![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3022\/2787744730_453c6cd675.jpg\" "\\"Herts")
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The Herts Spring League made a successful debut last year and it is set to be even better second time around in 2009.\u00c2\u00a0 Thirteen teams will compete at three\u00c2\u00a0venues to prepare for the British regular season this year.\u00c2\u00a0 The games will take place at\u00c2\u00a0Herts, Richmond and Harlow\u00c2\u00a0over three Sundays, from 29 March to 12 April, bringing together teams from various parts of Southern England.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The Spring League Structure<\/strong><\/p>\n The HSL is split into two pools and the lineup provides a useful introduction to some of the teams in the Southern section of the British baseball leagues.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n Pool 1 contains three teams with British AAA league experience in the Essex Arrows, the Southampton Mustangs and the Sidewinders, the latter being based in Enfield.\u00c2\u00a0 The Herts Falcons will make the step up from AAA to the National Baseball League in ’09 and they will be part of Pool 1 alongside NBL regulars the Bracknell Blazers.<\/p>\n They will be joined by a new team called the Alconbury Braves.\u00c2\u00a0 The Braves are a team comprised of US Army personnel from RAF Alconbury who are making their debut in the British Baseball Federation league this year.<\/p>\n Pool 2 contains two teams from the Herts Baseball Club organization (the Hawks and the Eagles), the Richmond Dragons, the Milton Keynes Bucks, the Braintree Rays and the Kent Mariners. The latter have previously been known as the Medway Mariners but have taken on a new name following the club’s merger with the Tonbridge Bobcats. The Bobcats have a proud history of developing young British talent, including Alex Malihoudis<\/a> and Will Lintern<\/a>,\u00c2\u00a0and hopefully pooling the resources of the two teams will see this continue.<\/p>\n Note that for one week only, Richmond\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s NBL team, the Flames, will play a one-off game against the Falcons with the result being added to the record of their sister team, the Dragons.<\/p>\n Introducing Harlow Baseball Club<\/strong><\/p>\n The HSL will be a great way for current players and supporters of the Southern league teams to build up for the new season, but\u00c2\u00a0it\u00c2\u00a0should also play a part in encouraging more people to get involved with British baseball.\u00c2\u00a0 This will particuarly be the case\u00c2\u00a0for the games held in Harlow, Essex.\u00c2\u00a0 A successful youth baseball programme has been running in Harlow since 2005 and they are now looking to add an adult team to their set-up.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0With\u00c2\u00a0an impressive new baseball facility waiting to be used, as highlighted in a\u00c2\u00a0recent article<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0at BaseballSoftballUK.com, any baseball fan living in the area should be jumping at the chance to join such an exciting new venture.<\/p>\n More British baseball field improvements<\/strong><\/p>\n Herts Baseball Club are also in the process of improving\u00c2\u00a0and expanding the facilities at their\u00c2\u00a0Grovehill Ballpark home\u00c2\u00a0thanks to support from the National Lottery and many other organisations and partners.\u00c2\u00a0 The latest stage of this development has seen a brand new outfield fence being installed just a week ago, making\u00c2\u00a0Herts Baseball Club the first British club to have a permanent outfield fence on both its diamonds.<\/p>\n