2014 Spring Season Registration opens TODAY!

Please remember your registration is not complete without a copy of your child's birth certificate and medical release form.  Parents, we need you to be involved!  Please consider volunteering your time to the Sturbridge Little League - it makes a big difference to everyone in the League.

All forms are available on the Sturbridge Little League website.

Make checks payable to Sturbridge Little League

Questions?  Just ask!  Email playeragent@sturbridgelittleleague.com

UPDATED - Week Eight Schedule and Notes

Changes are in RED.

Welcome to Week Eight - our FINAL week of Fall Ball!

Week Eight Schedule

TORNADOES
Practice:
Friday, October 25 - 5:00 PM @ Town Barn

Games:
Saturday, October 26 - 11:00 AM - EOS v. Blizzards - Town Barn
Sunday, October 27 - 1:00 PM v. West Brookfield - Town Barn

BLIZZARDS
Practice:
CANCELLED Tuesday, October 22nd - 5:00 PM @ Burgess
Wednesday, October 23rd - 5:00 PM @ Burgess

Games:
CANCELLED Friday, October 25 - 5:30 @ Charlton  (Location TBA)
Saturday, October 26 - 11:00 AM - EOS v. Tornadoes - Town Barn

WARRIORS
Practice:  TBA

Games:
CANCELLED Wednesday, October 23 - 5:30 @ Charlton  (Location TBA)
Saturday, October 26 - 2:00 PM v. Coaches/Parents - Town Barn
CONFIRMED - Sunday. October 27 - 1:00 PM @ Charlton (Bond Rd, Charlton)


NOTES:  Now it's your turn -- we want to hear from you!  Please follow this link and complete a short survey to tell us how we did this fall.  It's 10 questions, completely anonymous, and should take just a few minutes of your time.  Take the survey NOW - quick, before you forget!


Personal Notes: I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved with this incredible 2013 Fall Ball season.  

Thank you to the Sturbridge Little League for their support and encouragement over the last few months. 

To the players, you phenomenal kids, who amazed me each week with your perseverance, skill, and team spirit.  

To the coaches for your passion for baseball and your dedication and willingness to share that with our children.  

To the families who cheered at every game, provided transportation to those in need, and supported the coaches and players with coffee runs and bubblegum, bookkeeping, umpiring and photography, this season wouldn't have been the same without you.  

And finally, a most sincere thank you for allowing me to be your hostess for the last eight weeks.  It's been a blast!

~ Laura

Last Call for Photos

Just a reminder that I'll need all photos submitted by the end of the week so I can start working on the Fall Ball season's highlights reel.  I really need your help sending in photos so I have a good distribution across all teams and players.

Thanks in advance!

Upload to whatever service you prefer and then just share the link with me!

~ Laura

Week Six Field Notes

Week Six Field Notes

Tornadoes

Notes from the Coach's Clipboard:

Hey Team.

Even though we fell short 12-10 to Auburn today, what a great effort!! We held them for a while, we lost some ground, and we made it up with a great half-inning that had the crowd on their feet!! Guys, great effort. I only threw my hat once, so there's nothing  wrong with this loss! Nothing that we could have done differently during our last at-bat could have prevented the outcome because we mercy-ed them. We had a couple monster hits/plays on our side as well.

First off, congrats to Colby for not only pitching two solid shut-out innings, but for having a big two run home run! Kudos goes to Joe Griffin's triple and RBI single, Nathan Wright's homer (even though he was out by technicality, it brought in the tying run in the top of the 6th!), Jack Ricci, Cameron Murphy and Jack Schneider for their bats too. Good job boys. Joe caught three solid innings and made great progress in his development. I'm proud of you son. Dominic pitched well as did Jack. We may have got some base runners on, but we were throwing strikes, keeping Auburn's bats moving, and fielding well. With a limited outfield, Andrew, Jack S and Cameron made some good stops and got the ball in quickly. I think I speak for everyone, but when I saw the size of that field and realized we were only going to have 2 outfielders, I thought it was going to be a massacre! But we held our own. In fact, it was Auburn's outfield chasing our monster hits!!!

All and all, we proved that all of these boys are ready for the next level of baseball. Everyone was swinging, everyone was moving, and everyone helped in this game in some way. Even though we were missing a couple instrumental players, we rose to the occasion and played as hard as we could. I'm real sad that this season is almost over as this is one of the most fun groups I've ever had the pleasure of coaching.

