team was ranked 5th in the nation and had a lot of returners, so I was on the practice team for the first half of my first year before given a jersey. After a freak injury to the starting shortstop the second day of practice, I became the starting shortstop for the next 2 years and in my final year, I was moved to second base and did some pitching too.

My college coach had played in Sweden and Belgium, so he showed me some league websites in Europe and I thought it would be a fun experience to go play in England for a summer and see the country my dad grew up in since I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after school and never studied abroad during college since it was always during baseball season. I happened to email the General Manager of the British team and found out I was eligible for a British Passport and was set up with a team in the English League, the Croydon Pirates, where we won the league and finished 4th in a CEB Cup in 2005. That was also my first year playing for Great Britain. Through the British coach, Stephan Rapaglia, I was set up with the Tuebingen Hawks in Germany, where I played for 2 seasons. Unfortunately, we were relegated to the 2nd Bundesliga.

I wanted to continue playing in the 1st Bundesliga and contacted Heidenheim and have spent the last 3 years playing for them. I have been fortunate to see many places throughout Europe and have made some great friends over here playing. It was always a dream as a kid to play baseball in America professionally, but the experiences and times I have had over here have been incredible, especially since I wasn’t even sure I would continue playing after high school.

JJ: How were you preparing for this season during winter? Did you change anything from previous offseasons?

SW: This winter, I really concentrated on just getting in shape. I didn’t do much baseball related training this winter. Sometimes it’s good to take a break from the game and refresh. I think my arm needed a little rest from throwing, so I mainly just ran and lifted weights over the winter and about a month before coming back over to Germany is when I started throwing a little again and taking some swings just to get back in baseball shape.

JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?

SW: That’s a tough one. I would have to say from a team standpoint, it would be a tossup between winning the silver medal in the 2007 European Championships in Barcelona with the Great Britain National team and winning the Bundesliga last year with Heidenheim. I think anytime you win a championship or do well in a tournament, it’s exciting. Individually, getting to pitch against Japan and South Korea in the 2009 World Baseball Classic was also something I will never forget. I would say those things and surviving the running of the bulls in Pamplona last year with some of the other Bundesliga foreigners would also be a career highlight, even if it wasn’t on the field.

JJ: What has baseball taken from you and chat has the game given to you?

SW: I’m not really sure baseball has taken anything from me. It has definitely given me a lot. I have met many of my best friends through baseball, been to a lot of places many people haven’t and been able to play against some great players and teams in my career. Not too many people can say they played against Major League players before or played against the Cuban National Team for example. There are a lot of good memories that I have growing up because of baseball.

JJ: How do you like your own performance this season?

SW: I’ve been pleased with my performance this season. This has been my best season in the Bundesliga offensively, so it’s been nice. I also take pride in my defense. I think that part of the game can be overlooked sometimes by players, everyone wants to go up and hit a home run or a double in the gap, but for me, turning a double play or making a diving play is just as fun.

JJ: What do you think about your club in this season? Have you fulfilled expectations?

SW: Ever since I joined the Heidenheim Heidekoepfe, I have always had a great time playing with the team. They welcomed me to the team from the first day. We have a great bunch of guys on and off the field. We had a few goals for this season: to make the playoffs, to do well in the European CEB Cup and to defend our title. We played extremely well in the CEB Cup and earned a trip to the Final Four in Barcelona. We finished the regular season in second place and are currently in the middle of semifinals with a rematch from last year against Solingen. So, for now, we have met our goals for the season, we know it’s not finished yet because we want the title again, it won’t be easy, but we’re hoping that we can give ourselves the chance to repeat.

JJ: How many times in your career have you thought about quitting baseball?

SW: I don’t think I have ever really thought about quitting baseball. It has always been something I have done and wanted to do as long as I could and was still having fun. Maybe the one time after high school, I wasn’t sure if I would continue playing at the college level because I wasn’t recruited by many schools, but that wasn’t because I wanted to quit the game.

JJ: Do you have any special practice or game routine?

SW: I don’t really have any special practice routine. When I’m at practice, I try to get in quality work while I’m there. Since I don’t live in Heidenheim and can only practice twice a week, I try to make it count, whether it’s working on something specific in the batting cage, taking groundballs, or throwing a bullpen, I always try to practice as if it were a game and to get something out of it, so when the situation in a game comes up, it’s not something new for me and I feel prepared. I’ve seen too many players through my career just go through the motions at practice and not get better or seem to care. You can have all the talent, but if you don’t work hard at it, someone else who is working hard, will take your position.

As for a game routine, I usually try to do the same things before a game just to get focused and feel comfortable, whether it’s listening to some heavy metal music to get pumped up, having pregame butter pretzels with the guys before the game, or having a set routine in the on-deck circle before you get to the plate. For me, the more things I can keep consistent, the less I have to think and can just go out and play the game. I think everyone has some routine or superstitions that they do before or during the game, it’s part of being a baseball player.

JJ: Where do you see your own key for succeeding on the European level?

SW: I think my success has come through playing my whole life, whether it was going to the field behind my house as a little kid and having my dad hit me groundballs for hours or catch me pitching or my mom tossing me wiffle balls in the front yard and trying not to hit the windows or just gathering knowledge about the game from all the coaches I’ve had over the years. It’s surprising how you can always learn something new in this game, no matter how long you have been playing it and I think the desire to be the best that I can every weekend has pushed me and resulted in the success I have had.

JJ: Any funny story connected with baseball?

SW: There are too many funny stories that I have been a part of or witnessed while playing baseball for me to pick out one, especially with the Great Britain National Team. We only get to see each other once every year or two years and there are so many characters on the team, when we all get together, you know you’re in for a good time.

JJ: If you could advise young players reading this interview, what would you address them?

SW: I would tell them to follow your dreams and do what you want, whether it’s in sports, school or work. Do what you want and work hard to achieve it. Try to watch as much as you can. Growing up, I was always watching games on TV and you’ll be surprised how you pick up little things just from watching the game, not just from your coaches. Obviously, it’s a little more difficult being in Europe to catch a game on TV, but if you get the chance to watch a game in person or on TV or the internet, take advantage of it. Also, work on being a smart player, not just a good player. If you aren’t the biggest or strongest guy, you can make up for that by knowing the game and playing it the right way. And always have fun.

JJ: Your future plans on the field?

