Herndon Baseball

All Fairfax County Fields are closed on Friday, April 20

2007-04-19T22:58:00.000-05:00

All activities scheduled on Fairfax County Park Authority and Fairfax County Public School athletic fields are cancelled after 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 20, 2007. All community use of Fairfax County Public School gyms is also cancelled for Friday, April 20, 2007. These cancellations have been made in support of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine's call for a state day of mourning.

For the complete announcements, please visit www.fcps.edu or www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.

For more information and resources regarding the tragedy at Virginia Tech, please visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/opa/vatechtragedy.htm.

Fairfax County

Department of Community and Recreation Services

Athletic Services Division

Phone: (703) 324-5533 or (703) 324-5522

Fax: (703) 324-5546

Games & Practices Canceled

2007-04-16T11:19:00.000-05:00

All HOYB fields are closed today, Monday April 16, 2007 for games and practices due to wet field conditions and dangerous high winds.

However, the Bat-a-Thon Coordinators meeting will still take place at the Herndon Middle School Cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. tonight. All teams (Machine Pitch and above) must have a Bat-a-Thon team coordinator in attendance. It is recommended that team managers attend as well.

Herndon Middle School is located at: 901 Locust Street, Herndon: http://herndonbaseball.com/fields.html

All-Star Tryouts & other league news

2007-04-15T10:32:00.000-05:00

*** ALL-STARS ***

The HOYB All-Star Tryouts session #1 scheduled for today, Sunday, April 15, 2007 is canceled due to the rain. We built a rain date into the schedule and there will be tryouts next Sunday (4/22) and the following Sunday, April 29.

The tryout schedule is posted on our website at: http://herndonbaseball.com/allstar-tryouts.html

Information regarding our All-Star program is available at: http://herndonbaseball.com/allstars.html

The HOYB All-Star Commissioner is John Lyons, mailto:jlyons@msn.com who is available to answer any specific question you may have that is not covered on our website.

*** MONDAY'S GAMES AND PRACTICES ***

Because of the heavy rains this weekend, it is likely that games and practices for Monday, April 16 will also be canceled. The league will send out an email early Monday when a formal decision is made regarding cancellations.

Please check out Latest News page on our website for published field closure information: http://herndonbaseball.com/blog/index.html

Also, our Weather page has important field closure links: http://herndonbaseball.com/weather.html

*** BAT-A-THON(R) TEAM COORDINATORS MEETING ***

There is an important and mandatory Bat-a-Thon meeting tomorrow, Monday, April 16 at the Herndon Middle School. All leagues (Machine Pitch and above) must have a team coordinator in attendance. It is also highly advisable that the team manager be in attendance if possible.

If Machine Pitch games are canceled tomorrow, it is requested that MP team manager make a special effort to attend this important Bat-a-Thon kickoff meeting.

12 April: game time decisions

2007-04-12T15:46:00.000-05:00

For Rookie League games and other practices on April 12, 2007, it is a "game time" decision concerning whether or not the fields are in playable condition.

If the HOYB league and/or Fairfax County has not closed the field(s) then it is up to the home team manger to determine if the field in question is in playable condition. He should arrive early to the field to make that determination.

If you have not been contacted and told the game or practice is canceled, please arrive at the field on-time and ready to play. Sometimes it is necessary to cancel after players have arrived at the field because the coaches feel that playing would damage the field or that a late arriving rain makes it impossible / unsafe to play.

Spring Registration Begins Soon!

2007-01-02T16:57:00.000-05:00

Registration for our Spring 2007 baseball season starts in early January. Use the email box (upper left on the homepage) to be notified when online registration begins.

Our Calendar of Events has been updated for the upcoming spring season, check it out!

Fields Closed Friday, 27 October 2006

2006-10-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

HOYB Parents and Friends:

Because of the continuing rain and wet field conditions all HOYB fields are closed today, Friday, October 27, 2006 for games and practices.

Early tomorrow (Saturday) a determination will be made regarding the weather and Saturday baseball games.

The HOYB Fall season ends on Saturday, there are no more makeup games or practices to be held beyond Saturday, October 28.

Best regards,
Neil Bonner
HOYB Commissioner

Fields Closed Tuesday, 17 October

2006-10-17T10:22:00.000-05:00

HOYB Parents and Friends,

Because of the heavy rains and wet fields, all HOYB fields are CLOSED today, Tuesday, 17 October 2006.

Neil Bonner
HOYB Commissioner

HOYB Fields Closed on Friday and Saturday

2006-10-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

Baseball Parents and Friends:

Due to the heavy rains expected all day Friday and through Saturday morning, all HOYB fields are closed and baseball games and practices are canceled for Friday (October 6) and Saturday (October 7).

