New Book Featuring Baseball In Europe

By Josh Chetwynd

Former GB catcher and Channel 5 baseball pundit Josh Chetwynd has again been digging deep into the rich history of baseball in Europe.

The book covers 40 European nations with individual chapters on 11 countries (including GB). In addition, there's a chapter that covers year-by-year for each European (A-pool) Championship and nine appendices that cover topics from year-by-year national champions to European-born Major Leaguers to Major Leaguers who have played domestic baseball in Europe (including two in the UK) to a glossary of terms for baseball in a handful of languages spoken in Europe. 

The Book has already been mentioned in Major Publications in North America, The Chicago Tribune, Library Journal and The Toronto Sun. Josh has done an interview with mlb.com which should be running in the next few weeks

Cross-Border “Northern Challenge Series” Concludes

Game 1 Sat 20 September

With ten players the depleted Knights roster wanted to finish the series on day one and not have to wait until the double header on Sunday.

Dave Mercado pitched a complete game giving his all on every pitch and showing us why he has been selected to play for Great Britain. The Knights faced crafty veteran Jason Derr and his arsenal of quality pitches including his forkball. After some adjustments the Knights put a string of hits together, moved some runners and scored runs in just about every frame whilst playing sound defensively and eventually giving up just one run. Clayton Anstine hit a moon shot over the left field wall late in the game and made a very nice running catch near the line to cap of a fine day for the Knights.

Final Score 13-1

Having just won this best of five series every Knights player were excited and proud to have played a part and contribute to the Knight’s motto “TEAM FIRST” Saturday  real game was finished but both teams decided to play a few more innings just for fun and because the weather was perfect. Both teams broke the field down after a very good day of baseball.

The Knights headed back to the hotel for showers and an evening meal combined with more baseball talk and players just being players wind winding each other up and all having a good laugh. Lights out came before midnight because two more games remained to be played at noon Sunday.

Game 2 & 3 Sun 21 September

Having clinched the series the previous day the Knights took the field for drills and something was missing? It was going to be one of those games. Daryn McCulloch had the task of stopping the Knights and did an excellent job spotting his pitches and getting the Knights to hit lazy fly balls all game long. McCulloch has also been invited to play with the Knights in 2009.

Team Scotland easily beat the Knights and should be very proud of their victory because they showed the Knights they can play competitive ball win or lose and the final score of 13-2 proved the point.

With some hung heads and not much talking after the game manager Ray Brownlie called his players over for a brief chat. Brownlie said two words “Forget It” We will never talk about this game again was the theory and he asked his players to bounce back and finish the last Knights game of the season on a positive by winning game five of the series.

The Knights were short on pitching and gave Barry Webb the start and his job was to throw strikes and let the defence help him out.. Webb did his job and some outstanding base running including stealing home for a crucial run helped the Knights win game five. Starting pitcher in game 2 Todd Ropella also came on to close the game for the Knights as Webb tired with the bases loaded. Final score was 11-5 but the game had its moments with Team Scotland threatening to score more runs.

The Knights Baseball Club would like to thank the players from Team Scotland and their co managers Dougie Robertson and Jason Derr for making the Challenge Series a worthwhile annual event played in true sportsmanship and spirit. Thanks to Nick Clarke CEO Baseball Scotland for his help and input as we continue to work together for the betterment of baseball in both regions.

Last but not least,

The team at Glasgow Baseball Association must be thanked for providing first class hospitality and well presented baseball diamond. The team lead by Gerry McShane and his countless volunteers kept the knights hydrated with water and fruit and food all weekend.

The Knights look forward to returning to Scotland in the spring (09) to kick off the next series of the Challenge Series where one games and two will be played over two days. The Knights will also look forward to hosting Team Scotland on our new home field in Harrogate for the remaining three games of the series in late summer (09)

Reality Check

So who hired Mills? and why?

Boyd and Fromer is the simple answer and the why is easy

Mills will do whatever he is told and that includes towing the Softball outfits mandate.

Anyone seen the latest gut wrenching letter from Mills on the Softball website? Here is just a sample of it below.

From BSUK National Development Manager John Mills:


Dear Baseball and Softball Players and Teams,

I am writing to encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the BaseballSoftballUK Coach Education programme.

The idea of taking a coaching course is that it leads to a recognised qualification as a coach, which will enhance your ability to deliver coaching and add greatly to your knowledge of the coaching process. BSUK courses are aimed at all coaches, whether coaching young people or adults. We have three layers of courses that might be of interest:

The so-called development agency was awarded £1.2 Million pounds of government handouts to develop the sport of Baseball and Softball which would include coaching umpiring and clubs. They used this money to give themselves raises and hire all these new people, some of them have already quit because they found out early that they could not get the job done according to the BSUK WSP. No Kidding!!! This fantasy worthless document was and still is a blueprint to failure.