Practice this Friday and stay tuned for our weekend match times. Have a great week!!

Coach Joe

Blizzards

Dreary drizzles may have shortened the game against Auburn for the Blizzards this past Saturday, but not before they left their mark at the turf field of the Pappas Recreation Complex.   There were more runs scored than we could even take credit for due to the 5-run per inning limit.  The Sturbridge bats could not be quieted and a record 10-singles made it into the book before the bottom of the 5th.  A big bad GRAND SLAM was the definite highlight of the game!

The two-hour limit did not get the best of the Blizzards this past Sunday as they battled West Brookfield for another addition to the win column.  When the coach said he wanted everyone to make notable plays for the blog, the players listened in this nail biting five-inning match up.  Nick, Tyler, and Matt rocked the mound with a smattering of strike-outs throughout the game and Ryan and Joe let as few balls by as possible.  Key hits by Mason, Owen, and Benjamin kept the team alive and in the top of the fifth, Scooter slipped one by the first baseman to bring in the tying run before making his way around the bases with smart stealing and lightening speed to score the winning run of the game.  EDGE. OF. MY. SEAT.

Warriors

Under grey Saturday morning skies, the Warriors faced one of the best young pitchers in all of New England as they took to the field against Grafton.  Fans admired the smaller replica of one of the most beloved ball parks in the country and players felt the pain of strange angles as balls rolled into the corners beyond the warning track in front of Mini-Fenway's Green Monster.  It was a tough loss to a tough team with some tougher calls, but the kids remained highly competitive with stellar pitching, solid hitting, and prowess in the field.

End of Season Celebration - October 26th

Good Day Sturbridge Little League Fall Ball Families!!

Here's the scoop for our End of Season Celebration ...

Schedule of Events

11:00 AM - Tornadoes v. Blizzards in a four inning rematch!

1:00 PM - Lunch!  The poll is closed and it looks like we're having pizza.  Thank you to everyone who volunteered to bring sweets and treats for dessert!  If anyone would like to donate beverages (kid-friendly), let me know!

2:00 PM - Warriors v. Coaches/Parents  (Parents, if you want to play, please let me know via email!)

4:30 PM - Closing Remarks
                  Information regarding Spring, 2014 Registration and Try-Outs

The Rules of Engagement  -  include but are not limited to:

1. All players (under the age of 18) are allowed to practice prior to EOS games on the 26th.
2. Coaches/Parents are NOT allowed to gather and/or practice as a team in any way prior to taking the field at 2:00 PM on October 26th.
3. Final rosters must be submitted to the EOS Game Official (me) no later than the 25th for both teams.
4. All equipment used on the 26th must comply with standard Little League rules and regulations.

I reserve the right to modify these rules as necessary.  

I have been stalking the forecasters on Weather.com and NOAA (which is shut down, BTW) to see how our weather is shaping up for the EOS festivities.  From what I can tell it's going to be .. uhmmm ... brisk!  Yes, brisk .. so dress warmly whether you intend to be on the field or off!

As you know, seating is limited at Town Barn, so bring chairs if you want to be able to sit during the games or lunch.

As always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions!

I've decided to start using my gmail account for all things baseball (who knew there would be so much!)  From this point forward, please feel free to get in touch with me at the following address: hunter.leh@gmail.com

UPDATED - Week Seven Schedule

Week Seven Practice and Game Schedule

Warriors
Practice: 
Wednesday, October 16 - 5:00 PM @ Town Barn

Games:
REVISED  -  Saturday, October 19 - 3:00 PM @ Dudley - Dudley Elementary School

Sunday, October 20 - DOUBLE HEADER
12:00 PM @ West Brookfield - West Brookfield Elementary School
CANCELLED  3:00 PM @ West Brookfield - West Brookfield Elementary School  

Tornadoes
Practice:
Friday, October 18 - 5:00 PM @ Town Barn

Games:
Saturday, October 19 - 2:00 PM v. Oxford - HOME

Blizzards
Practice:
Tuesday, October 15 - 5:00 PM @ Burgess
CANCELLED  Wednesday, October 16 - 5:00 PM @ Burgess  

No games scheduled.  Information to follow should a game be added.  Stay tuned!