Enjoy the three-day weekend and watch some MLB playoff games with your children!

Best regards,
Neil Bonner
HOYB League President

Important Machine Pitch & Coach Pitch News

2006-09-13T22:09:00.000-05:00

HOYB Parents and Friends:

Our fall 2006 baseball season starts this Saturday and the weather for this weekend should be nice. We have approximately 285 players and 24 teams spread amongst our four leagues.

IMPORTANT MACHINE PITCH & COACH PITCH NEWS
Yesterday afternoon we were thrown a real curveball by Fairfax County. They mistakenly double-booked the Dranesville #1 and #2 fields on Saturdays with the Herndon Youth Soccer program. Fairfax County gives soccer priority in the fall, so they pulled our field permits on Dranesville fields for all Saturday play (we can still use the field during the week for practices but must share the outfield with the HYS program).

We are scrambling to find another field to readjust our schedules. With this short notice it is difficult but we will let you know by Friday morning what the new schedules look like for the Machine Pitch and Coach Pitch leagues.

We are very sorry for this last minute change in schedules but this was totally unforeseen as we were given use of the Dranesville fields last year. Please know that only the Machine Pitch and Coach Pitch leagues are effected. There are no schedule changes planned for the Majors and the Minor/Rookie leagues.

We will be in contact with team mangers with revised schedules and they will distribute them out to you.

Have a fun and safe fall baseball season!

Neil Bonner
HOYB Commissioner

Special Offer from Washington Nationals

2006-07-20T07:22:00.000-05:00

Your hometown Washington Nationals have a special offer for parents, players and friends of HOYB. Here's a chance to get tickets for the Upper View Box section (regularly $11) for only $5 per ticket!

Here are the details:
Game date: Sunday, August 13th
Opponent: NY Mets
Time: 1:05 pm
Price: $5 in Upper View Box (sections 506 – 505)
Who can come: Anyone!

Fans 12 and under get a Screech bobblehead.

Here is the link (2 line URL, cut-and-paste in your web browser):
http://protected.tickets.com/buy/MLBOnsale?orgid=17&poid=2930&agency=WSHNB2B4

Let's come out and sit with your Herndon friends and cheer on our hometown team!

Fall Registration Now Open

2006-07-16T15:57:00.000-05:00

The HOYB League is gearing up for the Cal Ripken Fall season which begins with practices on September 5.

Our fall baseball leagues are all about player development and fun. There are no standings kept during our fall season and we consider it a chance to take an even more instructional approach compared to our spring season.

Players that may not have pitched or pitched much will have opportunities to pitch during the fall season. The league managers (click here to signup to coach) have been instructed to work on developing player skills, not be concerned about winning games.

This fall we have five leagues: Majors, Minors, Rookie, Machine Pitch and C

On second thought...

2006-05-08T16:40:00.000-05:00

Since it continues to rain in Herndon, the league had canceled all umpires for all regularly scheduled Machine Pitch games and all make-up games for Monday, May 8, 2006.

Fields Open on Monday, May 8

2006-05-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

Fairfax County has left Alabama Avenue and Bruin Park OPEN for play today, Monday, May 8, 2006. All games and practices are a "game time decision" regarding field use on all HOYB fields. The home team manager is responsible for approving the field for use.

Field Maintenance

2006-04-24T10:20:00.000-05:00

HOYB Managers and Coaches,

I received word last week from Fairfax County Park Authority that the baseball field at Alabama Drive Park was not being properly dragged. Under the agreement we have with the County, it is our job to drag/rake the field before and after use. How we go about doing it, though, does make a difference. Below is an edited version of the emial I received. This approach should be used at all fields.

'Someone dragging the field at Alabama Drive Park is dragging over bases, over turf, and down baselines into the turf. Please ask them to stop. The drag should never leave the dirt area and never overlap the turf. If you want to drag (infield dirt only, not the bases, plate, or mound) they need to remove bases and not drag over top of them. Baselines, homeplate area, and pitching mound should be handraked and not dragged. Also, when handraking, your rake should always be running parallel to the turf. I appreciate your help in this, because I know the intentions were meant well.'

So coaches, please instruct the parents who are raking the field in the proper technique.

Thanks,
Wyn Francis
HOYB President

Latest update: All-Star tryouts canceled due to rain

2006-04-23T12:43:00.000-05:00

So much for weather forecasters getting it right just 24 hours ahead of time. Unfortunately, today's drenching rain proved too much for the fields to handle, so all of today's tryouts have been canceled.