SW: This is probably going to be my last year playing since I’m trying to get into Air Traffic Control School/Training back in the states. I would like to continue to play for fun back home if I have the time and can find a Men’s League. But, you never know what might happen, I could be back again next year, I never imagined playing baseball in Europe or as long as I have, so you never know what might happen in the future.

Photos: (c) Heidenheim Heidekoepfe (top right), Gregor Eisenhuth, www.eisenhuth-photographie.de (bottom left)

British baseball fans are on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the National Baseball Championships (NBC) this weekend. Year after year, the NBC never seems to disappoint. By Sunday evening we will know the identity of the champions in the four British baseball leagues. But before that we will be going through the emotions and excitement of 14 baseball games with enormous implications riding on every single one of them.

After Saturday’s playoff games, we now know the names of the 12 teams that will be heading to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead in the hope of making history.

National Baseball League

The London Mets and the Bracknell Blazers already booked their places by virtue of taking the top two spots in the regular season standings. Richmond and Southampton joined them in the NBC after their playoff wins against Croydon and Mildenhall, respectively.

Bracknell Blazers will open the NBC on Saturday at 9:30 am against the Richmond Flames on the new diamond at Grovehill Ballpark, followed by the Mets and Mustangs at 12:00 pm.

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE

Saturday, 4 September 2010

Sunday, 5 September 2010

For information about the other British baseball finals go to www.baseballsoftballuk.com

Richmond Flames and Southampton Mustangs advanced to the NBL Final Four, to be played next weekend at the Senior National Championships at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, after easing to playoff triumphs on Saturday, August 28 over the Croydon Pirates and Mildenhall Bulldogs respectively.

League Champions London Mets and the second-place Bracknell Blazers will be waiting for them.

NBL Reporter Simon Fitzjohn details the playoff encounters.

Croydon Pirates @ Richmond Flames

The fairytale run of the Croydon Pirates came to an end as they slumped 11-2 to the Flames at Richmond. But it was far from a one-sided contest, as the score was tied for several innings before the Flames broke the game open late on.

Maikel Azcuy clubbed an early home run for Croydon, but it all fell apart late as Richmond bounced back, partly on the strength of a Grant Delzoppo homer.

Tim Ssali took the loss, while Cody Cain pitched the win.

Croydon’s Dave Ward said: “We just ran out of steam. They got the big inning and it was game over.

“Although we are disappointed with the result,” Ward continued, “we can’t complain over what we have achieved this season. Yes, we lost in the playoffs but just to be in the playoffs is a big plus for us, especially when we could not win a game last season. We will build on this and try to move forward again next season.”

Richmond player-coach Grant Delzoppo said: “It was a pretty close game. Croydon played really well and they battled hard.

“But we are finding form at the right time,” Delzoppo added. “We are getting production throughout our line-up and our defence is excellent. I think the Final Four weekend is all about pitching and we feel pretty good about that.”

Mildenhall Bulldogs @ Southampton Mustangs

The Mustangs moved to the Final Four weekend in their first season in the NBL after winning the battle of the new boys.

Once again, the game was close early on before Southampton pulled clear to emerge 11-7 victors.

Gary Davison claimed the win for the Mustangs, with Nick Chenuasky taking the loss for Mildenhall. John Mabie did launch a three-run home run for the Bulldogs but it was too little, too late.

Southampton’s Lee Ralph said: “To finish fourth in the league and then make the Final Four is great. It was very tight but we scored five runs in the eighth inning to pull clear. And defensively, we are looking pretty good.

“If anyone had asked us whether we could see ourselves in the Final Four when the season started,” Ralph said, “we would have said ‘no’. But here we are!”

Mildenhall’s Gabriel Macias said: “It was a real back-and-forth game. But we just had a few too many errors late on and Southampton capitalised.

“This season has been a real learning experience for us,” Macias added. “I think we will be better prepared next season – we will be looking to recruit more local players and come back with a more consistent line-up.”

Mildenhall advanced to the postseason with two wins against direct rivals Herts Falcons on the final day of the regular season. This sets up an intriguing playoff line-up in Britain’s top baseball league.

Both NBL playoff games will be played at Richmond’s Connare Field this Saturday. First up is the clash between Mildenhall and Southampton. The problem that has plagued the Bulldogs all season long is the fact that most of its players are US servicemen whose unpredictable working schedule can sometimes leave their squad down to bare bones. If their top performers are available then they will be a very awkward opponent and the Mustangs will have their work cut out, as they found out two weeks ago when they lost 0-6 and 2-3 to Mildenhall.

In the second game of the day starting at 3:30 pm, the Richmond Flames will meet the Croydon Pirates. After a slow start the Flames have picked up speed just at the right time. 2009 MVP Ryan Bird is back firing on all cylinders. He was the winning pitcher in the 13-0 win against 2009 champions Bracknell and that can only be bad news for the Pirates. Also returning for the Flames is Robbie Unsell, who was last year’s stolen base leader but missed several games this season after a freakish head injury trying to field a ground ball.

Despite Richmond’s recent return to form, Croydon have proven this year that they are capable of beating any NBL opponent. They have some very dangerous players in their line-up, most notably Home Run Champion Maikel Azcuy.

NBL Playoffs (Connare Field, Richmond, Saturday 28 August 2010)
12:00, Mildenhall Bulldogs (10-16) @ Southampton Mustangs (13-15).
15:30, Croydon Pirates (10-18) @ Richmond Flames (17-11).

The Mildenhall Bulldogs claimed the prized final playoff spot in 2010, and the Richmond Flames laid down an impressive marker as the National Baseball League regular season drew to a close on Sunday 22 August.

The Bulldogs swept the Herts Falcons in a winner-takes-all showdown, while the Flames eased past heavyweights Bracknell Blazers.

Herts Falcons @ Mildenhall Bulldogs

Anyone expecting a tension-filled, tight brace of encounters was to be disappointed as the Bulldogs rolled to impressive 11-4 and 18-1 victories.

Barry Wiles and Ken Reber picked up the wins on the mound, sentencing Pete Kikel and Nic Goetz to defeat and erasing the Falcons from the play-off picture in the process.

Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said, “My immediate reaction is obviously one of disappointment. We were so close to making it, but all of the credit must go to Mildenhall. They fully deserved their wins.”

“I am going to predict that if they get all of their players back for the playoffs they are going to surprise a few people and could even go all the way.”

