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2011
As the spring of 2011 unfolded, no one could have predicted the adversity we would be faced with and that the Badgers would go on to win the British AAA South division for the first time ever! The club directors decided to take a risk on something not done in previous years, and paid in advance for indoor winter training. Thankfully it was well attended by players and it helped everyone get their timing in prior to our first league matches. We also distributed hundreds of recruitment leaflets to local employers and this resulted in a few new recruits. However, the club then had to cope with the unexpected news in March that complications at our Patchway location prevented the building of our diamond. Thankfully Bristol City football club and QEH School stepped in at the last minute and through their cooperation we built our diamond on their playing fields in Failand. Our gratitude to them is immense.
The Badgers managers decided to select a smaller squad than in previous years in an effort for stability and cohesiveness. So while the previous season saw twenty-three players suit up, it was narrowed down to just sixteen for the 2011 Badgers, plus one additional player from July onwards. We had only won eight games the previous year, so we had no idea of what was to come. A strong start got us off to 9 straight wins, and we started five different pitchers in the first five games. We continued through a strong middle part of the season, faded a bit towards the end, but we won the division with a 19-5 record. Ultimately the team proved successful not only in the wins column, but also by significant improvements in batting averages and on-base percentages. We also respect the spirit of the game, and several umpires have commented or written to us commending our squad’s attitude to the game and towards them.
Sadly the late relocation of our diamond impacted on our independent team, the Bats. A loss of momentum here meant limited opportunity for them, but we think the next few years will be more fruitful as we continue to grow. We put a lot of emphasis on baseball education, including the hosting of umpiring and coaching courses in 2011, as we think this a great way to attract committed members. This has already paid dividends for our club and will do so well into the future.
Our Badgers team had several notable moments in 2011 and a brief list of them is as follows. Away at Bracknell on opening day we were able to alternate five right-handed and four left-handed batters in our line-up, something opposing pitchers dread. Prior to our home opener we were proud to have some QEH students paint our team logo on the grass behind home plate, which we believe is a first in the UK. Our season was punctuated by Grand Slams on offense accompanied by several one or two hit performances from our pitchers on the mound, and we were able to give players some variation by placing them in multiple fielding positions of their choice over the season. We hosted the Great Britain Junior squad in their first ever visit to Bristol as were proud to once again have a Badgers player in the GB squad. We were able to attract a large crowd for this event, and through raffle ticket and merchandise sales we helped the GB team raise over £1,200 for their summer trip to an international tournament. Throughout the season we had local press coverage of our success as three players were featured on a BBC Radio Bristol interview, and the Bristol Evening Post printed our match reports and photos every week. We thank them for their support as baseball is still growing in the UK and we would like to encourage more players here in Bristol. And finally, it was great to be part of a winning team in just our fourth season in the league, we had a fantastic awards evening to cap it all off!
2010
Our club continued to encourage and develop players to a competitive standard. From our outstanding 2009 team we saw one player move to California to play baseball at a high level, and one player move up to the National League in British baseball (to the Championship winning team as it turned out!) This year we had some of our 2009 Bristol Bats players make the step up and contribute to the Badgers in the AAA League. Overall we have now had players from 17 countries play for our two club teams over the past 3 seasons giving us a mix of styles and approaches that we have all learned from. And we are very proud to say one of our home grown players represented Great Britain Juniors at the European Championship tournament in Attnang-Puchheim, Austria, in August 2010!
We started the 2010 season late when events meant disruption to our pre-season. Many baseball clubs like us shared their grounds with other sports, the January 2010 snowfalls had a knock-on effect. It caused football and rugby matches to be postponed and re-played later in the season, so our pre-season training programs and regular season matches were delayed. We eventually played our first games on 3rd May and we won the doubleheader. We played well to split several doubleheaders in close games, but the Badgers finished losing a few more than we won on the season. There was good news for the Bats, for although they had limited opportunity until August, they won all three games they were able to play. We celebrated success as a club in October with our first awards evening.
Highlights of our season included a grand slam, and one against us!; our pitchers throwing no-hitters, one-hitters and two-hitters; players sacrificing their bodies on defense by crashing into fences, and on offense by various means; we had 2 teenagers develop into first team players, making 3 father-sons who played for the Badgers in 2010; and several players made their debuts for the Badgers or Bats as they progressed through training and practices.
We also knew we needed to find a new long term home. Our old diamond was destined for the plough when the community sports centre opted to landscape their fields. After considerable work by several volunteers, we relocated in the middle of the season and played our last 8 games at our new home, Patchway Sports Centre. The new location is ideal for us as a growing club. Patchway Sports Centre personnel have welcomed us and they want to work with us to grow baseball in the area. The field is in an excellent position, and there is potentially room for a second diamond if everything goes well. So it is onwards and upwards as we build the club for the future!
2009
The 2009 season started with outdoor training sessions in March. Several new recruits were on board which added to the depth and quality of the squad. The Badgers were looking to continue the momentum of the previous year and these new recruits were amazed to see a baseball diamond in Bristol! As the league matches started in April we split each of our first 2 doubleheaders.
This included our opening home game which attracted local radio publicity, complete with barbeque and a healthy amount of spectators. Our split doubleheader trend continued into the summer but in mid-season we slumped and lost a couple of close doubleheaders. Team spirit was not diminished and we rallied toward the end of the season to finish with a winning record at 13-12. This was good enough to finish in third place in the British AAA standings. We were pleased to see an improvement on our first full season in 2008 and it bodes well for 2010 as we build on getting baseball re-established in Bristol.
This included our opening home game which attracted local radio publicity, complete with barbeque and a healthy amount of spectators. Our split doubleheader trend continued into the summer but in mid-
The Bats, our independent team, were also able to play several quality matches giving our less experienced or younger players an opportunity for growth. This included a split home-and-home series with Plymouth. They also travelled to London and had the privilege of participating in the Old Timers Tournament. Playing teams such as the Old Timers and the Italian visitors on the day was a great way to keep the spirit of baseball alive. It was also a great way to give thanks to many of those who founded baseball in the UK.
Photos of the Badgers and Bats 2009 seasons can be found in our gallery.
2008
In February work started on building the field at the Southmead Community Sports Club. Training started in March with the inaugural game against Southampton Mustangs in April. The first league game on the field was against the Oxford Kings, with a wet backstop and mound which gave us more work to do on the field. On June 8th the Badgers claim their first win in the AAA league against Burgess Hill (18-6). On July this website is created.