Next week's tryouts will go on as scheduled at Bready (12U at noon and 11U at 3 pm), Alabama (10U at noon and 9U at 3 pm), and Bruin (8U at 11:30 am).

However, there will be some changes for the following weekend (May 6/7).

The 12U and 10U tryouts will be on Saturday evening, May 6. The 12U tryout will be at Bready and go from 7:30-9:30 pm. The 10U tryout will be at Alabama and also go from 7:30-9:30 pm.

On Sunday, May 7, the 11U tryout will be at Bready and go from 5-7 pm. The 9U tryout will be at Alabama and also go from 5-7 pm. The 8U tryouts will be at Bruin and remain at their original 11:30 am-2:30 pm time slot.

On Sunday, May 7, we also have Picture Day. Not to worry, the schedule for pictures will be arranged so that players do not have conflicts between their picture time slots and all-star tryouts.

Thank you,
Wyn Francis
HOYB President

P.S. The HOYB Board meeting scheduled for tonight has been canceled. Please see the League Calendar for the next regularly scheduled board meeting.

All-Star tryouts are ON

2006-04-23T08:03:00.000-05:00

All-star tryouts will go on today as planned. Even if there is additional rain this afternoon, please go to the fields to meet with the all-star managers.

Saturday's games are canceled

2006-04-22T08:06:00.000-05:00

HOYB Parents and Friends:

All games are canceled for today, Saturday, April 22, 2006. For those in the Machine Pitch leagues and above, please check with your team Bat-a-Thon Coordinator as the Bat-a-Thon presentations should be held today.

All-Star tryouts are still on for tomorrow. Let's hope the fields are not too wet for tryouts. Check back here on Sunday morning for updated news regarding All-Star trouts.

Herndon High: Cal Ripken League Night

2006-04-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

The Herndon Hornets are happy to announce that they will host Cal Ripken League night at the home varsity game on Friday, April 21, 2006.

What is Cal Ripken League night? On this night, all Cal Ripken League players are invited to attend the home Herndon Hornet varsity baseball game. All players who attend and wear their Cal Ripken League team shirt and hat will receive free admission to the game and a coupon good for one free drink and either a hot dog or piece of pizza.

In order for players to receive free admission, beverage and food, players must wear their Cal Ripken League team shirt and hat. Each player must be accompanied by a parent. Parents will also receive a coupon good for a free drink and hot dog or piece of pizza. We have some fun things planned for the Cal Ripken stars who attend. Come and support your Hornets!

CAL RIPKEN LEAGUE NIGHT DATE AND GAME TIME
*** 6:30 pm, Friday, April 21, 2006 vs. Centreville ***
*** Place - Herndon HS baseball field ***

We hope that all of tomorrow's Hornet baseball stars will come out to watch today's Hornet baseball stars.

April 17: Alabama & Bruin fields closed

2006-04-17T14:47:00.000-05:00

Fairfax County has closed both Alabama and Bruin parks today for games and practices.

However, games and practices can still be played at all other fields, including Haley Smith, Herndon Middle School, and Dransville Elementary, and Bready. If any of those fields have damp areas, please make sure to rake those areas thoroughly. Also, please make sure to rake the fields after completion of your game or practice.

Thanks
Wyn Francis
HOYB President

Saturday Games Canceled

2006-04-08T06:57:00.000-05:00

Due to the rain, all games and practices for Saturday, April 8 are canceled.

Updated Machine Pitch Rules

2006-04-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

The Machine Pitch rules have been updated on the website. The latest revised date (on page 4) in April 2005. Please remember that all Machine Pitch games will be played within a one hour and 30 minute time limit and will be considered complete regardless of the number of innings played.

Opening Day Information for HOYB families

2006-03-26T16:08:00.000-05:00

TO ALL HOYB FAMILIES:

The 2006 HOYB Opening Day Celebration will begin at 10:00 Saturday, April 1st at Bready Park. All players should plan to arrive by 09:30 to line up with their teams. Parking is tight due to the construction at Herndon Community Center so plan to arrive early. We are currently working on securing additional parking. Details will follow later in the week.

Please have you child in full uniform with team shirts and hats. In the event of cool weather, please dress your child in layers as they will be outdoors almost two hours. The league sections will be marked with color coded signs and the individual team signs will be posted within each section. (For example: T-Ball = purple, Coach Pitch = yellow, and so on) Each player will also receive a coupon for a free hot dog from Joe's Dog House from his team manager/coach. Team Managers should pick up their team's coupons upon arrival at the Information Tent.

