BBF AGM gets ball rolling for 2012 season

Around half the BBF-affiliated teams were able to turn out for the AGM on Saturday 21 January in Birmingham, where clubs had the chance to air their grievances following the 2011 season and discuss how to make the game better in the coming year.

With a number of clubs already back at spring training, focusing on their own preparations for the forthcoming summer, the turnout was to be expected and appeared higher than recent years in terms of voting attendants at the event at Birmingham City University, although notable absences included the home-town Maple Leafs (http://www.birmingham-mapleleafs.co.uk/) and midlands rivals the MK Bucks (http://www.miltonkeynesbucks.co.uk/).

The high attendance in terms of votes could be down, in part, to the number of clubs that have multiple teams; each team registered for the previous season is allocated a vote (both junior and senior), so Clubs such as the London Mets (http://www.londonmets.org/) get five votes – they’ll have six in the next AGM with the introduction of a fourth adult team – while life members of the BBF also were eligible to vote individually.

The AGM began with BBF President Mark Salter (https://twitter.com/BBFPres) presenting lifetime achievement awards to legends of British Baseball (http://www.bbhof.org.uk/), including Margaret Borley MBE, Ted Gerard-Thesingh and Liverpool Trojans stalwart Norman Wells, who will be carrying the Olympic torch on its relay around Britain later in the year. Joe Gray, who has been piecing together a history of British Baseball through Project COBB (http://www.projectcobb.org.uk/) on top of other duties within the NBL’s administration, was also recognised.

For the 2012 season, the BBF will retain control of organising and developing baseball umpires ahead of the ABUA-GB (http://www.abuagb.com/), although the umpires’ organisation retain voting membership within the BBF. Metal bats are to be outlawed across the leagues at senior level, while new clubs will still receive £150 towards purchase of new equipment.

With still a week and a half before the final deadline for teams’ entry for the 2012 season it is difficult to say which teams will be playing where in the forthcoming season. However, there is the suggestion that the Northern AAA and AA leagues will be merged to form one super league in the North – something new Northern Senior Leagues Commissioner Ian Marchment will need to decide on – while following a very successful debut season, the 2011 Single-A champion Cambridge Royals (http://www.cambridgebaseballuk.org/news%20and%20schedule.htm) are expected to move up to AAA South as they continue to build their club.

As yet there is no confirmation of any club that won’t be taking part in the 2012 season that played a full year in 2011, although there may be a few teams that need to recruit heavily over the next few weeks to be as competitive as they want to be.

Clubs were recognised for their coaching prowess by the GB Programme, with youth and senior sections that have provided elite athletes to the national team receiving certification of their efforts.

And Treasurer Dan Lally, who was voted in for a second term, confirmed that the finances for the BBF are fairly healthy and there continues to be a surplus.

BSUK joint-CEO John Boyd was invited to talk to the BBF membership about where the sports have come over the last few years and the plans for the future. BSUK, as the governing body for both baseball and softball, is uniquely placed to be able to help club development across the country, and demonstrated a few areas where their assistance has greatly improved the facilities available to clubs. Going forward, the organisation is involved in the development of new fields in Milton Keynes, which should be good enough to host international baseball tournaments.

In Club-specific news, the Bristol Badgers were able to meet David Hasselhoff this winter (http://www.britishbaseball.org/news_article/show/128270?referrer_id=271910). Club members met the former Baywatch and Knightrider star before a performance in panto at the Bristol Hippodrome, and The Hoff was said to be delighted to have been ‘recruited’ by the Club, hoping baseball in the area is boosted through his involvement.