'09 AGM Report

After a somewhat tumultuous year, Oldham Baseball Club at last held their AGM on 11th November 2009 at their most frequented public house.  Absent a few members including some in committee positions, the meeting was soon underway and each item in the agenda was discussed with good enthusiasm and a view toward helping the club recover from difficult times.

The following were elected to club committee positions:

President – Denzel Schrader
Treasurer – Dean Southby
Secretary – Peter Baxendale
Manager – James Almond

Newly proposed non-committee positions included:

Assistant Manager – Neil Bould
Head Coach – Marcel Mayoli Alayon
Team Captain – Denzel Schrader

The proposal to temporarily raise club fees was unanimously accepted following a discussion of the club’s financial difficulties.  The new fees to be effective immediately are: £180 pa waged/£96 pa unwaged.  The club’s financial state will be reassessed in April to determine if fees can be lowered.

Other items for discussion included ideas for new uniforms and off-season training but a decision to reconvene on November 25th for further discussion was made.  The ’09 season awards were also postponed to a later date.  Lastly the club would like to thank everyone who turned out to the AGM including Brendan Cunliffe for his guidance and support.

'09 Season Review

The 2009 Baseball season for the North Stars was by no means a smooth ride.  The stage was set for April 19th; a new league, new opponents and sunny weather!  The North Stars were looking to capitalize on a very productive end to the 2008 season by continuing their progress into 2009.

The league opener was away at Liverpool, a fresh opponent for the North Stars and a team known for their dominating play.  The day finished as expected with the North Stars managing just one run all day.  The record books will show that Liverpool ran out easy winners (18-0 & 17-1) but the North Stars held their nerve and took away the confidence to build and improve.  Moments for the Stars were the good hits for Rogers and Baxendale, which brought in the first run of the year.

Week 2 for the North Stars in the 2009 season included a visit to Manchester to face the A’s.  Just 9 players made the trip to Didsbury and faced extremely good pitching from the Manchester players. 
The first game never got going for the Stars; the A’s pitcher dominated against our weak performance and claimed himself a no hitter, something we can only learn from.
 
The second game started with an injury (just when we thought it couldn’t get much worse).  Liam Fraser fell awkwardly chasing a fly ball and damaged his knee.  This forced Liam out of the game and the Stars down to only 8 players.  In summary it was a horrible day for the North Stars.

The next game for the North Stars was against rivals Bolton.  The first game was a classic between the 2 teams; both pitchers were playing well and both teams’ offense was on form.  Bolton were always ahead in the game and the Stars were chasing from the start.  In the third inning the North Stars woke up and for the first time this year the batting came together.  Over the next 2 innings the team brought in 8 runs.
With this rally, the North Stars took the game the distance to 7 innings, a major achievement after the first 2 weekends.  Unfortunately game 1 ended with defeat but it was the closest game of the year, Bolton winning 21-10.

In game 2 Bolton pitcher J. Sherlock was facing the Stars and shut the team down as Bolton took the game away in the early stages—in fact it took until the fourth inning before Oldham got their first hit against the pitcher.  This caught Bolton off-guard and Marcel came up next hitting a single, which drove the run in. But Marcel wasn’t happy with his single, his speed combined with errors from the Bolton team allowed him to take all 4 bases and score!  The day ended with two more defeats for the North Stars.
The next two weeks saw the beautiful British weather take over as games were cancelled due to rain.  After these two weeks off, Oldham then made the trip to Harrogate.  The stage was set for one of Oldham’s biggest games.  In blazing hot sunshine, the North Stars took the field against a team of Northern Knights and GB Stars.  Their dominance was clear from the beginning and Oldham went home with a further two defeats.

As the season continued, the defeats followed and tensions began to rise at the club.  Several tiffs come to mind but none more so than during the Menwith Hill Game. During this game there were several acts of unprofessional behavior, with the Northern Commissioner in attendance.  A dispute over umpiring and coaching was set to be resolved at an Emergency meeting.  The problem persisted and this led to several players leaving the club.  There is no getting around the fact that at this point during the season, the club was scraping the barrel, morale was low and the roster size continued to dwindle.  Several players were on the brink of quitting and the future of the club was in doubt.

 A special mention must be made to Neil.  Between this point and the end of the season, Neil decided not only to stick with the North Stars through the rough times, but he continued to introduce friends to Baseball and the club.  As a result the roster size improved, the club could field a team for the remainder of the season and the club now has promising new players.

 By August, the team now had some togetherness, morale was up and the North Stars played out the season with more solid performances and improved team chemistry.  No earned wins followed our upbeat end to the season but the club was awarded 2 forfeit wins on the final weekend.  These wins were not earned but fully deserved and I feel this is a fair reflection to the end of our season.

The club can now look forward to the 2010 season with new players, new logos and the prospects of new uniforms and hopefully a permanent field.  I personally would like to thank all the players for sticking with the club through the difficult parts of this season and I look forward to our development and success next year.

Oldham Sports Awards

Oldham North Stars received a nomination in the category of 'Club of the Year 2008' at the recent awards night held by Oldham Council.  The club didn't win, but are glad to have been nominated and will continue to develop over the incoming year.

