Category: Hunlock Series

by AspiDimitrov

HUNLOCK SERIES FINAL REVAMPED, 9-INNING CHAMP SHOWDOWN

(Monday 21 September, Grovehill, Hemel Hempstead)

The Hunlock Series Commissioner made a surprise announcement today, completely revamping the format of the third week series finale.

The H-Series has seen dramatic revisions since its inception in 2006.  Originally, this was as best-of-three series between the Falcons and Falcons 2 (or Hawks as they were later rechristened).  In 2008 the Hunlock Commission introduced the Live Draft and the Series became a much more evenly-matched affair.

Now, in 2009, the third week will see two back-to-back nine-inning championship games.  The first will determine which squad – the second- or third-placed – will earn a trip to the title match that afternoon.  Meanwhile, the first-place finalists have earned the right to rest on their laurels and spare their pitchers' arms.  Whichever squad wins the morning semi final will have to play two full baseball games in a row, giving a distinct advantage to whichever squad emerges from weeks one and two in first place.

The full Hunlock standings, results and rosters can be found at:
http://www.hertsbaseball.com/hunlock/

by AspiDimitrov

ROOSTERS SWEEP, LEAD HUNLOCK AFTER WEEK ONE

The 2009 Kyle Hunlock Series opener on Sunday was both relaxed and frenzied, as Herts Baseball Club came together for some light-hearted yet ultra-competitive postseason play.

• See the game day photos at: flickr.com/hertsbaseball
• Visit the Hunlock Series homepage: hertsbaseball.com/hunlock

During last week’s live draft, the regular season rosters were divvied up into three, completely new squads.  Despite the equalising factor of the pick-by-pick process, there must be winners and losers in baseball, and Sunday’s gameplay was as fiercely contested as the Falcons, Eagles, Hawks and Raptors regular season fixtures.

In games one and two, the Red Roosters – with returning Hunlock champion manager Hunter Devine at the helm – swept aside the competition with a one-run save versus the Black Widows and a walk-off win against the Blue Dogs.  The Roosters finished week one with a 2-0 record and are now considered the team to beat in this Series.

Not to be left in the dust, skipper Matt Johnston’s Widows trounced the Blue Dogs in the final game of the day by a score of 16-2.  This leaves the Dogs and manager Andy Cornish looking for vindication next week, as they scramble to avoid a basement finish; they’ll need to take both games on Sunday 27th September to assure themselves a smooth path to the title in Week Three.

Standout performances were evident on all three teams.  Black Widow pitcher Marty Cullen and Roosters starter Pete Kikel both delivered six innings of identical stats from the mound, each with one earned run on three hits allowed and five strikeouts.  Kikel was also 4-6 with 4 RBI, although he was quickly ejected from game two for throwing his helmet in disgust after he was tagged out at home plate during a botched suicide squeeze.  Louis Hare hit a triple, Jason Greenberg three doubles, and Carlos Casal was 3-5 with 2 RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

Next week will see a repeat of the round-robin schedule.  If the Blue Dogs hope to contend for the Hunlock pennant they’ll need to step it up and win a couple of ballgames.  The Roosters are well on their way to a second straight Hunlock championship, and the Widows – last year’s runners-up – are praying for an upset.  

However, many question marks remain.  What will hard-throwing newcomers Edwin Alcantara and Mike Vasquez bring to the diamond for the Roosters, and will it be enough to shut down the opposition?

Will Marc Martinez and Mark Hoffmann’s veteran  experience help the Widows to another winning weekend?

And what effect will returning superstar pitcher Nic Goetz have in just the final week of the Series, and will it even matter if his Blue Dogs continue to lose…?

GAME ONE

Red Roosters at Black Widows
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Red Roosters 0 3 2 0 1 0 6 6 3
Black Widows 0 1 0 2 0 2 5 8 3

 

Red Roosters 6, Black Widows 5
Red Roosters Black Widows
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Aspi Dimitrov 3b-p 2 1 0 0 Andrew Slater 1b 2 0 0 0
Dave Hamilton cf 3 1 1 0 (t4) Atsuhiko Ariga 2b 1 0 1 1
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 1 1 0 0 Greg Bochan 2b-p 4 0 1 0
(b4) Paul Curtis 2b 0 0 0 0 Marty Cullen p-1b 3 1 1 0
John Oliver 1b 3 1 1 0 Carlos Casal 3b 3 2 2 1
Jason Greenberg c-3b 3 1 2 2 Chris Barnes c 3 0 0 0
Peter Kikel p-c 3 1 2 2 Luis Goncalves ss 3 1 1 0
David Baird ss 2 0 0 0 Steve Nippress lf 1 0 0 0
Liam Green rf 3 0 0 1 (t4) Jose Morillo cf 2 0 1 0
Rob Jones lf 2 0 0 0 Amit Odedra cf-lf 2 0 0 0
(b4) Ilya Dimitrov lf 0 0 0 0 (b6) Humberto Goncalves lf 1 1 1 1
Arnold Longboy rf 1 0 0 0
(t5) Adam Pepin-Hall rf 0 0 0 0
(b6) Matt Johnston rf 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 22 6 6 5 TEAM TOTALS 26 5 8 3

