Category: Hawks

HERTS BASEBALL YOUNG PROSPECT SELECTED BY GREAT BRITAIN TEAM

Herts Baseball Club is pleased to report that Liam Green has been selected to join up with the Great Britain National Team squad for Under-16 year old players (Cadets).

Liam Green was one of the very first members of the Herts Little League which was founded in the summer of 2007.  Despite the fact that he had never played baseball before 2007, his hard work, dedication and undouted talent has turned him into one of the club's brightest prospects.  He was a member of the Herts All-Stars (Under-13) who came second in the National Baseball Championships last year and made his debut with the Herts adult teams in 2009 gradually moving from the Single-A League Herts Raptors to the other Herts teams playing in the AA and AAA Leagues.

Liam will be preparing with the GB Team for the European Championship qualifiers which will take place in July this year in Nykoping, Sweden.

Herts Baseball Club will be supporting Liam in raising funds to cover his costs while with the GB Team.  Any individuals or organisation who are interested to support Liam Green can contact Herts Baseball Club.

 

A DAY OF CELEBRATION OF BRITISH BASEBALL IN HERTS

 

As advertised, the NBL Summer Classic turned out to be a true celebration of British Baseball. The event started at 10:00am and ended just as the sun was going down at 9:15pm. It had everything from home runs, strikeouts, spectacular plays and late inning drama, to hot dogs and the signing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in the …ninth inning stretch.

HERTS RED SOX SETTING THE PACE

The Herts Little League teams opened the day. The Herts Yankees and the Herts Red Sox picked up convincing wins against the Herts Cubs (14-1) and Herts Cardinals (8-0), respectively. This set up a top of the table clash between the Red Sox and Yankees and the Red Sox came out on top 13-5. This means that they are now leading the league with the Yankees one game back on them, followed closely by the Cardinals in third after they beat the Cubs 9-0.

 

Click here to view full Little League report by reporter Tracey Manning

BLAZERS EXTEND WINNING STREAK

At the same time the National Baseball League action commenced on diamond 1. 2009 champions, Bracknell Blazers were the hot favourites to win the clash against the Croydon Pirates, but the team from South London had plans of their own. They kept fighting and it was only the loss of concentration at critical moments that cost them the game at the end. This was the tenth consecutive league win for the Blazers with a chance to move top of the table depending on the outcome of London’s evening game on diamond 2.

FALCONS SURVIVE LATE ARROWS ONSLAUGHT

The game between the hosts Herts and rivals Essex saw a record attendance for an adult league game in the history of Grovehill Ballpark. This was thanks to the loyal support from the Herts Little League families who had packed the spectator area on the first base side and it was their support right up until the bottom of the ninth inning that contributed to the win for the Falcons.

Before the start of the game the newly built second diamond was officially opened by Mike Penning, Member of Parliament for Hemel Hempstead, who was one of a the many supporters of the Grovehill Ballpark project. Others who supported the project include Dacorum Borough Council, Awards for All, BSUK, Sport England, PropertyLandeArchitercture, Royal Bank of Scotland and many others.

The ceremonial first pitch is usually thrown out by one or two celebrities. On this occasion there were 40 ceremonial first pitches and they were all thrown at the same time by 40 celebrities from the Herts Little League. The unlucky player who had the impossible task of catching all 40 balls at the same time was Falcons catcher, Andy Cornish. Ultimately he didn’t manage to catch any of them, which was not a good sign for Herts ahead of this vital league game.

The Falcons took a comfortable early lead. Kimiyoshi Saionji’s home run was followed by two home runs by Pete Kikel. Despite this the Arrows never lost hope and produced a sensational come back. Going into the ninth inning Essex were on the verge of claiming their first win of the season trailing 12-10 with runners on first and second base and the winning run at the plate. Richard Chesterton came through with the clutch hit. It went over the head of centerfielder Jamie Munn and all the way to the outfield wall. With the runner from first rounding third base and being waved home to tie up the game, the Herts Falcons needed to execute the relay perfectly, and they did. With a runner in scoring position the Falcons needed to get one more out and they ended the game in style, Pete Kikel striking out Lance Louw.

Click here for box scores and images from the Essex vs Herts game.