BSUK even have the balls to try and Bull Shit UK the government yet again with the same plan as before for the next 4 year funding handout cycle. Read it people because they have just asked for new funds to finish what they started. Where are the 8 Super Areas of Baseball that the government funded? Where are the new 1600 players? Does our own BBF Board want to see this registration money? BSUK and BSUK Ltd have not met any targets or remotely come close in delivering what they said they would do. BSUL failed our sport as managers and they have failed as developers but want another 4 years so Jenny and Johnny and Bob can continue take a pay packet home every month. Lets not forget Mills ether, he needs to eat too.

So BSUK have decided to re-brand the coaches courses and start all over again. Why? They were working fine before. Don’t forget that BSUK has been provided a shit load of money as the development agency to deliver this program. Why are we then expected to pay them to take these courses?

BSUK receives public money that is supposed to help BSUK deliver and develop baseball and softball which also includes coaching and umpiring but BSUK is charging members of both federations to attend courses you have been given funding to deliver as part of overall development strategy> Why are our coaches being asked to pay £15.00 £40.00 £75.00 and possible a lot more for a level III qualification? BSUK then ask our coaches to pay another £35.00 to be a licensed coach. This is a disgrace and no coach in Britain should have to pay BSUK to listen to John Mills who neither has the ability or the qualifications to teach T ballers

The best we can hope for is that the Government and Sport England are not sucked in by such a ridiculous plan.

If anyone runs out of toilet paper, the new Whole Sports plan is over 100 pages and should do nicely.

Now let’s all take that BSUK satisfaction survey shall We?

The Truth Is Out There!

Anyone read the latest from the failing development agency?

Bob the socialist, wants it all from the government for free Fromer rips the decision makers UK Sport and the Government and tries to pretend he cares what happens to the sports of fencing, handball, shooting, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, wrestling and lets not forget Alan Ransomes sport of ping pong including four Para Olympic sports that will also have their funding cut.

With a world recession taking place the Government are doing the right thing and if it means saving the economy of the world and sacrificing sports that won’t win medals at London 2012. What Bob is doing is A typical of a bitter and twisted man who sees the writing on the wall because BSUK may be finding the business short of cash when Sport England hand out the money in January 2009. BSUK and the staff do not have a right to lifetime handouts from White Hall; they do not have any right to think their positions are safe or are for life. Fromer wants them to be so he can continue to think he is so important in the grand scheme of things relating to Baseball and Softball in the UK.

Nothing is free Bobby and if BSUK want to continue to operate in any form, stop relying on public money and get off your arses and find the money to operate. The same goes for both Federations who should be trying to wean themselves along with their members from BSUK because they are failures at almost everything they do.

Each federation has the right to review its relationship with BSUK and have the option to leave, which is the only way forward for each federation to survive.

Why does the BSF pay BSUK £20K per years for services they could do themselves? Why does the BBF pay £5K for services they do not need? Just what is the attraction to Geof Ellingham who refuses to answer the questions put to him by concerned members from both sports? All he does is pass the buck and state this matter should be addressed by your board. That is just bollocks Geof!! The same two boards are asking the same questions and not getting a straight answer from anyone at BSUK including the chair. This happens because BSUK and its employees know they are failing but will do and say almost anything to hang onto their comfortable jobs they didn’t apply for.

Under the competition rules within this country and the EU, anyone involved with either sport has the right to provide a tender to compete against BSUK to develop both sports, why is this not happening when BSUK are failing us? BSUK have applied for even more funding to deliver the same development modules they did not deliver with 1.2 Million pounds of public money over the past four years and we are allowing this to happen? BSUK should be broken up because it does not serve either partner or their memberships.

We have all seen BSUK pump their chest this past few weeks with postings on their website trying to convince themselves everything is just fine….really? Another coaching course has been cancelled because people will not pay for something BSUK are responsible for delivering because they received public money to deliver this development plan. The tutors are not qualified to teach the course but have these nice jobs because they swallow anything given to them by BSUK. At all costs these employees do as they are told at all times. It must be great to work for John Boyd or Jenny Fromer? Knowing you must tow the company line.

We have all seen BSUK tell us about the wonderful plaudits received from inspections and the like, what BSUK failed to tell us was that some serious concerns were also raised in these inspections

The ** *** BSUK reports 2008 lists some of these concerns and here are just a few of them for your amusement.

             The report found a number of instances of invoices not being signed for authorisation and not having expenditure codes documented on them.