UPDATED - Week Six Schedule and Week Five Recap

Week Six Game and Practice Schedule

WARRIORS
Practice: 
Wednesday, October 9 - 5:00 PM - Town Barn

Games:
Saturday, October 12 - 10:00 AM @ Grafton  -  Miner Field

TORNADOES

Practice: 
Friday, October 11 - 5:00 PM - Town Barn

Games:
Saturday, October 12 - 3:00 PM v. N. Brookfield - Home
**NEW  -  Sunday, October 13 - 1:00 PM @ Auburn - Pappas Recreation Complex

BLIZZARDS

Practice:
Tuesday, October 8 - 5:00 PM - Burgess
Wednesday, October 9 - 5:00 PM - Burgess

Games:
**NEW  -  Saturday, October 12 - 2:30 PM @ Auburn - Pappas Recreation Complex
Sunday, October 13 - 1:00 PM @ W. Brookfield - West Brookfield Elementary School Fields



Week Five Recap

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend off from Sturbridge baseball (but hey, how 'bout them Red Sox?!)  Just a quick recap from the Warriors Friday night game in Auburn.  The Warriors returned to Auburn determined to get add another to the win column.  Despite a few errors and bobbles here and there, the kids were strong at the plate and sent many a ball rolling towards the fences.  A-MAZ-ING home run by Roman - I'm pretty sure he was already at second base before the ball even hit the turf!  Kudos to Brandon for some stellar pitching.  Welcome back from the dark side, boys.

There's still a few days left for the poll - make sure you cast your vote!  We're asking for some volunteers to help out with post-lunch sweet treats.  Let me know if we can count on you to delight us with your culinary talents!  We do have some allergies among us - so if you are able to bring something, post a little note of ingredients along side your treat!

And in case you haven't already heard, here's the tentative plan for our October 26th EOS Celebration.  We'll kick off the day with a Tornadoes v. Blizzards 4-inning game.  Both teams have worked very hard all season and their successes and improvements on the field are phenomenal.  We're hoping everyone will be there to cheer on the kids!  We'll follow up game one with some lunch and treats before we start game two.  Game two will feature the Warriors in an epic game against the coaches/parents.  Yes, you read that right ... the KIDS will take on the COACHES and PARENTS!

So - parents, dust off your gloves and dig out your baseball gear - you'll need to organize a team to take on these fierce Warriors.  Even though you only need nine, I'm going to strongly urge you to have some alternates in case you need to, uhhhh, "rest" an inning or two!  Email me if you are interested in playing.

More details to follow.

Cheers!

Week Four Recap and Notes

Well, we made it through the weekend ... barely.

Let's start with the highlights!

The Blizzards had back to back wins this weekend, giving the team a much needed boost to their confidence.  Despite having only eight Sturbridge players for Saturday's game at Grafton's "Mini Fenway" (please, please, please let your Coaches know if you can't make it to a game!) the Blizzards still pulled off a win.  Kudos to Matt for some excellent pitching and fielding from the hill.  Mason totally rocked first base and Ryan let little slip by his crouch behind the plate.  Nick's triple and some smart base running brought in seven for the Blizzards.

Dudley hosted Sturbridge on Sunday in the second win of the weekend.   Solid pitching by Ty-Ger and The Big E combined with a peppering of base hits and aggressive base running by Scooter, Ben-jamin', Erik the Great, and O-O (to name just a few) was topped off with a MONSTER hit by Josh that brought him all the way home in the bottom of the 5th.

Well done, Blizzards!

UPDATE:
Tornadoes take the 14-8 win on 9/22 against Dudley!  Andrew Shelby made his first appearance behind the plate and definitely made an impression on the Coaches.  The field execution of the team continues to take major strides and improves week to week.  Fast bats by Robyn, Hunter, Dom, Jack, and Joe brought in runner after runner.

Despite the loss to Leicester on Sunday, the Tornadoes played well.  Ryan made his catching debut and Andrew continues to improve his skills behind the plate.  Great pitching by Jack and Colby!  Notable hits by Colby, Jack, Joe, and Nathan W.

I'm still looking for photos of the Tornadoes games!  Even if you have only taken a shot or two - please send them along!