Bracknell Blazers @ Richmond Flames

Richmond swept the Blazers in impressive fashion to wrap-up their third-place finish in style. The Flames were 13-0 and 6-5 winners, with Ryan Bird and Rob Unsell taking the pitching honors.

Coach Grant Delzoppo also clubbed a two-run home run in Game One as part of an impressive all-round display.

Delzoppo said: “We are really pleased. To get two wins and finish the season on a high is a real plus for us. We beat their best pitchers. It is always good to beat a side like Bracknell and this will give us a real boost heading into the play-offs.”

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, August 22 2010
	10:00	Richmond Flames	Bracknell Blazers	13:00
	10:00	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Herts Falcons	11:04
	12:30	Richmond Flames	Bracknell Blazers	06:05
	12:30	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Herts Falcons	18:01

Standings

2010 NBL Play-offs: Saturday 28 August

• Croydon Pirates @ Richmond Flames
• Mildenhall Bulldogs @ Southampton Mustangs

The National Baseball League moves to a thrilling conclusion next weekend, with one round of games to be made up, and the play-off scenario still not resolved.

The top five spots are now secure, but both Herts and Mildenhall could take the prized sixth spot, and both sides are set for a winner-take-all showdown this Sunday at RAF Feltwell.

All of this after a weekend of sweeps, splits and stunning performances on August 15.

LONDON METS @ RICHMOND FLAMES

The division-leading Mets were forced to accept a split at the battling Flames.

London took the first game 10-2, thanks to yet another dominant pitching display from Jason Roberts, but Richmond bounced back in game two with a 5-2 win, Cody Cain taking the mound honours.

Flames coach Grant Delzoppo said: “I am happy with that. It was great to see us come back in game two like we did. It was a really good team effort. It is really important for us to know we can beat teams like the Mets heading into the play-offs.”

BRACKNELL BLAZERS @ CROYDON PIRATES

The Blazers toughed it out in Croydon, earning a sweep with 9-6 and 6-5 wins.

The first game was more straightforward, Henry Collins easing to a win, but Bracknell needed ten innings to get the verdict in game two.

Bracknell’s Rob Rance said: “Game one was a lot closer than it should have been but we made far too many errors. In game two Croydon really hung in there and credit them for that. But these games did not really mean anything to us and it is nice to come away with two wins. We did not play well but we scrapped and battled and I am happy about that.”

SOUTHAMPTON MUSTANGS @ MILDENHALL BULLDOGS

Mildenhall kept things interesting in their battle to make the play-offs, thanks to a sweep of Southampton.

The Bulldogs earned 6-0 and 3-2 decisions, keeping them in touching distance ahead of their big clashes this weekend.

ESSEX ARROWS @ HERTS FALCONS

The Falcons maintained a slender advantage in the battle for sixth spot thanks to a split with the rock-bottom Arrows.

Essex claimed a 7-3 win in game one, but Herts bounced back with a 15-4 game two triumph.

Matt Gilbert out-dueled Pete Kikel in game one. Nic Goetz took the hill for the Falcons in game two, and helped Herts to bounce back in a game that also saw Brandon Deal club a monster three-run home run. Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “It is going down to the wire. We had chances to take the first game as we led 3-2 going into the final inning, but credit to Essex – they came to win and they deserved it. It is very simple for us – we just have to go to Mildenhall and win and we will be in the play-offs.”

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, August 15 2010
	10:00	Croydon Pirates	Bracknell Blazers	06:09
	10:00	Richmond Flames	London Mets	02:10
	10:00	Herts Falcons	Essex Arrows	03:07
	10:00	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Southampton Mustangs	06:00
	12:30	Croydon Pirates	Bracknell Blazers	05:06
	12:30	Richmond Flames	London Mets	05:02
	12:30	Herts Falcons	Essex Arrows	15:04
	12:30	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Southampton Mustangs	03:02

Standings

Time	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Sunday, August 08 2010
09:00	Southampton Mustangs	Bracknell Blazers	University of S...
10:00	Croydon Pirates	Herts Falcons	Roundshaw Playi...
10:00	Richmond Flames	Essex Arrows	Connare Field R...
10:00	London Mets	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Finsbury Park L...

Standings

The Croydon Pirates all but booked their top-six spot and Herts and Mildenhall split their crucial doubleheader in the only Week 15 National Baseball League action on August 2.

NBL Special Correspondent Simon Fitzjohn reports:

Essex Arrows @ Croydon Pirates

An understrength Essex side was put to the sword by the Pirates, who boosted their record to 9-15 with a sweep of both games.

The 7-0 and 17-4 wins saw Croydon pitchers Tim Ssali and Jose Sosa pick up the victories, with Matt Gilbert and Richard Chesteron the Essex losers.

With the Arrows struggling for numbers, 64-year-old coach Phil Chesterton was even pressed into playing first base in Game Two.

Phil Chesterton said: “The key for us is to get through to the end of the season without forfeiting a game. We knew when we entered this season we were going to face some hard truths and we have not been disappointed.

“That may sound negative,” Chesterton continued, “but it isn’t. We are definitely a work in progress and I think next season will be when all the hard work starts to pay off.”

Mildenhall Bulldogs @ Herts Falcons

Mildenhall and Herts both have a chance of claiming sixth spot after the teams split their doubleheader in wildly contrasting games.

The Falcons squeezed to a 6-5 win in Game One, Pete Kikel outdueling Barry Wiles on the mound. But the Bulldogs responded with a 19-8 blowout in Game Two.

John Blose took the win in this game, with Dan Kerry launching a home run.

Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “We left the field quite disappointed, but after a day or so I think we will be quite happy with this. At the end of the day, we are as we were, but with a round of games less to play.

“We didn’t really take our opportunities,” Dimitrov continued, “but we have not lost any ground in the race for the playoffs.”

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, August 01 2010
	10:00	Croydon Pirates	Essex Arrows	07:00
	10:00	Herts Falcons	Mildenhall Bulldogs	06:05
	12:30	Croydon Pirates	Essex Arrows	16:04
	12:30	Herts Falcons	Mildenhall Bulldogs	08:19

Standings

Time	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Saturday, July 24 2010
11:00	Stock City Cubs	Vienna Metrostars	Stockerau
Sunday, July 25 2010
09:00	Embrach Mustangs	Lausanne Indians	Embrach PZ Hard
09:00	Lucerne Eagles	Sissach Frogs	Reussbühl Hint...
09:00	Herts Falcons	Bracknell Blazers	Grovehill Park
10:00	Richmond Flames	Southampton Mustangs	Connare Field R...
10:00	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Croydon Pirates	RAF Feltwell Th...
10:00	Essex Arrows	London Mets	Townmead Leisur...
11:00	Schwechat Blue Bats	Rohrbach Crazy Geese	Batsfield Ranne...