Also, again this year we are raffling off some great prizes. Five sets of four Washington Nationals Tickets for the game against the Orioles on Sunday May 21st, a gift from Great Harvest Bread and a few other surprises. Ticket can be purchased for 50 cents each at the Information Tent. Sales will begin at 09:15. The winning ticket numbers will be announced before the conclusion of the Opening Day Ceremony.

T-Shirts that were purchased on-line during registration will be distributed by team mangers at Opening Day. Shirts or sweatshirts that were special ordered at the try outs will be available for pick up at the Information Tent.

Rotational Hitting Clinics (Majors only)

2006-03-21T23:13:00.000-05:00

The rotational hitting clinics with Chuck Hoyle this Saturday will run from 9 am until 5 pm. There are 12 Majors teams that will pair up into six time slots. The time slots will be 1:15 long, figuring about an hour for each clinic and allowing for questions and a cushion if we're running a bit long. Weather permitting, the clinics will be on the field at Herndon Middle School. Here's how the schedule breaks down:

Clinic #1. 9-10:15 am with Pete Andrich and Roger Hill's teams.

Clinic #2. 10:15-11:30 am with George Tyler and Lucian Fox's teams.

Clinic #3. 11:30 am-12:45 pm with John Salvail and Mark Smith's teams.

12:45-1:15 BREAK

Clinic #4. 1:15-2:30 pm with Marc Marino and John Lyons's teams.

Clinic #5. 2:30-3:45 pm with Jay McMann and Neil Bonner's teams.

Clinic #6. 3:45-5:00 pm with Lowell Pratt and Jim McIntyre's teams.

Tomorrow, I will be checking into alternative locations should the weather prove inhospitable. My first choice would be somewhere inside the middle school like one of the gyms. I'll let you know.

Thanks, Wyn Francis

Back to Baseball Night, March 12

2006-03-06T23:24:00.000-05:00

This year our sixth annual Back to Baseball Night is Sunday, March 12, at the Herndon High School auditorium, at 7:30 p.m. (Please use the side entrance).

All parents should plan on attending this "parents only" event. (If there is a choice between bringing your child or missing the event, we would rather you bring your child). You will hear from HOYB President, Wyn Francis. Wyn will explain how the league is run and provide many details about our baseball program.

In addition to finding out more about the league and having your questions answered, you will have an opportunity to meet your child's team manager. The team managers will have information about your team including practice times and locations. This will be the first opportunity to find out what team your child is on.

The Herndon High School is at 700 Bennett Street, Herndon. Directions are on the High School's website.

If you cannot make this parent's meeting, you child's manager will call you on Monday or Tuesday to introduce himself to you. If you have not heard from a manager by Wednesday, March 16, please contact the league commissioner to inquire about your child's status. All of the league commissioners are listed on the website. However, if you are able to make the meeting, please attend.

Tryouts this Sunday for Competitive Leagues

2006-02-28T19:22:00.000-05:00

If your son or daughter is trying our for the Rookie League, Minor League or Major League, there will be tryouts for the Spring 2006 Baseball Season on Sunday, March 5, at the Diamond Sports Training center.

Tryouts are important for the competitive balance of the league-- meaning we would like all teams to be as closely matched in skill as possible. Close games are fun for everyone! So please make every attempt to have your child at the tryouts at the times indicated below. PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE SCHEDULED TRYOUT TIME.

Your child's age is the age he/she will be on April 30, 2006. The times have been updated! We only have the DST facility until 8 p.m. Therefore, the tryout times are as follows:

Age (lastname) Time
---------------------------
8 (A - Z) 3:00 - 3:30 pm
9 (A - L) 3:30 - 4:00 pm
9 (M - Z) 4:00 - 4:30 pm
10 (A - L) 4:30 - 5:00 pm
10 (M - Z) 5:00 - 5:30 pm
11 (A - L) 6:00 - 6:30 pm
11 (M - Z) 6:30 - 7:00 pm
12 (A - L) 7:00 - 7:30 pm
12 (M - Z) 7:30 - 8:00 pm

More Tryout Information
Please know that children in the T-Ball, Coach Pitch, and Machine Pitch Leagues, DO NOT TRYOUT. They will automatically be assigned a team by the league commissioner.

If your child cannot attend tryouts for any reason (sick, injured, out of town) please email the respective league commissioner. The email address of all league commissioners are on our website at: http://herndonbaseball.com/contact.html Finally, if you cannot arrive at the scheduled time below, come as near the time as possible. We would rather you come at a different time than to not show up at all.