AGM Report

Oldham baseball club held their AGM on 29th October 2008 at the Bulls Head Pub.  This year had seen the first full year of competitive baseball for the North Stars and the night reflected the accomplishments of everyone involved. 
The club ended the season with a 1-23 record, having started the year with heavy defeats in April, but ended the year with a superb 13-12 win over Bolton on the last weekend.  The club will now be developing for next year with the aim to achieve more wins and make the team more competitive.
The evening also included the annual club awards, all of which were eagerly contested.  Batting Champion was Liam Fraser for the second year running, and the Pitching Champion was awarded to the Cuban, Marcel Mayoli Alayon who guided the club to the first league win at Bolton.  Denzel Schrader won the Most Improved Player award.  Young (U21) Most Valuable Player was won by Short Stop James Hulme and Utility player Liam Fraser took the Most Valuable Player Award.  Other award winners were Dean Southby, James Almond and Peter Baxendale for Best Comedy Moment, Worst Season Injury and Best Nickname respectively.

Fun Day Report

A dry day in Oldham was all we asked for in preparation for our fun day after all the rain throughout the season.  The morning gave us our answer and we were in luck, the sun was shining and the sky clear.
The day included a home run derby and a pitching game, and a final get-together for the team after a long first season in the league.

The first round of the home run derby gave everyone the opportunity to hit for the stars and show off what they could do.  The first surprise was the no show of the big hitting skills of Liam Fraser; this blew the competition wide open.  With no running to do after each hit, most people found this easy, and everyone was making good contact.  It really was a change to see the fielders standing beyond the home run fence and running after balls that seemed to go on forever.  At the end of the first round 5 people progressed into the final.  The tension increased into the last round, as the scores kept rising with every batter which came up.  Last up was the big hitting Cuban and with a score of 4 to beat he wasted no time in notching them off.  His best shot was one that cleared the fence and kept going for another 70 feet.  On this basis, roll on next season, Marcel the Cubinator (thanks Paddy for that one) will be one to watch and should really be aiming for that batting title.

The second battle of the day was fought at the pitching target.  After the result in the batting, we all were expecting more of the same from Marcel after taking North Stars to their first win on the last day.  The game was set at 3 separate distances, 40, 50 and 60 feet.  Points were awarded depending on location in the target and each player had 10 balls per distance. 

After round 1 the Cuban was in the lead, with a surprise contender emerging in the form of young Paddy Nicholls. 
Paddy continued to dominate in round 2, stretching his lead as others failed to find the distance.  One thing was becoming clear, James Almond should stay behind the plate as he failed to trouble the score sheet. 
The final round saw the tension build again as Dean hit the big scores and catch up to the leader, but a surprise was brewing as (at pitching distance) Marcel failed to find a single point.  The game turned into straight battle between Johny and Paddy.  With his final throw Johny set the target for Paddy.  It was a simple equation, 2 balls in the target and the game was his. His first ball went straight into the target and the cheer went up, just 1 more and plenty of balls to do it.  Alas it wasn’t to be and we entered SUDDEN DEATH.  The pressure on both was telling, as it took 5 balls each before Johny finally hit the target, all eyes now on Paddy.  With everyone cheering him on, Paddy made his throw, which missed the target, hitting the plastic outline and rolling back towards him.  So close but yet so far.

The day ended with a BBQ prepared for the team by Emma and Johny.  Everyone who came and participated thoroughly enjoyed themselves and left looking forward to next year and hoping for more wins for the North Stars.

Re-Arranged Game

We will now play the Blue Sox on August 17th due to the rain cancellation.

Challenge Cup Round 1

We are now playing Sheffield Away.  The switch means the league game in July is now at home.  This means we can start our travels a little later as Challenge Cup games have a first pitch time of 2pm.

Last Game/Next Game

20.4.08 Bolton 32 North Stars 4 (Game 1)

20.4.08 Bolton 28 North Stars 7 (Game 2)

Following the postponement to 29 June due to rain of the home inter-league double header against Midlands side Leicester Blue Sox on 27.4.08 and the postponement of the 4.5.08 games @ Bolton, the next game is an 'AA' away double header @ Bolton on 11.5.08. Games start at 12 noon at the Stapleton Avenue Ball Park.

Another Wash Out

4.5.08

North Stars visit to Bolton has become the second successive wash out for the club. A revised date, possibly 25.5.08, will be announced shortly.

Meanwhile the games @ Sheffield Bladerunners are to go back one week to 3.08.08 due to non availablity of the Sheffield field on 27.7.08.

This new date is a designated rain date and if the day is required by either side for a rained off game then the fixture may be reversed and be played on the original date at Oldham.

Youth Team for Oldham Baseball

24.4.08

As a result of interest being expressed by potential players in the under 16 age group, Oldham baseball Club has decided to bring forward plans to establish a youth team. The team is to be a ‘Pony’ side (age 13-16; Year 8-11) with the aim of preparing for some friendly games towards the end of the 2008 season and participating in the BBF NW pony league in 2009.