The report noted during cross testing that there is no common cross reference between the ledger, invoices and purchase orders.

                    

The reportBSUK’s banking arrangements do not allow for built in dual control over payments.

The full *****report will be mailed out to all clubs shortly so they can read the entire 12 page document and judge whether BSUK are really telling the truth or not.

What needs to happen is for someone or some agency to get hold of Bob Fromer and give him a little taste of water boarding to get him to tell the truth of what really happens at BSUK. After we have that information we can then apply another method of extracting information. It involves a car battery, red is positive, black is negative, make sure his nuts are wet If it saves both sports it will be worth it, you can be sure BSUK are not worth it.

All we can do now is hope Sport England do the right thing and cut the funding lifestyle BSUK has be accustomed to for four years. UK Sport has done the right thing.

If any member in either federation wishes to write to the Socialist to tell him your thoughts he can be reached at his compound for social misfits.

Bob Fromer

Birchwood Hall

Storridge

Malvern

Worcs

WR13 5EZ

Perhaps BSUK can explain the numbers below and why so much money was invested in fastball where this team failed miserably but was well catered for whilst the Mens  National Baseball Program received nothing but won a silver medal at the last European Championships in Barcelona.

   Fast Pitch Softball    GB Nat’l Baseball Team

Feb 10 to Sept 30,2004                £26,200   Joint/Modernisation  (???)  This money was spent on softball initiatives

Nov 4, 2005 to Mar 31, 2006           £ 3,000   One off special award  (???) most likely to allow Jenny Fromer to take a trip

 

Apr 05 to Mar 06                     £ 15,000          £12,000

Nov 05 to July 05                     £ 47,500

Aug 05 to Mar 08                    £365,000      _______

                                                £427,500       £12,000

All that money for fast pitch softball and this BSUK operation overspent and operated in the red and where this team of overseas players failed to win anything and did not qualify for the last Olympics.

A Refreshing New Menu ? Not A Chance !

The BSUK sandwich and other food for thought

It’s almost lunchtime at the BSUKWAY

Here is this weeks sandwich specials:

The Bob Fromer: one meatball, garnished with straw. Foul after-taste. Take Away Only. Free socialist brochure if you order two or more.

The Ellingham: Chairman Ham, baloney, and our speciality, mystery meat and mud, comes with a doughnut supplied by Sport England. Ask a question and never get an answer.

The Johnny Boyd: canned turkey on stale bread, crust only, could use spinach as substitute. Garnished with a copy of the Welfare Policy to hide behind.

The Jenny Fromer: head cheese (Mould) sauerkraut and tofu on shoe leather. Better than it sounds. Comes with free lessons on how to be Politically Correct all the time.

The Mills Sub: jerk chicken served with no qualifications and fries. sourdough can be substituted with  unleavened bread Also included is a invitation to learn from the master himself

Note: many of our sandwich ingredients cannot be substituted because they do not generate enough income. Substitutions will only be accepted if Sport England believes our story and provides even more funding for gravy train to ride for another four years.

All products served at BSUKWAY reflect just what a lousy job BSUK do everyday as a Development Agency. The prices have been omitted because they represent NO VALUE FOR MONEY very much the way BSUK provide no additional benefits to the sports of baseball and softball. The only people buying BSUKWAY sandwiches are the overpaid, unqualified staff at BSUK.

Why not make an offer of 1.2+ million pounds for a tasty treat that will make you puke and last another four years.

Is It Time For CoCo To Go-Go? Not On Your Nelly!

The same old from the muppet as he decides he can do as he pleases because “he was elected by his peers” Get over yourself you moron.

Under the Illegal BBF constitution the BBF sec had to present the following information to the voting members 20 clear days prior to the January 24th 2009 date the BBF Board set to hold the AGM.

AGM Documents

A full document pack will be issued to voting members and posted to the British Baseball website in early January. This will include:

1. Financial accounts for the year just concluded
2. A budget for the coming year
3. Board Officials reports
4. Motions to be put to the AGM
5. A list of nominations for Board Officials roles, including candidate statements, where provided
6. A list of Voting Members, together with the number of votes each Affiliated Club has
7. Venue details and outline agenda

This information should have been present and placed on the BBF WEBSITE FOR ALL MEMBERS January 4th 2009. As of this date Jan 12 2009 the information has not been forthcoming or emails answered by the President or the Sec.

Not only is the BBF Sec Coco Walmsley negligent, he must start the whole process again including the right to make notification to members seeking nominations and amendments to the constitution which would also  include Life Memberships.

Not only is Walmsley a Liar! He does as he please by not following the rules he so desperately wrote and fought to get in place under his Illegal EGM and AGM.

Mr Baseball? We think not!