Let's not dwell on the trio of losses by the Warriors.  Perhaps the light weekend schedule coming up will rejuvenate the players and get them back on top.  Highlights from the weekend include a rocket by Dan S that landed at the fence and brought him all the way home - woohoooo!  JT keeps everyone on the edge of their seats with his outright bold and daring steals - Dude, I actually hold my breath!  Roman continues to boggle batters from the mound and the collective Warriors team send the ball soaring more often than not.  We all hope to welcome Griff back this week after being on the DL for all of last weekend's games.

I want to give a special mention to Connor who demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship on the field Friday night.  Connor not only apologized to the batters who were hit by a couple of wild pitches - he also made it a point to apologize to the coach.  While we all know sometimes pitches get a little out of hand (pun intended) - it was the Connor's genuine thoughtfulness towards the batters and team that we should all focus on.  Bravo, Connor!

UPDATED - Week Five Practice and Game Schedule

Welcome to Week Five!

WARRIORS

Practice:
Wednesday, 5:00 PM - Town Barn

Games:  
Friday, October 4 - 6:00 PM @ Auburn (Pappas Recreation Complex)
Saturday, October 5 - NO GAME
Sunday, October 6 - CANCELLED


TORNADOES

Practice:
Check with your manager.

Games:
Tuesday, October 1 - 5:00 PM v. Blizzards
Saturday, October 5 - NO GAME
Sunday, October 6 - 3:00 PM @ Leicester (Field behind the Police Station on Rte 9)

BLIZZARDS

Practice:
Wednesday, 5:00 PM - Burgess

Games:
Tuesday, October 1 - 5:00 PM v. Tornadoes
Saturday, October 5 - NO GAME
Sunday, October 6 - 12:00 PM v. Grafton - HOME

Save the Date - October 26, 2013

Mark your calendars and save the date!

End of Season Celebration

Saturday, October 26, 2013

11:00 AM ~ 6:00 PM

Town Barn

I've posted a poll question (to the right.)

The poll will remain open until midnight on October 13.  

Cast your vote now!

We are planning for fun, so you should plan to be there!

There's a STORM coming!!!

Have you all checked the weather forecast for the week???  

There's a STORM coming!!!

Will it be a TORNADO or a BLIZZARD?

This is more than a scrimmage, it's the battle of the Sturbridge Storms!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

5:00 PM

Town Barn

Players - come fully dressed for a GAME.  

This is NOT a practice.  UNIFORMS are required.

Home field advantage will be decided by a coin toss.

WARRIORS: If you are able, come support the teams on Tuesday and show them your Sturbridge Fall Ball Spirit!

Weeks Three and Four Photos

MomofJuly3's photostream on Flickr.

Special thanks to everyone who sent photos for the BLOG!

Week Three - Recap, Notables, and Notes

RECAP:

This weekend was all about the Warriors!

The Warriors played stellar baseball and added three more to the win column.  They are undefeated after three weeks of play and seem to be continuing to gain momentum.  I thoroughly enjoy watching this TEAM play baseball.  They work together, cheer for and encourage each other, and do it all while having F-U-N.

Parents and players braved the turnpike Friday afternoon as the Warriors met up with Grafton in this season's first Friday Night Lights game.  It was five runs scored after two for the Warriors when Grafton brought out the hard throwing righty to hold the Sturbridge offense at bay.  At the end of five, the game was tied.  The sixth inning brought 11 batters to the plate, with seven scoring runs before the inning ended.

Notables:
Welcome to the hill Alex T!
Brandon B's quick reflexes snagged a hard line drive down the third base line.
Tim T's 1-2-3 pitching debut in the sixth shut down any hopes of Grafton making a comeback.
Roman K and Dan S launched consecutive bombs to the fence (with a little hop and a roll.)
Ginormous double from Cal and a smart and speedy stolen third from JT.

The Warriors then faced Leicester in a back-to-back weekend series.  Aggressive base running brought in a total of 29 runs between the two games.  How did they do it, you ask?

Teamwork

Roman and Dan threw strike after strike on Saturday and Owen, Griffin, and Devin dominated the mound on Sunday. Roman snagged a throw to second to fire back to Cal in a 2-6-2 out at home plate, Ryan fired two rockets to snag runners hoping to steal second, and quick thinking by Owen in right field cut down a another runner heading to second.  Almost every play required the efforts of two or more players in the field and support for each other at the plate.