The club have appointed Johny Creelman as Youth Team Manager. Johny has recently qualified as a coach and has a CRB check certificate.

Initially training will be on Wednesday evenings at 6:15pm at the clubs field at Royton and Crompton school, eventually a separate night from the adult team will be set up.

Any one interested, boy or girl, should go to www.freewebs.com/oldhamyouthbaseball where you will find contact details and more information.

Historic Opening Day for North Stars

19.04.08

An improving weather forecast means that Oldham North Stars will open thier inaugural BBF AA season with a double header against Bolton on 20.4.08. The games at the William Brown Ballpark (Royton and Crompton School) will be the first competitive baseball games in the borough for 53 years and the first in a nationally based league since 1939. Rookie pitcher Andy Sydall is expected to get the start for the North Stars.

Maple Leafs off

5.04.08

Forecast wintery weather with anticipated rain during the whole of Sunday afternoon has forced the cancellation of the game with Birmingham. The next home game is the League One doubleheader with Bolton on 20.4.08.

Training steps up a gear

30.03.08

As the new season approaches, North Stars will step up their prepararion in the first week of April. On 02.04.08 the first Wednesday evening training takes place at the Royton and Crompton School field - starting at 6:15pm. This will continue every Wednesday until the autumn. If wet a team talk session will be held in the Bulls Head at Heyside.

Then on Sunday 06.04.08 an exhibition game, with Birmingham Maple Leafs as the visitors, will take place at 2:00pm.

North Stars open against Bolton

17.03.08

North Stars will host Bolton to open their debut season in BBF League One (AA) North on 20 April. The following Sunday Leicester Blue Sox are the visitors to the William Brown Ballpark at Royton and Crompton School.

The match up with Bolton recalls the opening day of the 1938 Lancashire/Yorkshire Major League when Oldham Greyhounds hosted Bolton Scarlets.

North Stars will play each of League One rivals Bolton and Manchester As in three doubleheaders. The fixtures also include doubleheaders against Premier League North (AAA) sides Haltom Jaguars (H), Sheffield Bladerunners (A) and Humber Pilots (A). As well as hosting Leicester Blue Sox from the Midlands League (AA), North Stars will travel to Birmingham Maple Leafs. Both these fixtures are also doubleheaders.

This season also sees the reintroduction of a challenge cup based on an open draw, with 3 single games deciding who progresses to the final round.

The full fixtures will be published shortly on the BBF website and a full schedule of North and Midlands games can be found here.

Addition to Coaching Staff

23.02.08

North Stars second baseman, David Marlow, has completed the BSUK level 1 coaching course and joins Team Manager, John Brooks, as an assistant coach under the guidance of Head Coach, Harry Anderton.

Spring Training Starts

04.02.08

Spring Training for the 2008 season starts on Sunday 10 February at the Royton Park Tennis Courts. The park is near Royton Centre and can be accessed from Bleasdale Street which is off Rochdale Road. ( near the Funeral Directors!)

Training is scheduled for 1 hour from 11:00am and will continue each Sunday to 30 March (except 23 March, Easter Sunday).

From Wednesday 2 April training switches to our Home Field at Royton and Crompton School commencing at 6:15 each week.

A pre-season friendly game is scheduled for Sunday 6 April when Birmingham Maple Leafs will be our guests.

2008 will mark the return of League Baseball to Oldham.. New players continue to be welcome. Email northstars@tiscali.co.uk or come to a training session.

League Status Confirmed for 2008

19.11.07

Competitive league baseball will return to Oldham for the 2008 season after it was announced that Oldham North Stars will compete in the British Baseball Federation League.

The decision ends a 52 year wait for the return of the sport in an area where it was popular from 1935 to 1955.

The decision was announced at the clubs annual general meeting on 14 November and was warmly welcomed by the club membership.

Games will be played at Royton and Crompton school off Blackshaw Lane and the season will start in April 2008. The final league structure has not been settled yet but it is likely that the North Stars will be in League 1 North along with teams from Manchester, Bolton, Hull, Sheffield and Harrogate. Here could also be some inter league play with teams from Scotland or the Midlands.

Although competitive baseball was played in Oldham up to 1955 in local leagues this will be the first time since 1939 that Oldham will have a team in the national league structure.

Also at the AGM awards were made to the outstanding players of 2007. Catcher, Johny Creelman was named Most Valuable Player; Centre Fielder, Liam Fraser pipped First Baseman, Chris Rodgers to the Batting Champion award; Andy Gregson was Pitching Champion; and Patrick Nicholls was named Young Player of the Year.

The club played eight friendly games during 2007 ending with a 2-6 (.250) record, the team started in June losing 45-6 to Nottingham Thieves and closed with a 16-8 victory over Soar Valley Blue Sox.

We are still on the look out for new players, in particular pitchers, and any one interested should and get in touch on mailto:northstars@tiscali.co.uk or come to one of the training sessions detailed on this site.

Last Game

30 September 2007  Manchester Tournament

North Stars 1  Manchester A's 22

Soar Valley Blue Sox 8 North Stars 16

Soar Valley Blue Sox  2 Manchester A's 11

Standings

Congratulations