Time	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Sunday, July 18 2010
09:00	Bracknell Blazers	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Westmorland Par...
10:00	Croydon Pirates	London Mets	Roundshaw Playi...
10:00	Herts Falcons	Richmond Flames	Grovehill Park
10:00	Southampton Mustangs	Essex Arrows	University of S...

Standings

Mister-Baseball: What do you expect from your team in Stuttgart, Heidenheim and Neuenburg?

Jason Greenberg: I expect we will play hard, represent Britain with pride, comport ourselves with class, treat our opponents with respect, and do all we can to remind the world that baseball is an English sport, after all…!

MRBB: Can a team challenge defending Champion Netherlands in the 2010 European Championship? Which teams have the best chances of advancing in your group?

JG: All of the teams in the EC are competitive, and everyone wants the prestige and opportunity that will follow a first place finish. I think Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Belgium are heavy-hitting contenders. Sweden and Croatia have the determination of winners. And the Czechs, Ukrainians and Greeks are not to be taken for granted. However, there is only one team defending a silver medal this July: Britain.

MRBB: Which team could be the surprise of the tournament?

JG: Spain has enjoyed a bronze medal each of the last three tournaments. I think they’ve waited in the wings long enough – we might well see some muscle from la Madre Patria.

MRBB: General speaking is the level of play in European Baseball getting better and more balanced since the EC 2007 or is there still a gap between the top teams and the underdogs?

JG: At the National Teams level, things are more balanced. But there remains a significant disparity at domestic league level, to be sure. The quality of play in the Bundesliga or the Honkbal Hoofdklasse remains far beyond that of our British National Baseball League.

However, it seems that developing baseball nations are taking more concrete steps to advance their game than they have in decades past. In the UK, we have a thriving development agency (BaseballSoftballUK) working with our Federations and talented MLB-envoys to advance participation and standards of play. Every week we have more and more Brits learning the sport and playing on a regular basis. Our goal, over time, is to bring baseball into the mainstream in Britain – like football, rugby and cricket – so youngsters have a chance to play it at school growing up, and our pool of adult contenders is ever-expanding.

I’ve heard (and read in this series of interviews, even) far too much griping about the kinds of teams assembled to play in the Euros. his is elite baseball. Any adult team in the world will look to recruit foreign nationals to bolster their bullpens, or entice ex-pats to bulk up their batting orders, or seek-out sprinters to swipe that extra bag a game. In an ideal world, each European league would be strong enough to encourage domestically-produced top talent to stay at home and compete in the local game. But all ballplayers know that elite batters will go to elite leagues to face elite pitchers.

Team GB is a fine balance of players engaged in the British NBL, players working in continental Europe, and players based in North America and Australia. This year we have rostered more players who compete in the British leagues than we did at last year’s World Cup or the previous EC. They are quality baseball men… and gamers… and fantastic ambassadors for Great Britain. Their presence alone at this tournament speaks highly of the rising quality of British baseball.

MRBB: There will be only a few professional players in the tournament. Does this will have an influence and does it hurt some teams more than others?

JG: Perhaps. Perhaps not. Anything can happen in a ballgame. I’m more interested in the stories about to be made. The EC is a massive stage on which a talented young player can make a name for themselves in Europe or beyond. I look forward to finding out which rookie becomes the overnight MVP.

MRBB: Looking at the rosters of the other teams, which players could be especially worthy to watch?

JG: Wouldn’t want to jinx them.

MRBB: What is your plan for the final days before the Euro 2010? Which exhibition games do you have planned?

JG: We’ll be practicing in Tübingen at the home of the Hawks Baseball Club. They are being magnificent in hosting Team GB for a few days of intensive work. On July 21st we’ll enjoy a scrimmage with the Belgian National Team, after which we will run a training clinic for the Hawks’ youngest players. Then it’s off to Stuttgart for our opener with Croatia.

MRBB: Do you already have a starting lineup in place and who will be in your starting rotation?

JG: Our preparatory period in Tübingen will help us to establish our starting lineup and rotation. But I’m pleased that it will include some ripened GB veterans alongside a fresh new battery of talent.

Mister-Baseball thanks Jason Greenberg for answering our questions and wishes good luck in the European Championship.

Previous:
Sven Hendrickx (Belgium)
Jim Stoeckel (Netherlands)
Mauro Mazzotti (Spain)
Marco Mazzieri (Italy)
Krunoslav Karin (Croatia)
Dennis Cook (Sweden)
Tom Mazarakis (Greece)

Before traveling to Stuttgart for the opener against Croatia on July 23, the British squad will hold a training camp in Tuebingen, Germany, where they are also going to play an exhibition game against Belgium on July 21st at 1pm.

An interview with general manager Jason Greenberg will follow on Mister-Baseball this evening.

Final Roster Great Britain:
Pitchers: Henry Collins, Brendan Cunliffe, Brian Essery, Ted Gieschen, Michael Johnson, Spencer Kreisberg, Jeff Mottl, Mike Renery, Alex Smith, Stephen Spragg

Catchers: Mitch Evans, Will Lintern

Infielders: Chris Falls, Aaron Hornostaj, Richard Klijn, Evan Romanchuk, Sam Whitehead, Sam Wiley

Outfielders: George Lintern, Ethan Mack, Brad Marcelino, Matt McGraw, Michael Trask, Ryan Trask

Staff: Pat Doyle (head coach), Jason Greenberg (general manager), Sam Dempster, Mitch Evans (assistant coaches), Alan Dean (trainer)

Complete Profiles on all players and coaches can be found on the official team website.

BaseballSoftballUK is recruiting for a Regional Coach and Club Development Officer for the North West of England to be responsible for the delivery of club development initiatives set out in the Baseball and Softball Development Plan 2009-13 and Regional Delivery Plan; to be responsible for the coach education programme in the North West for both baseball and softball; to contribute to the delivery of coach education for baseball at Level 3 and to recruit and manage a workforce of part time coaches to assist in the delivery of BSUK programmes in the region.