SOUTHAMPTON IMPRESSIVE WIN

Southampton Mustangs maintained their strong recent form by dispatching the slumping Mildenhall Bulldogs with ease in the day’s only one-sided victory. The majority of Mildenhall’s players work at the airbase in Cambridgeshire and their team was significantly weakened by the absence of the majority of their roster due to an emergency military exercise. Despite this Southampton did produce an impressive performance to pick up another good win.Chuck Druelson pitched the win, with Oscar Sierra clubbing a home run.

LONDON STILL TOP THE LEAGUE

The showpiece game of the day was the match-up between London and Richmond. A large crowd had gathered at the new diamond to watch this eagerly anticipated clash, and then the storm came resulting in a rain-delay. This did spoil the occasion slightly but when the game was restarted it did not affect the quality of baseball with both teams producing a real classic. The Londoners broke out early, cashing in on a number of Richmond errors. The Flames managed to claw their way back, only to fall just short. Jason Roberts claimed the win, pitching a complete game that required over 200 pitches, with Kyle Hickson adding a home run for the Mets.

 

For full NBL report and reaction from the teams click here.

Images from the NBL Summer Classic.

 

ONE VENUE, 14 TEAMS AND 10 HOURS OF NON-STOP BASEBALL

 

This year, British Baseball is introducing several special events as part of the league schedule, and the first of these, the NBL Summer Classic, will take place this Saturday, June 5.

All eight teams from Britain’s top league will come to the same venue and each team will play one nine-inning game. Since these games are part of the league schedule, the outcomes could have a crucial effect on the race for the post-season.

The event will be held at Grovehill Ballpark, the home of the Herts Falcons in Hemel Hempstead. The venue has undergone major building work in the last two years, and last month the club unveiled its brand new second diamond. As a result, Herts is now able to stage these large national events.

With this event taking place on a Saturday, it is rare opportunity for AAA, AA and Single-A league teams to make the trip to Herts for a day packed with top-quality baseball.

STARS OF THE FUTURE LEADING OFF

The day will begin at 10.00 am with youth league games involving the six Herts Little League teams.

Combining youth and adult league games as part of the same event is unusual in British Baseball, but it is expected to be an effective way to bring baseball communities together, increase attendances and make events more vibrant and enjoyable.

Bracknell (9-1) v Croydon (4-6) on Diamond One at 12:00

The NBL action starts at noon as the 2009 Champions Bracknell Blazers take on the Croydon Pirates. Bracknell goes into the game with an impressive nine-game winning streak. The resurgent Croydon Pirates split their doubleheader with the Herts Falcons last Sunday, which puts them in fourth place in the standings. Can they cause an upset against the Blazers?

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Maikel Azcuy (Croydon) leads the league in home runs after his grand slam on Sunday at Herts, his fifth home run of the season.

Brendan Cunliffe (Bracknell) has been an RBI-machine for the Blazers so far this year. He hits for average (BA .500) and for power (3HR and Slugging .929). He leads the league in RBIs (13).

 

 

Essex (0-10) v Herts (3-7) on Diamond Two at 13:45

Neighbours Essex Arrows and Herts Falcons will resume their long-standing rivalry on Saturday. Essex have been showing signs of revival and they will probably target their game against Herts as a perfect opportunity to record their first win of the season.

On Sunday, Herts returned home after a painful six-game road trip and ended their losing streak, coming back from a three-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to win against Croydon.

Two of Herts’ key pitchers are on the disabled list and the question is whether those players who are healthy can keep the team in touch with the pack. Despite their bad starts, both teams are still in the running for playoff places, and they will be desperate to pick up a win on Saturday and put their seasons back on track.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Jeon Sungwon (Essex) is tied for the lead for most base hits (15) so far this season in the NBL.

Luis Goncalves (Herts), a 16-year-old shortstop, has been phenomenal with both bat and glove in his second season in the NBL.

Southampton (4-8) v Mildenhall (4-6) on Diamond One at 15:30

Despite finding themselves second from bottom in the standings, the Southampton Mustangs have quietly been producing some very impressive performances against the top teams in the league. Saturday’s game against the Mildenhall Bulldogs is the first of five upcoming games which they will see as must-win to put them right back in the race for the post-season.