Well done, Warriors!

No weekly recap from Tornadoes or Blizzards.


NOTES:

Get your SLL Fan Gear!  We are currently accepting orders for SLL wearables.

$30.00     Full-Zip Fleece Jackets
                Half-Zip Fleece Pull-Over        
                Full-Zip Fleece Vests
$25.00     Hooded Pull-Over Sweatshirt
$12.00     Long Sleeved Tee
$  7.00     Short Sleeved Tee
$10.00     Fall Ball Cap
                Stadium Blanket

Please upload your photos and send me a link!  lehunter@assumption.edu

Coming Soon!  2013 Fall Ball Survey

UPDATED! Week Four - Practice and Game Schedule

Welcome to week FOUR and the half way point in the fall ball season!

I can't tell you how proud I am of the drive, dedication, and accomplishments of all the 2013 Fall Ball players so far.  You "guys" ROCK!

PRACTICES:

Warriors and Tornadoes - please check with your manager for team practice schedules for this week.

Blizzards:  Blizzards practices are closed this week.
Tuesday - 5:30 PM - Burgess
Wednesday - 5:30 PM - Burgess


GAMES:

Friday, September 27 - Game time changed!
6:00 PM - WARRIORS @ Auburn - Pappas Recreation Complex

Saturday, September 28
1:00 PM - WARRIORS v. North Brookfield - HOME
2:00 PM - BLIZZARDS @ Grafton - Miner Field: 16 North Street, Grafton MA 01519

TORNADOES - enjoy a beautiful Saturday off!

Sunday, September 29
1:00 PM - WARRIORS @ Dudley - Crawford Veterans Memorial Field
1:00 PM - BLIZZARDS @ Dudley - Crawford Veterans Memorial Field
1:00 PM - TORNADOES v. Leicester - HOME

As always, please let you manager know as soon as possible if you will be unable to attend a practice or game.

Week Two Photos!

MomofJuly3's photostream on Flickr.

Week Two Recap, Notables, and Notes

WEEK TWO RECAP

What a great weekend of fall baseball in Sturbridge!  Each of the teams welcomed some new players to their roster and the Town Barn hosted players from Charlton, Dudley, North Brookfield, Oxford, and West Brookfield under sunny blue skies and great baseball weather.

The still undefeated WARRIORS (formerly Green) did not disappoint fans this weekend as they added two more to the win column for the season.   Big bats and solid base running by the Warriors kept both the North and West Brookfield teams busy, but it was superb pitching that brought victory to Sturbridge.  Dan S and the Roman Empire shut down any chance of NB making a comeback on Saturday and our very own "legendary" Griffin followed by Devin K shut out WB on Sunday.  It's a busy week coming up for the Warriors with games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Despite a tough loss to North Brookfield on Saturday, the TORNADOES (formerly White) displayed some phenomenal baseball skills with pitching, fielding, and hitting!  The perseverance of this team paid off with a one-run win over Dudley on Sunday!    Dominic M, Jack S (five Ks on the books this weekend!), and Jack R rocked the mound both days.  A shout out to Joe A for hanging behind the plate for five innings - you ROCK!  But it was Hunter N who dominated the mound on Sunday with an epic six strikeouts.  Sweet!  I am quite sure we'll be seeing much more from this superstar rookie in the weeks to come.

It was a roller coaster weekend for the BLIZZARDS (formerly Gold).  Tyler Montgomery proved that hard work and practice does pay off as he struck out a few visiting Oxford batters in his Saturday pitching debut.  Mason F showed no fear at the plate with a solid drive into the outfield bringing in a Sturbridge run.  Nick S displayed great control on the mound and with his bat and both Scooter and "Who-da-man? Ben-ja-man" had a chance to show off their slick sliding skills at home plate.  Sunday morning's match-up with Charlton brought a very light roster to the field.  With only nine players present at the start of the game, Lil' Papi joined the Blizzards bringing the roster to 10.  His presence and willingness to play was key as catcher Ryan M ended up in a sling for a few innings after he caught a bat off his forearm.  A very big thank you to Nick S's aunt for providing immediate medical attention!