BaseballSoftballUK is the development agency for baseball and softball in the UK, working on the promotion and development of the two sports. We are a small organisation with 17 full-time employees and a friendly working environment.

Regional Coach and Club Development Officer (.pdf-File)
Employment Application and E O Monitoring Form (.doc-File)

It was a day for surprises, as Croydon toppled Bracknell. It was a day for teams to emerge from a slump, as Herts pasted Essex. It was a day for close-run things, as Southampton squeezed Mildenhall. And it was a day for the London Mets to further stretch their lead in the standings with a win over Richmond. All eight teams took to the fields at Croydon on July 3 for a National Baseball League bonanza.

Croydon Pirates @ Bracknell Blazers

The story of the day undoubtedly came from the host Pirates, who sneaked by the high-flying Blazers 12-11 in a thriller. Croydon jumped out to a 6-0 lead early on, only for Bracknell to slowly chip away at that lead. The Pirates again surged ahead, taking a 12-9 lead into the bottom of the final inning, with the Blazers scoring twice before their rally came to an end. Tim Ssali took the win, and also clubbed a home run along with Alex Von Rosenbach. For Bracknell, Mike Cattermole was saddled with the loss.

Pirates coach Dave Ward said: “This is a great day for us. Over the past few weeks we have had to try and fight our way back into games but today we took the lead early. It looked like we could still throw it away at the end but we held on. This is very uplifting for us and we know we can compete with the better sides in this league.”

Bracknell coach Rob Rance said: “All around it was a bad day at the office. We just did not turn up to play. I do not want to dwell too much on the result as it was an awful performance. But credit Croydon as they played very well and I do not want to take that from them.”

Richmond Flames @ London Mets

The clash of the heavyweights took a late twist as the Mets battled back for a 12-5 win. Trailing 5-0 early on, London chipped away but took until the sixth inning to get back into the contest, where a flurry of runs eased them into the lead.

Jason Roberts took the win, his 11th of a magnificent season on the mound. Mets coach Alex Pike said: “It was a tough game. Richmond really came out firing. We kept chipping away but we did not find an answer until late. I am pretty happy with the boys as they did what they had to do to find a way to win.”

Herts Falcons @ Essex Arrows

Herts got things back on track by pounding the Arrows 18-6, backed by strong pitching from Pete Kikel. Richard Chesterton took the loss as Essex were well beaten in a battle between teams looking to kick-start their seasons.

Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “It is a real boost for us to get a win like this. We have suffered a bit recently and it has started to weigh on the minds of the players. It is great to get back on the winning trail. Apart from the top couple of teams it is still a tight league and we have to be looking for a play-off spot.”

Mildenhall Bulldogs @ Southampton Mustangs

Another thriller saw Southampton move their season record to 10-10 after a comeback 7-6 win over Mildenhall. The Mustangs grabbed two runs in the bottom of the ninth, erasing a 6-4 deficit and then struck again in the bottom of the tenth as Phil Johnson bunted home Oscar Sierra.

Southampton coach Ben Davis said: “It was a really big win for us. Mildenhall had some of their players back that were huge early this season and it was a tough game. We played a really good game – we kept plugging away and we managed to sneak the win.”

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Saturday, July 03 2010
	10:00	London Mets	Richmond Flames	12:05
	10:00	Bracknell Blazers	Croydon Pirates	11:12
	10:00	Southampton Mustangs	Mildenhall Bulldogs	07:06
	10:00	Essex Arrows	Herts Falcons	06:18

Standings

by www.baseballeurope.com

We are now into the second half of the National Baseball League (NBL) season and the teams are jostling to qualify for the postseason automatically or via the Playoffs. All eight NBL teams are still very much in with a chance to make it to the postseason and this Saturday, 3 July, they all head down to Croydon for the NBL Independence Day Weekend.

This is the second of the NBL Special Events introduced by the British Baseball Federation (BBF) this year and it provides an excellent opportunity to see all of the teams from the country’s top league on the same day and at the same venue. This is also a chance to see a large number of the players who were included in the Great Britain National Team preliminary 40-men roster announced this week as the team prepares for the European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany (23 July to 1 August 2010).

LONDON METS (17-2) vs RICHMOND FLAMES (11-6)
First pitch 3:00pm (Main Diamond)
A serious injury to short stop Robbie Unsell meant that Richmond could not complete their game against Bracknell last Sunday. They will be hoping that the swelling on his eye would reduce sufficiently and that he will be given the all clear to return for the Flames in this key game. This is a must-win game for them if they are to stay in the battle for the top two places which would give them automatic qualification to the National Baseball Championship.

BRACKNELL BLAZERS (17-2) vs CROYDON PIRATES (5-12)
First pitch 12:00pm (Main Diamond)
Despite being the visitors in this game, the Croydon Pirates will have a significant advantage as they are playing on home soil and can count on their fans’ support. Bracknell know that automatic NBC qualification is not secured yet and they would not want to slip up especially as they are expected to be hit the most out of all the NBL teams during the European Championships with as many as six Blazers included in the preliminary 40-men GB roster and likely to miss key NBL games at the end of the month.

SOUTHAMPTON MUSTANGS (9-11) vs MILDENHALL BULLDOGS (3-12)
First pitch 3:00pm (Diamond 2)
After taking the league by surprise and leading in the NBL Standings in the early weeks of the season, the Mildenhall Bulldogs are suffering from the absence of a large number of their players who are away on military duty. However, they expect their key players to make their return gradually in the coming weeks and they can still reach the playoffs if they can pick up wins against their direct opponents starting with the game against Southampton on Saturday. The Mustangs have been the surprise team in this year’s NBL. A win on Saturday will bring their win-loss percentage back up to .500 and a step closer to securing a Playoff spot.

ESSEX ARROWS (3-14) vs HERTS FALCONS (4-11)
First pitch 12:00pm (Diamond 2)
The Essex Arrows come into the game with momentum on their side. They have won 3 of their last 6 games while the Herts Falcons have not won a game since 5 June 2010. In their last meeting the two teams served up a thriller which the Falcons won 12-11. The game had everything you could ask for, including 4 home runs. The fans who will be coming to this event will be hoping for more of the same. Both teams still have a chance to reach the playoffs but a loss would be a major setback for either team.