After winning their opening four games, Mildenhall have suffered six losses in a row. Can they turn their season around against Southampton? They will go into the game with confidence, in the knowledge that just a few weeks ago they came out on top against the Mustangs on the same field in the final week of the Herts Spring League.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Charles Truelson (Southampton) may not have a 90 mph fastball but he more than compensates for that with control and movement. He has picked up two of the four wins for the Mustangs so far this year with an ERA of 5.40.

Jon Mabie (Mildenhall) is one of the toughest catchers in the league and a perfect example for young players of what it means to give 100% on every play. He has a batting average of .389 with 5 RBIs.

London (11-1) v Richmond (7-3) on Diamond Two at 17:00

This is undoubtedly the game of the day. The first-placed London Mets are bringing back memories of their championship-winning seasons in 2007 and 2008. However, after a slow start, the Richmond Flames are back to their best and on Saturday we will find out if they can stop the Mets.

This is billed as the main event of the NBL Summer Classic this Saturday and the other games have been scheduled to finish in time for all those attending to gather around the brand new diamond at Herts for this unmissable clash.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Jason Roberts (London) leads the league in wins (5) and strikeouts (38).

Ryan Bird (Richmond) is the 2008 and 2009 MVP.

SCHEDULE: SATURDAY, JUNE 5

10:00 – Herts Little League games: Yankees @ Cubs, Red Sox @ Cardinals, Tornadoes @ Crocs (Diamond 2).

11:30 – Herts Little League games: Red Sox @ Yankees, Cubs @ Cardinals, Crocs @ Tornadoes (Diamond 2).

12:00 – NBL: Croydon Pirates @ Bracknell Blazers (Diamond 1).

13:45 – NBL: Herts Falcons @ Essex Arrows (Diamond 2).

15:30 – NBL: Mildenhall Bulldogs @ Southampton Mustangs (Diamond 1).

17:00 – NBL: Richmond Flames @ London Mets (Diamond 2).

VENUE

Grovehill Ballpark is located at Washington Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 6NH.

For a map and directions, click here.

For more details please contact Herts Baseball Club via the official website.

Photos by:

— event-photos.co.uk

— www.hp2photographic.com

 

BBC AUDIO SLIDESHOW: “SWINGING AWAY”

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's and the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, have collaborated to produce a groundbreaking new exhibition on the connections between baseball and cricket that is now open to the public at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

The MCC Museum at Lord's is trying to dispel a few myths, and reveal some surprising connections, in a new exhibition that looks at the shared history of cricket and baseball.

The BBC have published an interesting audio slideshow taking a trip back in time looking at the games of baseball and cricket. (Click to view)

HAWKS SUFFER DEMOLITION

Herts Hawks v. Sidewinders, May 23rd 2010

by Hawks Beat Reporter, Simon Langton

 

What started out looking like a nice warm summer day at Grovehill quickly became a nightmare for the Herts Hawks who found themselves on the wrong end of a 24-5 drubbing at the hands of Sidewinders.

Things started reasonably well with the score at then end of the first tied at one. That was not to last long, however, with Sidewinders able to run riot for the rest of the day. Errors followed by extra base hits were a far too familiar sight for the Hawks who – once behind – were never able to recover. The only respite for the Hawks was that Sidewinders only had eight players and so the would-be ninth hitter was automatically out. Despite this, Sidewinders were able to score 24 runs against what was, by the 7th, a very tired Hawks defence.

 

The Hawks bats were also relatively quiet all day. Good Sidewinders pitching was accompanied by a defence which, despite being short of numbers, was able to deal with any threat the Hawks posed. Their two-man outfield was able to make a virtue of its forced changes – on several occasions, hits which would have dropped into the gaps were caught by a repositioned fielder. By the7th inning, the Hawks only had 2 runs to their name and needed over a dozen just to keep the game going. A three- run rally in the bottom of the 7th showed that the Hawks had not given up but the task would prove too much and the game ended after 7 innings on the mercy rule 24-5.

