Leicester Blue Sox
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| Leicester Blue Sox | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| League | West Midlands Baseball League |
| Location | Western Park, Leicester, United Kingdom |
| Ballpark | Western Park Baseball Field |
| Year founded | 2006 |
| Division championships | 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2022 |
| Former league(s) | British Baseball Federation (2006 - 2019) |
| Colours | Navy, Green |
| Website | https://www.leicesterbluesox.co.uk |
Leicester Blue Sox is an English baseball club based in Leicester, situated in the East Midlands region of England. They currently compete in the West Midlands Baseball League (WMBL).
History[edit]
Founded originally in 2006 in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire as the Soar Valley Blue Sox by a local player whom previously played for the now defunct Sileby Vikings Baseball Club.
At this time the club's home ballpark was located at the Soar Valley Leisure Centre, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire however shortly into the 2007 BBF Midlands Division season the club lost their home following complaints from local residents regarding wayward fly balls. This meant the club had to see out the remainder of their schedule playing away games only, as well as having no recognised training facilities. Despite this, the club completed their first regular season 3rd in the overall rankings.
Ready for the start of the 2008 season, Leicester City Council provided an option of spare land on the outskirts of Western Park, where the club remains today.
In 2009 the club finished 4th in the BBF Midlands Division table, earning them a wildcard place in the Single-A postseason. Following an unbeaten postseason the club defeated Essex Archers 12-8 to take home the 2009 BBF Single-A Championship trophy.
During 2009, the club fielded a development team of rookies who played friendlies against Milton Keynes Bucks and Sidewinders. The nucleus of that team went on to form the second adult team Blue Sox 2 who joined the BBF Midlands Division in 2010.
In 2010 the club went unbeaten in the regular season to win the BBF Double-A Division title, following this up with a 20-19 win over Richmond Knights to take home the 2010 BBF Double-A Championship trophy.
2011 proved difficult to field two adult teams owing to a depletion of players at the club, this led to the first and second team effectively merging into one ahead of the 2012 season. The "2Sox" as they had become known did eventually return the following year for a few more seasons, as the renamed Central Division grew into two tiers.
2012 marked the first season in which the first team shirts swapped from navy to light blue, erected a permanent backstop at Western Park and started the Blue Sox Juniors programme. The season reached it's climax with the club's second appearance in the BBF Single-A National Championship where the club defeated Hove Tuesday 16-8 in the final game.
In 2013 the club reached the BBF Double-A Championship round.
From 2014 to 2015 the Blue Sox first team moved up to the Triple-A level and enjoyed some high quality baseball against the likes of Birmingham Bandits and Cambridge Royals.
In 2017 the club reached the BBF Double-A National Championships, defeating Tonbridge Wildcats 9-4 in the final round.
In 2018, the Leicester Little Sox became the 2018 UKLL Coach Pitch Champions.
In 2019, the club was crowned BBF Central Division Champions.
2021 saw the club join the West Midlands Baseball League. Finishing 5th overall with a 5-7 record.
The club was crowned 2022 West Midlands Baseball League Champions, after compiling a 14-1 record during the regular season and defeating Worcester Sorcerers 16-1 in the playoffs.
Honours[edit]
- 2009 - BBF Single A Champions
- 2010 - BBF Midlands Division Double A Champions
- 2012 - BBF Single A Champions
- 2017 - BBF Double A Champions
- 2019 - BBF Central Division Champions
- 2022 - WMBL Division Champions
Ballpark[edit]
The club plays home games at Western Park Baseball Field at Western Park, Leicester.
Season by season record[edit]
| Season | League | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Post Season | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | West Midlands Baseball League | 5th | 5 | 7 | .417 | 4.5 | Rikson Martina (MVP) | |
| 2022 | West Midlands Baseball League | 1st | 14 | 1 | .933 | 0 | Winner | Jay Smith (MVP) |
| 2023 | West Midlands Baseball League East |
References[edit]
This article "Leicester Blue Sox" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Leicester Blue Sox. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