For a map and directions to the venue visit the official Croydon Pirates website www.croydonpirates.co.uk

Car park spaces will be available on the field behind the Main Diamond. Food and drink will be on sale throughout the day.

Time	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Saturday, July 03 2010
10:00	London Mets	Richmond Flames	Roundshaw Playi...
10:00	Bracknell Blazers	Croydon Pirates	Roundshaw Playi...
10:00	Southampton Mustangs	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Roundshaw Playi...
10:00	Essex Arrows	Herts Falcons	Roundshaw Playi...

Standings

The BBF also completed the coaching staff with assistant coaches Sam Dempster, Mitch Evans and trainer Alan Dean. Evans also is listed as a player on the roster. Great Britain is slotted into Pool B at the European Championship together with Spain, Sweden, Italy, Croatia and Greece. They are actually playing the first game of the tournament at 10.30am on July 23rd in Stuttgart against Croatia. Team GB defends a second-place finish from Barcelona 2007.

Preliminary Roster Great Britain:
Drew Bignall, Thomas Boleska, Michael Clarke, Brook Coatsworth, Henry Collins, Jonathon Cramman, Brendan Cunliffe, Brian Essery, Mitch Evans, Chris Falls, Theodore Gieschen, Aaron Hornostaj, Samuel Jew, Michael Johnson, Richard Klijn, Spencer Kreisberg, George Lintern, William Lintern, Ethan Mack, Matthew Maitland, Bradley Marcelino, Matthew McGraw, Aeden McQueary-Ennis, Jeffrey Mottl, Christopher Mowday, David Rees, Michael Renery, Evan Romanchuk, Euan Shields, Alexander Smith, Stephen Spragg, Ryan Stewart, David Synnott, Michael Trask, Ryan Trask, Paul Waterman, Sam Whitehead, Sam Wiley, Callum Woods, Ian Young

In Sunday’s BBF National Baseball League action, the London Mets and Bracknell Blazers – the League’s two big guns – stretched further away from the competition.

The Mets eased to a comfortable brace of wins over the Southampton Mustangs, but Bracknell’s victories came courtesy of forfeit after Richmond, who were only able to muster nine players, saw one of their stars injured and found themselves unable to continue.

In the day’s other action, Essex Arrows and Croydon Pirates split their doubleheader.

Southampton Mustangs @ London Mets

London kept up the pace at the top of the standings with 14-2 and 8-6 wins over an improving Southampton side.

Jason Roberts and Rafi Stern took the wins on the mound, with plenty of offensive highlights for the Mets.

Once again Dan Williams was to the fore, smashing a grand slam in Game One and then adding another home run inGame Two.

Hairon De La Rosa also got in on the act, clubbing a homer in the first game.

London’s Alex Pike said: “We hit very well through the order. The second game was a bit tighter but it was just a case of turning it on when we needed to and we did. We were experimenting a bit with our line-up and a few guys put their hands up. Southampton were better than we thought and it is good for the game that these sides are coming through and giving us a challenge.”

Croydon Pirates @ Essex Arrows

Two of the league’s lesser lights combined for an enjoyable duo of games, with both sides happy to take a split.

Essex emerged with a 10-6 win in Game One, with Richard Chesterton taking the honours on the mound. But Croydon bounced back in Game Two, winning 12-6 with Jose Sosa pitching the win while Matt Gilbert was saddled with the loss.

Arrows coach Phil Chesterton said: “It was ok. We were quite short on players and I was pretty happy with the efforts of the guys. A couple of weeks back we had no wins so to now have three is pretty pleasing. I still think we are making progress and that is the aim going forward.”

Richmond Flames @ Bracknell Blazers

The marquee matchup of the day was shortlived, with Richmond forced to forfeit in the bottom of the first inning in Game One.

Bracknell already had a 4-0 lead, only for Richmond’s Rob Unsell to be hit by a line drive. With his face swelling, Unsell was forced to retire, and with Richmond only having been able to call on nine players to make the trip, a halt was called to proceedings.

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, June 27 2010
	09:00	London Mets	Southampton Mustangs	14:02
	09:00	Bracknell Blazers	Richmond Flames	07:00
	10:00	Essex Arrows	Croydon Pirates	10:06
	11:30	London Mets	Southampton Mustangs	08:06
	11:30	Bracknell Blazers	Richmond Flames	07:00
	12:30	Essex Arrows	Croydon Pirates	06:12

Standings

Time	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Sunday, June 27 2010
09:00	London Mets	Southampton Mustangs	Finsbury Park L...
09:00	Bracknell Blazers	Richmond Flames	Westmorland Par...
10:00	Essex Arrows	Croydon Pirates	Townmead Leisur...

Standings

from BSUK NBL Correspondent Simon Fitzjohn

It was a field day for the road teams on June 20, with all six National Baseball League games going the way of the away side.

League leaders Bracknell Blazers and London Mets continued to flex their muscles atop the standings, while the Southampton Mustangs continued to show signs of improvement.

Sadly, the scheduled clash between Mildenhall and Richmond bit the dust, with the Bulldogs failing to muster a side.

Bracknell @ Essex

The Blazers eased to a sweep by virtue of 15-2 and 10-2 victories against the Essex Arrows. Mike Trask pitched a complete game to claim the win in Game One, with Matt Maitland taking the mound honours in Game Two. Matt Gilbert and Richard Chesterton were the losing pitchers.

Bracknell coach Rob Rance said: “It was a case of getting the job done. We had a couple of our guys back from university and we brought some guys up from AAA and it was great to see we are becoming such a solid unit. The platform is there for us to take things on and have a great season.”

Essex coach Phil Chesterton was far from downbeat despite the losses. He said: “I certainly don’t think we disgraced ourselves. I’m not going to be too down about it. We are continuing to play much, much better. Bracknell are easily the best hitting team we have faced and in the main we lived with them.

London @ Herts

The Mets moved into top gear at Herts, cruising to impressive 11-0 and 30-5 wins.

Jason Roberts and Rob Anthony claimed the pitching wins, but it was on offense that London really hit form. Dan Williams led the way, going 8 for 8 with two home runs, including a grand slam. Kyle Hickson also homored to leave Mets coach Alex Pike purring.

“There were shades of our 2008 team out there on Sunday,” he said. “I am very happy with how the guys played and everyone in our lineup hit. Strangely enough, I do not think Herts played that badly – we were just that good.”