 

E: Jason Greenberg, Aspi Dimitrov, Marty Cullen, Carlos Casal. LOB: Red
Roosters 2, Black Widows 6. 2B: Jason Greenberg(2), Peter Kikel(2), Marty Cullen,
Carlos Casal, Luis Goncalves. SB: David Baird(2), Aspi Dimitrov(2), Jason Greenberg,
Dave Hamilton, Peter Kikel, Carlos Casal(3). CS: David Baird, Chris Barnes.

 

Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
Peter Kikel W 3.00 1 1 0 0 2
Aspi Dimitrov 3.00 7 4 4 2 1
Black Widows            
Marty Cullen L 3.00 3 5 1 2 1
Greg Bochan 3.00 3 1 1 1 2

GAME TWO

Blue Dogs at Red Roosters
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Blue Dogs 0 2 1 2 2 7 5 3
Red Roosters 3 0 1 3 1 8 10 3

 

Red Roosters 8, Blue Dogs 7
Red Roosters Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Aspi Dimitrov 3b-p 4 1 2 1 Nick Read rf 2 0 0 0
Dave Hamilton cf 2 2 0 0 (t4) Perrie Sherman rf 0 1 0 0
(t5) Rob Jones cf 0 0 0 0 Paul Auchterlounie cf 3 0 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 2 3 2 1 Jonathon Lewys 3b-p 1 1 0 1
(t5) Paul Curtis 2b 0 0 0 0 Riley Fisher p-3b 0 1 0 1
Jason Greenberg c-p-3b 3 1 1 3 Iwan Evans lf 2 1 1 0
Peter Kikel p-c 3 0 2 2 Tim Elkins 2b 1 0 1 0
(t5) David Baird 3b 0 0 0 0 (t4) Andy Cornish 2b 1 0 0 0
John Oliver 1b 1 0 1 0 Kal Dimitrov c 3 0 1 1
Ilya Dimitrov ss 2 0 0 0 Jeff Witter 1b 2 1 1 0
(t5) Hunter Devine ss 0 0 0 0 Ken Pike ss 1 0 0 0
Ben Alway lf-rf 3 1 2 0 (t4) Louis Hare ss 1 2 1 1
Robert Crouch rf 1 0 0 0
(t5) Liam Green lf 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 22 8 10 7 TEAM TOTALS 17 7 5 4

 

E: Jason Greenberg, Aspi Dimitrov, Riley Fisher, Ken Pike. LOB: Red Roosters 7,
Blue Dogs 7. 2B: Jason Greenberg, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Peter Kikel. 3B: Louis Hare. SB:
Kimiyoshi Saionji, Perrie Sherman(2), Jonathon Lewys, Kal Dimitrov, Iwan Evans, Riley
Fisher.

 

Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
Peter Kikel 3.00 2 3 1 4 3
Aspi Dimitrov W 1.33 3 2 2 2 1
Jason Greenberg 0.67 0 2 1 4 1
Blue Dogs            
Riley Fisher L 2.33 6 5 2 4 4
Jonathon Lewys 2.00 4 3 3 2 0

GAME THREE

Black Widows at Blue Dogs
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Black Widows 2 5 0 4 5 16 9 2
Blue Dogs 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 11

 