Credit should be given to Sidewinders who played well and with determination in order to claim the victory. The Hawks will be hoping to forget about the game, hoping that it was just an off day, and getting ready to regroup for the next opposition. And whatever the result, the Hawks have taken their place in history as the first Herts team to play a game on the second diamond.

HAWKS SPLIT DOUBLE-HEADER IN CROYDON

By Herts Hawks beat reporter, Simon Langton

 

On Sunday May 16th the Herts Hawks played out a hard fought double header with the Croydon Pirates III. The two very tight, dramatic and at times wet games ended with each team picking up their first wins of the season. Both games were played in good spirit which allowed for an enjoyable day of baseball despite the weather.

Game one saw Hawks manager Greg Bochan go the distance pitching all seven innings and striking out 9, to pick up a well deserved 12-9 win. Defensively the Hawks were solid, shutting out the Pirates in five of the seven innings played. However, a bad second inning, riddled with errors and involving a two run triple followed by a one run double, gave the Pirates a 7-0 lead and almost the game. The Hawks responded well, allowing only two more runs to be scored all game, this limited the Pirates to an overall total of 9. Special mention needs to go to Matt Johnston whose outstanding catch in left field typified the defensive effort, and to Paul Curtis who made a good debut at 3rd base.

The Hawks offence was ruthless throughout the game. Inspired by shortstop Hunter Devine’s 3 RBIs the Hawks capitalised at every opportunity that came their way, whether by walk, error or hit, to score. Going into the seventh and last inning however the Hawks were still trailing by nine runs to seven and when Croydon were able to retire two Hawks hitters with a 9-8 lead still intact, the game was looking all but over. A four run two out rally gave the Hawks a 12-9 lead which they were able to protect in the bottom half of the seventh giving them the win.

Game two was all about good offence and bad pitching. The Hawks’ Simon Langton was unable to consistently find the strike zone giving away 8 walks in only 5 innings. That meant that that despite a huge defensive effort — including an unassisted double play by 1st baseman Tim Elkins — Croydon scored 14 runs. Fortunately Croydon’s pitcher was suffering from the same problem, which along with Tim Elkins’ 3 RBIs allowed the Hawks to be only down by one run going into the sixth, behind 14-13.

From the sixth inning the game became very exciting. Simon Langton — now playing centre field — made up for the walks with a 2 RBI double, this gave the Hawks a one run lead. Croydon were however able to counter with 2 runs of their own in the bottom half of the sixth restoring their one run lead. In the top of the seventh the Hawks offence responded. Hunter Devine maintained his excellent hitting from game one with an RBI double and Simon Langton followed by driving in another 2 runs to give the Hawks a 2 run lead going into the bottom of the seventh. When Perrie Sherman who had come on in relief was able to get two outs with the lead intact. However a two out rally which included a fielder’s choice and three consecutive singles proved sufficient for the Pirates to bounce back and take the game 19-18, splitting the double header.

HISTORIC WEEKEND FOR HERTS BASEBALL

This weekend will see history made at Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, as the new second field hosts its first games. The Herts club has existed since 1996 but now, for the first time, it will have two specially constructed baseball diamonds. Only a handful of British clubs can boast such excellent facilities. This will allow two of the club’s four adult teams to play simultaneously, and allow as many as six Little League games to take place at once. That will mean Herts can host even more major events, such as the end of season National League playoffs.

The first action on the new diamond will be when the Little League players start their season this Saturday, May 22nd. The competition involves 6 teams of kids playing 16 games each, culminating in the League Finals held at Grovehill on 7th August. The Yankees are the reigning champions from the last two years – can anyone else take their crown this year? The top performers from the Little League will then be chosen to play for the Herts All Stars at the British National Championships. Last season, the Herts team finished as runners-up after a memorable, heart-wrenching 1-0 ballgame against the London Mets. Boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 14 can join the club at any time, and they could the star of this year’s campaign.

 

The adults will get their turn on the new turf on Sunday. The Herts Hawks will be the men in the history books, christening the field with a game against the Sidewinders of north London. Later in the day, the Herts Raptors will take on the Tonbridge Bobcats. This moment in history has been made possible by the generous support of many organisations — the sport’s governing body, BSUK; Awards for All; Sport England; Dacorum Borough Council and Dacorum Sports Network – as well as the Royal Bank of Scotland and our valuable sponsor, BMW Scotthall Watford. The players themselves have also put in enormous amounts of hard work.