Herts’ manager Jason Greenberg was less enthusiastic about how his team performed. “We failed to execute in every sense,” said Greenberg. “Pitching, hitting, fielding… everything was a bust this week. There’s not much more to say. We know we’re a quality team, and it’s time to start playing like it.”

Southampton @ Croydon

Southampton won the battle of the sides with top-four aspirations, rolling to 9-7 and 18-7 wins in Croydon.Gary Davison and Dave Wrigley took the wins, with Tim Ssali and Jose Sosa saddled with the losses.

Game One was the real thriller, with the Pirates coming close to clinching victory in the seventh inning, only to succumb in the eighth and the Mustangs took that momentum into a more routine Game Two win.

Pirates coach Dave Ward said: “We were really hoping to split the two games but it was not to be. Our problem at the moment seems to be conceding runs early on in games. We are always on the back foot and having to chase games and it is a case of trying to keep our spirits up.”

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, June 20 2010
	09:00	Herts Falcons	London Mets	00:11
	10:00	Croydon Pirates	Southampton Mustangs	07:09
	10:00	Richmond Flames	Mildenhall Bulldogs	07:00
	10:00	Essex Arrows	Bracknell Blazers	02:15
	11:30	Herts Falcons	London Mets	05:30
	12:30	Croydon Pirates	Southampton Mustangs	07:18
	12:30	Richmond Flames	Mildenhall Bulldogs	07:00
	12:30	Essex Arrows	Bracknell Blazers	02:10

Standings

Time	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Sunday, June 20 2010
09:00	Herts Falcons	London Mets	Grovehill Park
10:00	Croydon Pirates	Southampton Mustangs	Roundshaw Playi...
10:00	Richmond Flames	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Connare Field R...
10:00	Essex Arrows	Bracknell Blazers	Townmead Leisur...

Standings

There was plenty to savor in Week 9 of the BBF’s National Baseball League, with heavyweights London Mets and Bracknell Blazers splitting their doubleheader in the weekend’s big showdown, Essex Arrows recording their first wins of the season, a comfortable sweep for the Richmond Flames and an impressive brace of triumphs for the Southampton Mustangs.

NBL Special Reporter Simon Fitzjohn provides the details.

London Mets @ Bracknell Blazers

There is only one place to start this week’s round-up: the NBL’s top two teams going head-to-head.

Fittingly, London Mets and Bracknell Blazers were to share their doubleheader. The Blazers eased to a 10-3 win in Game One, with Henry Collins taking the win, but the Mets struck back with a 7-1 win in Game Two thanks to strong pitching from Jason Roberts and home runs from Jonathan Cramman and Reid Wilson.

Bracknell’s Rob Rance said, “I am very satisfied with splitting the doubleheader. We showed some real guts in both games and I am pretty happy.

“I think a split against a team like London is huge in terms of confidence. To prove yourself against the bigger sides is really important and it helps you build a bit of momentum.”

Essex Arrows @ Mildenhall Bulldogs

The Essex Arrows finally eased into the win column after eight weeks of frustration, sweeping the struggling Mildenhall Bulldogs on their own turf.

Essex claimed 1-0 and 8-4 wins as they ended a streak of 11 losing games.

Game One was a real pitching duel, with Matt Gilbert squeezing past Nick Chenausky thanks to Luke Foley’s RBI single.

In Game Two, Richard Chesterton outpitched Mike McClure as the Arrows completed the sweep.

Arrows coach Phil Chesterton said: “I am really delighted. All of our hard work is coming to fruition. Our defence was magnificent and in the first game it was a remarkable performance from Matt. I know Mildenhall had some players missing but this is great for us.

“I always thought we would start clicking around the half-way point,” Chesterton added, and that is proving the case.”

A dejected Gabriel Macias said: “It is very frustrating at the moment and we have certainly had better days. I have a core of six guys but apart from that it really is a case of who turns up.

“Essex played really well today, though, and I take nothing away from them.”

Croydon Pirates @ Richmond Flames

The Richmond Flames subdued the improving Croydon Pirates by 8-0 and 15-1 scorelines, taking control of third place in the process.

Ryan Bird outpitched Jose Sosa in Game One, with Carlos Mancheno claiming the win in a more one-sided Game Two.

Richmond’s Grant Delzoppo said, “I think Croydon have definitely improved but it was a good two wins for us. We had some good pitching and some very good defence. We got leads in both games and never really looked back. We were pretty much in control and I am happy with the two wins.”

Herts Falcons @ Southampton Mustangs

The Southampton Mustangs closed in on a .500 record for the season by seeing off the stuttering Herts Falcons to the tune of 8-2 and 7-6.

Chuck Truelson pitched the win in Game One. Lee Ralph earned the verdict in Game Two, thanks in part to Oscar Sierra’s homerun.

Southampton’s Ben Davis said, “They were both tough games and we really had to be at our best. We made very few mistakes and that makes a very big difference. We got ourselves out of a couple of jams and deserved the wins.

“We are finally hitting our stride as a group of players,” Davis added, “and hopefully we can carry that on.”

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, June 13 2010
	09:00	Bracknell Blazers	London Mets	10:03
	10:00	Richmond Flames	Croydon Pirates	08:00
	10:00	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Essex Arrows	00:01
	10:00	Southampton Mustangs	Herts Falcons	08:02
	11:30	Bracknell Blazers	London Mets	01:07
	12:30	Richmond Flames	Croydon Pirates	15:01
	12:30	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Essex Arrows	04:08
	12:30	Southampton Mustangs	Herts Falcons	07:06

Standings

Time	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Sunday, June 13 2010
09:00	Bracknell Blazers	London Mets	Westmorland Par...
10:00	Richmond Flames	Croydon Pirates	Connare Field R...
10:00	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Essex Arrows	RAF Feltwell Th...
10:00	Southampton Mustangs	Herts Falcons	University of S...

Standings

It was business as usual for the big guns of the National Baseball League on Saturday, June 5, as the favourites emerged victorious in all four nine-inning contests held at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead as part of the NBL Summer Classic.

NBL Special Reporter Simon Fitzjohn provides the details.

London Mets 10, Richmond Flames 7

In the most-anticipated contest of the day, the London Mets maintained their scorching start to the season by seeing off the Richmond Flames.