BLOG of FAME - Notables from Week Two
(These are by no means the ONLY great plays and players of the weekend.  Just a few that stuck with me from two very long days at the field.  When will YOU be mentioned in the BLOG of FAME?)

Jack R - super snag on the mound Saturday!
Hunter N - struck out six batters in one game!
JT - high pop fly was hit so hard it actually knocked over the second baseman Saturday (who subsequently dropped the ball, literally and figuratively)!
Joe G - turned a single into a run scored on Sunday!
Roman K - struck out seven in a row on Saturday!
Alex Y - wicked awesome catch behind the plate on Saturday and lightning speed to score a run off of a walk!
Devin K - two foolishly hard ground ball hits ended up in the outfield!
Callahan T - can make it from one base to the next in four strides!
Griffin P - struck out nine of 11 batters on Sunday!


NOTES

PLAYERS:  Keep a clean dugout and field!  Gum wrappers and water bottles should be thrown in the trash, not left under the benches or strewn about in the dugouts. Please, please, please ... do NOT spit your gum out on the ground!  Pitch in at the end of your game and help your coaches clean up the dugout and field.  They want to get home just as much as you and your parents do!

The schedules are just about set for the remainder of the season and I hope to be able to post the full schedule for all three teams by week's end.

Most field locations are posted on the SLL website (CLICK HERE).

We are still looking for volunteer umpires and scoreboard keepers at home games.  Please email the Fall Ball Director if you are interested in volunteering (there's no pay, but you will get the appreciation and admiration from the players and coaches!)

Calling all Fall Ball Press Agents and Photogs!  Watching the game and notice something spectacular that deserves a special mention on the blog?  Have a great shot that everyone needs to see?  Email me and I'll be sure to include it in the next post!  (lehunter@assumption.edu)

Week Three Practice and Game Schedule

Schedule for Week Three

A reminder:  If you are unable to make it to practice or a game, please notify your coach(es) as soon as possible.  If we know in advance you can't make it, we won't send out the search party!  Oh, and your coaches can better prepare the team rosters without last minute gaps.

Practices:

TORNADOES:  Friday, 5:30 PM - Town Barn

BLIZZARDS:  Tuesday, 5:30 PM - Burgess
                     Wednesday, 5:30 PM - Burgess

WARRIORS:  Wednesday, 5:00 PM - Town Barn


Game Schedule:

Friday, September 20

6:00 PM  --  Warriors @ Grafton

Saturday, September 21

10:00 AM  --  Tornadoes @ Dudley
5:00 PM  --  Warriors @ Leicester

Blizzards - stand by - game TBA

Sunday, September 22

1:00 PM  --  Warriors v. Leicester - HOME
1:00 PM  --  Tornadoes @ Auburn
4:00 PM  --  Blizzards v. Leicester - HOME

New Teams, New Names, and Notes

I'd like to start today by thanking everyone who took the time to send along a little note of appreciation.  You ROCK!

Second - a special (albeit late) shout out to Scott "Scooter" A for a fabulous catch in Center Field on Sunday!

The coaches for GOLD and WHITE met last night after seeing the kids in action this past weekend to re-evaluate and re-assign some players.  Overall the coaches were impressed with everyone on the field!  Well done, kids .. Well done!  As a result of your efforts, the coaches determined the skill level of the players from GOLD and WHITE to be very evenly matched and agreed to open up the teams to a few trades.

So, without further delay, I present to you the team rosters for the 2013 SLL Fall Ball Season

Sturbridge GREEN
Manager: Steve Bradley

Brandon B
Owen B
Devin K
Roman K
Connor P
Griffen P
Dan R
Dan S
Ryan S
Timothy T
Alex T
Callahan T
Jalen T
Alex Y


Sturbridge WHITE
Manager: Joe Griffen

Nathan C
Joe G
Ryan H
Cameron M
Dominic M
Hunter N
Demetris O
Jack R
Colby S
John S
Andrew S
Nathan W

Sturbridge GOLD
Manager: David Yarter

Joseph A
Joshua A
Scott A
Mason F
Evan H
Eric J
Matt J
Ryan M
Tyler M
Owen O
David S
Nicolas S
Benjamin Y


Let's have a little fun on this dreary and dismal Tuesday.  To the right you will see a poll question - "What should we name our 2013 SLL Fall Ball teams?"  The colors are just so blahhh - take a look at the suggested names and cast your vote!  It's YOUR team, so you should have some say in your team name!  The poll will close on Friday at noon, so don't wait too long to vote!