 

BREAKTHROUGH FOR HERTS TEAMS

The Herts Hawks notched up their first win of the season on Sunday when they travelled to play the Croydon Pirates III. The visitors trailed 7-2 at one point but staged an astonishing comeback to claim a 12-9 victory. Team Manager Greg Bochan pitched a complete game and got the win. In the second half of their double-header the Hawks were victims of a comeback by the Pirates. They led by two runs going into the final inning but went down 15-14.

The Herts Eagles – who play in the AAA Division — also claimed their first wins of the season, sweeping the Essex Redbacks in a double-header. Essex are new to the league this year but the Herts team took no mercy on them — veteran Darrin Ward was credited with the win in an opening 12-10 victory; Louis Hare claimed the W as the Eagles then extended their dominance with a 19-9 win.

The club’s rookie team, the Herts Raptors, continue to improve and to discover more talent in their ranks, although once again they fell short of a win against Guildford. Bryan Drummond pitched four solid innings before being substituted for first-time hurler Phil Gover. Raptors’ manager Ken Pike called the southpaw’s performance “pretty stunning”, and he was also pleased with his side’s improved hitting. Once the players got used to a bumpy infield and a strong wind, they were every bit a match for their hosts. Raptors went down 23-10 but Pike is increasingly optimistic about the future.

The news was not so good for the Herts Falcons of the elite National League. Their early-season struggles continued when they took on the Bracknell Blazers, the reigning national champions. In the first inning of the first game Herts gave up 11 runs, making the task all but impossible. The rest of the game was tight, but Falcons lost 13-2. In the second half of the match-up, 16 year old phenom Luis Goncalves pitched a brilliant game, keeping the Blazers off balance. But after four innings, fielding errors crept in and cost the team dear. This time Bracknell ran out 17-7 victors. Manager, Jason Greenberg, admitted it was disappointing day, but many players were away or injured and the Falcons hope to bounce back quickly and show the League what they can really do.

HERTS TEAMS SUFFER STRING OF LOSSES

It was another tough weekend for the Herts baseball club. The Falcons travelled to take on the Richmond Flames in the National League, and suffered a pair of defeats. They went down 8-0 in the first game. Starting pitcher Dan Kerry — fresh from scaring BBC presenters with his fastball — struggled with his control, and walked four hitters in a four-run first inning from which the team never recovered. The Falcons' own bats were held in check with only three hits in the game. The second half of the double-header brought no relief. Richmond built an ever-expanding lead, helped by 5 Herts fielding errors, and wrapped it up 14-0. Luis Goncalves got his second hit of the day, but there were few bright spots for the Herts hitters. The Falcons' Aspi Dimitrov admitted “We were not quite right, and we have to accept that.”

Elsewhere in the National League, the London Mets and the Bracknell Blazers started to open a lead at the top of the standings. Mets cruised to a sweep of the Croydon Pirates, while Bracknell put an end to Mildenhall's unbeaten start to the season, again with two wins. The Falcons record is now 2-4, and they are bubbling in mid-table.

Lee Manning's Herts Eagles were relieved to finally play their first games of the season, but they were disappointed by the results. They lost two tight games to the Bracknell Inferno, 6-3 and 14-12. In the second game, they staged a dramatic rally but it was ended by a controversial umpiring decision. The Eagles also suffered a setback in losing speedster Iwan Evans to injury — the club medical team hope he will make a swift recovery.

The Herts Raptors racked up their best run total so far, scoring 11 against the London Marauders — but  it wasn't enough. They were undone by one bad innings — in which they surrendered nine runs — and went down 23-11. The Raptors manager, Ken Pike, was full of praise for his players, calling it their best performance yet. Bobby Gould got three hits and stole five bases, Sam Pooley followed up his bright debut with 2 RBIs', and Simon Elkington impressed on his debut at first base. Manager Pike himself managed to flash the leather a couple of times, and lead by example.

The Hawks didn't even get chance to pull on their uniforms. Their double-header against Horsham had to be called off because the visitors could not muster a side.