The Londoners broke out early, cashing in on a number of Richmond errors.

But after a rain delay it was a different matter, with the Flames clawing their way back, only to fall just short.

Jason Roberts claimed the win, pitching a complete game that required over 200 pitches, with Kyle Hickson adding a home run for the Mets.

London coach Alex Pike said: “Richmond have been one of our biggest rivals over the past few years and it is very important to win the games against them. We put a lot of pressure on them early and that paid off.

“After the rain it was a completely different ball game though,” Pike added, “and Jason pitched tremendously. He literally won us the game.”

Richmond coach Grant Delzoppo said: “We made too many errors early and that cost us. We did get back into it, but when you give a team like that a good lead it is always going to be difficult.”

Bracknell Blazers 11, Croydon Pirates 7

Bracknell Blazers kept pace at the top of the standings by seeing off the improving Croydon Pirates.

The game swung to and fro, with Bracknell always ahead but unable to put the pesky Pirates to bed.
Brendan Cunliffe picked up the win, with Tim Ssali saddled with the loss.

Croydon coach Dave Ward said: “If we had cut out the mistakes and silly errors that cost us early, we could have won the game. We were there or thereabouts for the whole game and it was a real nip-and-tuck affair. We are showing that we are back to a competitive standard, and though we lost, we are not too disheartened about it.”

Southampton Mustangs 23, Mildenhall Bulldogs 5

Southampton Mustangs maintained their strong recent form by dispatching the slumping Mildenhall Bulldogs with ease in the day’s only one-sided victory.

Mildenhall were struggling for players and were forced to field just eight men, and were never really in the game.

Chuck Druelson pitched the win, with Oscar Sierra clubbing a home run.

Mustangs coach Ben Davis said: “It is always nice to get yourself a blow-out win. Mildenhall didn’t field their strongest side but we still played a very, very good game. We are finally finding our feet in this league.

“We have had some tough games recently against the stronger sides,” Davis continued, “but that has helped us. We are hitting right through the line-up and getting better week by week.”

Herts Falcons 12, Essex Arrows 11

The real thriller of the day came in the game between the Herts Falcons and Essex Arrows, as the Arrows fell just short in what would have been an incredible comeback.

The Falcons burst out to a healthy early lead, thanks to two home runs from Pete Kikel and another dinger from Kimiyoshi Saionji. Slowly but surely, however, and aided by a home run from pitcher Richard Chesterton, the Arrows edged their way back.

Herts led 12-10 going into the final inning, but Essex plated one run and in a moment of high drama, Dave Shear was thrown out at the plate for the second-to-last out as he looked to score the tying run. Then, with an Essex runner at second base, Herts closer Pete Kikel struck out the final batter of the game on three pitches to seal the deal for the Falcons.

Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “We feel quite upset that we allowed Essex to get so close, but equally there is a feeling of relief that we won. We looked very, very comfortable in the early stages but little by little they came back – and fair play to them.”

Essex coach Phil Chesterton insisted on blaming himself for the loss.

“It was awful to lose that game,” he said. “Our pitcher, Richard Chesteron, was suffering the effects of an arm injury and I left him in the game too long. I also waved Dave home in the final inning – they needed to make a really good play to get him at the plate and they did.

“I take the blame for that,” Chesterton said, “and I have apologised to the team for that.”

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Saturday, June 05 2010
	12:00	Bracknell Blazers	Croydon Pirates	11:07
	12:00	Southampton Mustangs	Mildenhall Bulldogs	23:05
	15:30	London Mets	Richmond Flames	10:07
	15:30	Essex Arrows	Herts Falcons	11:12

Standings

by BaseballSofballUK, www.baseballsoftballuk.com

This year, British Baseball is introducing several special events as part of the league schedule, and the first of these, the NBL Summer Classic, will take place this Saturday, June 5.

All eight teams from Britain’s top league will come to the same venue and each team will play one nine-inning game. Since these games are part of the league schedule, the outcomes could have a crucial effect on the race for the post-season.

The event will be held at Grovehill Ballpar, the home of the Herts Falcons in Hemel Hempstead. The venue has undergone major building work in the last two years, and last month the club unveiled its brand new second diamond. As a result, Herts is now able to stage these large national events.

With this event taking place on a Saturday, it is rare opportunity for AAA, AA and Single-A league teams to make the trip to Herts for a day packed with top-quality baseball.

For more info go to BaseballSoftballUK.com

Time	Home	Visitor	Field
Dates and Times are subject to change! In case of doubt check with the responsible national federation!
Saturday, June 05 2010
12:00	Bracknell Blazers	Croydon Pirates	Grovehill Park
12:00	Southampton Mustangs	Mildenhall Bulldogs	Grovehill Park
15:30	London Mets	Richmond Flames	Grovehill Park
15:30	Essex Arrows	Herts Falcons	Grovehill Park

Standings

The improving Croydon Pirates and the Herts Falcons split the only doubleheader played in the National Baseball League on Sunday, May 30, a make-up from the previous weekend.

Meanwhile, the rest of the league took a Bank Holiday breather.

Special NBL reporter Simon Fitzjohn provides the details.

Croydon Pirates @ Herts Falcons

This battle produced a pair of thrillers, with home runs, stunning comebacks and even a pitching duel for the fans to savour.

In Game One, the contest was tied 3-3 heading into the sixth inning, only for Mikael Azcuy to smash a grand slam for the Pirates to open up a 7-3 lead.

But the Falcons clawed back a run in the bottom of the frame before scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh for an amazing 8-7 triumph.

Luis Goncalves took the win, while Tim Ssala was dealt the tough-luck loss.

If Game One was an offensive delight, Game Two was the exact opposite, as pitchers Jose Sosa for the Pirates and Nick Goetz for the Falcons went at it.

With plenty of mound magic, Tim Ssala’s RBI single proved decisive in a 1-0 Pirates win.

Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “It was a real boost for the club to win Game One, as it was a great comeback. We have had a tough few weeks on the road recently so it was good to get home.

“Both of us are in the bottom half of the table,” Dimitrov continued, “and they were two tough games. We could have won both, but we could also have lost both so we have to take the positives.”

	Time	Home	Visitor	Result
Sunday, May 30 2010
	10:00	Herts Falcons	Croydon Pirates	08:07
	12:30	Herts Falcons	Croydon Pirates	00:01

Standings