Now that we have the team assignments finalized, we'll have to make some changes to the overall schedule for each team.  I realize it's tough trying to plan without knowing the full schedule, but we are still in the planning stages and working with other towns to ensure the kids play a safe, challenging, and FUN game of baseball.  If you have questions about a particular weekend or know you'll be out of town - drop me a line and let me know so I can give you a tentative schedule.  As we confirm dates and times with other teams, we will post a full and final schedule.  Stay tuned!

Week Two - SCHEDULE UPDATE and Notes

Due to scheduling conflicts we have made changes to this week's games.

9/12  5:30 PM  GREEN @ Auburn -  CANCELLED  (Have fun at Camp Bournedale 6th graders!)

The schedule for 9/14 and 9/15 is as follows:

Saturday - 9/14

10:00 AM  - WHITE v. North Brookfield - HOME
  2:00 PM  -  GOLD v. Oxford - HOME
  4:30 PM  -  GREEN v. North Brookfield - HOME

Sunday - 9/15

10:00 AM  -  GOLD v. Charlton - HOME
  1:00 PM  -  WHITE v. Dudley - HOME
  4:00 PM  -  GREEN v. West Brookfield - HOME

1:00 PM - GOLD @ Auburn -- CANCELLED


NOTES:

Well, we made it though Week One.  Great job by all the players and many thanks to all the parents, grandparents, siblings and friends for cheering them on and helping out with book-keeping, base umping, transportation, and general team spirit!

We have gained some players and lost some players throughout the first week of Fall Ball.  As a result, the players on GOLD and WHITE are being re-evaluated for proper team placement.  The goal of fall ball is to allow players the opportunity to explore new positions, develop and improve on skill levels, prepare for Spring, remain competitive with other teams and towns, and above all - TO HAVE FUN!

Stay tuned for updates and additional announcements!

Week One - Recap

What a great first (and full) weekend of Fall Baseball in Sturbridge!  The weekend kicked off with the GREEN team hosting Grafton.  It was so great to see so many fans at the field supporting our players!  Both teams played well in the field and at the plate. with a special tip of the cap to Griffin and Roman for outstanding pitching.  A special nod to Tim T for making it to third base on a dropped third strike!  WTG, Tim!   

A few more shots from yesterday's home opener.  

Great job 
Sturbridge GREEN!

 The second game of the day brought Dudley to the Town Barn for a late morning match-up with Sturbridge WHITE (maybe we should call them the Sturbridge SIBLINGS!)   Under beautiful blue skies, the kids batted, fielded, pitched, and ran the bases in an epic three hour game only to have it end in a tie score!  Shout out to little Papi for a great hit!

Great game Sturbridge WHITE!

Our last game of the day took us east to Leicester where Sturbridge GOLD were defeated by the CLOCK!  As the GOLD players were planning their rallying comeback, the game was called ... we had hit the two-hour time limit.  Wait, what?  Really?  Such a bummer.  Superb fielding by Evan H!  The kids still had a great time in their first game of the fall ball season followed by a fun field trip to Sweet Kiwi!

A very special thank you to our floaters; 

Daniel S and Alex Y.  

These two outstanding boys participated in 

all three games yesterday!

Sunday brought another early morning game as the GOLD team hosted Dudley.  The players, once again, showed their passion for the game and had a blast playing!  Solid pitching and base-running proved too much for the Dudley team as the GOLD took the win.  

Our last home game for the weekend welcomed West Brookfield  for a face-off with the fierce Sturbridge GREEN.  WOW!  What a game!  The GREEN crushed WB in a Red Sox v Tigers (9/4/13) style whooping at Town Barn.  Solid hits brought runner after runner across the plate.  Griffin P's in the park home run most definitely topped the day - but kudos must also go to Callahan for a solid 3 RBI triple and JT's five strike-out streak.  Well done, boys ... well done.

The Sturbridge WHITE finished off the weekend in Oxford and although I wasn't at the game, I understand the opposing team was made up of very young players.  If anyone has more details and/or photos I can upload, please send them along!



I do my very best to represent the plays of the games accurately - if I've made any glaring mistakes, please, please let me know!