Baseball is in the air!

Hi guys,

I just received a few updated contacts, and I just thought I would use that impetus to send out a quick note to everyone to let you know that we are getting ready to start practicing indoors soon. We are awaiting gym confirmation. 

A few things you should know ahead of this...
-- if you did not pay the deposit of $100 in fall at tryouts, you must pay that before attending any practices. Insurance demands this. 
-- you must also eventually register for the park, either online or at the March 12 or March 26th dates at NBCC.
-- after the final registration date, you must be registered and have paid the deposit to continue practicing with the team. I hope that makes sense. Insurance demands it. 
-- Final spots (12 total) will be filled in tryouts on March 31 and April 1 at the park, weather permitting. I am expecting all current players to attend as well to help me evaluate the new comers by having them to compare to. 
-- we are finishing getting suppliers and uniform details settled. We should have all this wrapped up and order way ahead of time. Start thinking of whether your son might need a larger jersey if you played last year. I want to get these ordered and delivered ASAP once we have the sheets finalized. Fees will probably be between $150-$175, and most have already paid the first $100 of that.
-- if you had any uncredited fundraising from last year, those amounts are being turned over to the treasurer on Monday, and checks are being written to you this week coming up. I apologize for the long wait in this. It was beyond my control, and steps have been put in place to see that it never happens again. Changes in the administration have been made, including my being given a much larger role in the travel program. There will be no fundraising for us this year for our team, only for 12u and the Cooperstown trip.
-- our tournaments this year will be districts, Lewiston, states (three weekends in a row starting June 28), and then a Rochester tournament in late July (park will be closed this week for girls tourney). 
-- Bob Noah, Joe Hassett, and I will comprise the coaching staff again. We will eventually hold a meeting to lay out our expectations for the year concerning responsibilities, conduct, interactions between parents and players, etc.... We feel we have always had a good democratic system of coaching and handling the players, and we have had very few if any bad incidents. I hope you will trust us to do what is best. 
-- We would like to discuss the possibility of relinquishing some of the non-coaching duties to a parent or two. We will need a team manager and score keeper. I would personally like to discuss this with anyone interested. Please let me know. These are very important roles that we need done right. Thanks!

I hope everyone is having a great off season, and I will be in touch within the next two weeks with gym dates. Please try to take care of as much planning for the above as you can so we can all start together. I guess that wasn't a very quick note...was it? See you all soon. Bob

Season finale goes well for 10u

The 10u boys finished their season strong getting their twentieth win against Medina at Shoshone Park. After a slow start and slipping to a three run deficit, the bats came alive, as NB beat Medina 12-3. Six different pitchers and many players in new positions reinforced the growth the team has shown over the summer and how versatile the squad can be.
To recap, it was a season of proud moments that saw the boys came in second in the Lewiston Lancer Tournament in the top tier, they finished second in the Clarence Sunday League Playoffs, they won the Buffalo Cup, the core group of players won the 10u Police Atletic League, and overall they finished with a .714 win percentage. Thanks to everyone for a great year, and I look forward to tryouts and doing it all again next year.

Buffalo Cup Champions

The 10u boys dominated their division winning all three games, 5-0, 9-0, and 12-1. In the process, they only gave up two hits. The overall play was fantastic, and their hard work helped Hertel North Park retain the Buffalo Cup. congratulations boys!

Updates

Game added to schedule versus Medina, Tuesday August 9th.

Always the bridesmaid....

The 10u boys lost an exciting game under the lights at Shoshone in the Clarence Sunday League Championship Final. Lancaster Blue played a solid game and put together a nice strng of hits to get up 5-0 in the third inning. The NB boys came back as always, but a few key defensive plays by the opposition and a close call at third base kept us from coming all the way back. The final of 6-4 was a real heartbreaker, but did not overshadow the fact that the NB team is a collection of real competitors. When we figure out the secret to getting up early, who knows how far this team will go! Congratulations on a great run, and as always, it is a real pleasure to be a part of it. I know people are disappointed to again come in second, but remember, there were six other teams full of players sitting home watching television because they were eliminated weeks ago. Be proud of your job well done.

9u Win States

Congratulations to the nine year olds from Shoshone who won the WNY State Championships this past weekend. Coach Joe and the boys have been working hard all year long, and they have just begun to play their absolute best. They mercy ruled several teams on their way to the big win. Best of luck in the regionals in Cherry Hill, NJ. We are all very proud of you.
Coach Bob

The championship round, what a blast!

The Green Machine started their run to the championship today after reaching the top tier by going 3-0 in the pool play.
In the semi-final round we played A-Turf for the first time all year, and we were ready for a real battle. The boys outlasted their opponents and beat them soundly in the late innings to win 10-6. We had great pitching from Connor, Griff, and Rocco.
In, the championship game, we played Clarence who all year has been at the top of the 10u A division. The North Buffalo boys held on and gave the Big Red Machine the fight of their lives. The game was tied for most of the afternoon, going nine innings before Clarence was able to take advantage of a string of hits and win 4-3. It was the longest game we have played ever, and our pitching lasted throughout. Several great defensive plays were made throuout the game, and I hope everyone there agrees that they saw the baseball game of the year today. For once, i really think that the North Buffalo team has put to rest any doubts that they belong among the elite teams in Western New York. I hope that we can keep the momentum rolling, as we ready ourselves for the big playoff game in the coming weeks. No one is happy to win second place, but if we play that game ten times, we probably end up 5-5. I think that says a lot. Thanks for a great weekend, boys! I am extremely proud of you all.