Black Widows 16, Blue Dogs 2
Black Widows Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Atsuhiko Ariga lf 3 1 1 0 Riley Fisher 3b 2 0 0 0
(t5) Steve Nippress lf 1 1 1 0 (t4) Jonathon Lewys 3b 1 0 0 0
Marty Cullen p-c 4 4 1 0 Phil Crooks lf-cf 1 0 0 0
Greg Bochan 1b-2b 3 4 1 1 (t4) Iwan Evans cf 0 0 0 0
Chris Barnes c-1b 4 2 0 0 Louis Hare p-ss 1 1 0 0
Carlos Casal 3b 2 2 1 2 (t5) Nick Read ss 1 0 0 0
Amit Odedra cf 2 0 1 0 Perrie Sherman 1b-lf 1 0 0 0
(b3) Andrew Slater cf 2 1 1 2 Paul Auchterlounie cf 0 0 0 0
Luis Goncalves ss-p 4 0 1 1 (b2) Andy Cornish 1b-c 1 0 0 0
Arnold Longboy 2b 2 1 0 0 Nick Russell ss-p 2 0 1 0
(b3) Humberto Goncalves ss 2 0 1 1 Ken Pike 2b 1 0 0 0
Adam Pepin-Hall rf 1 0 0 0 (t4) Tim Elkins 1b 1 0 0 0
(t3) Jose Morillo rf 3 0 0 0 Jake Aman Shah rf 1 1 0 0
(b5) John Doe rf 0 0 0 0 Kal Dimitrov c 1 0 0 0
(t4) Jeff Witter 1b-2b 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 33 16 9 7 TEAM TOTALS 15 2 1 0

 

E: Carlos Casal, Arnold Longboy, Riley Fisher, Jonathon Lewys, Nick Russell,
Paul Auchterlounie, Jake Aman Shah, Ken Pike, Phil Crooks. DP: Black Widows 1. LOB:
Blue Dogs 4, Black Widows 5. 2B: Marty Cullen. SB: Greg Bochan, Luis Goncalves, Iwan
Evans(2), Louis Hare, Andy Cornish, Perrie Sherman. CS: Iwan Evans. SF: Carlos Casal.

 

Black Widows IP H R ER BB SO
Marty Cullen W 3.00 0 0 0 1 4
Luis Goncalves 2.00 1 2 2 5 1
Blue Dogs            
Louis Hare L 3.00 3 7 0 1 2
Nick Russell 2.00 6 9 3 1 2
by AspiDimitrov

HUNLOCK DRAFT COMPLETE, PLAY STARTS SUNDAY

The 2009 Kyle Hunlock Series is underway after Thursday night's Live Online Draft.  Herts announcer Marty Cullen hosted a live internet broadcast in which the three Series managers selected their squads.  The evening was full of drama and surprise picks, and Friday has even seen the Series' first free agent acquisitions.

The RED ROOSTERS, managed by returning skipper Hunter Devine ('08 Hunlock champion), include:

ASPI DIMITROV
ILYA DIMITROV
PAUL CURTIS
BEN ALWAY
JASON GREENBERG
PETAR KIKEL
CHRIS MARTIN
JOHN OLIVER
ROB CROUCH
DAVID BAIRD
KIMIYOSHI SAIONJI
ROB JONES
DAVID HAMILTON
LIAM GREEN
ROD NAGHAR
MIKE VASQUEZ

Manager Andy Cornish leads the BLUE DOGS, and on Thursday night he selected:

JONATHON LEWYS
PAUL AUCHTERLOUNIE
IWAN EVANS
KAL DIMITROV
PERRIE SHERMAN
JAKE AMAN SHAH
KENNET PIKE
PHIL CROOKS
JAMIE MUNN
NICK READ
RILEY FISHER
JEFF WITTER
NICK RUSSELL
TIM ELKINS
JON GAMBLE
NICOLAS GOETZ

Finally, rookie manager Matt Johnston has assembled the following squad of BLACK WIDOWS:

ADAM PEPIN HALL
CHRIS BARNES
MARK HOFFMANN
AMIT ODEDRA
GREG BOCHAN
MARTY CULLEN
ANDREW SLATER
HUMBERTO GONCALVES
ARNOLD LONGBOY
LUIS GONCALVES
STEVE NIPPRESS
ATSUHIKO ARIGA
MARC MARTINEZ
TOM GREEN
CARLOS CASAL
MARCUS CAPPER

Today, shortly after the dust settled on last night's draft activity, the Black Widows picked up free agent Japanese superstar Atsuhiko Ariga.  Atsu is known for his mighty bat and composure in clutch situations.  He has a solid infield glove – especially when playing on the right side of the infield – and has baseball in his blood; his son, Mikito Ariga, was starting pitcher in the Herts Little League's phenomenal and heart-breaking 1-0 loss to the London Mets at the Youth National Baseball Championship just one week ago.

Also today, Manager Cornish picked up free agent Louis Hare.  Hare is well known as a crafty pitcher, short stop and unstoppable slugger on the '09 Herts Eagles where he batted .339 and boasted 4-2 record on the mound with a 4.717 ERA.  Hare will undoubtedly strengthen the Blue Dog's pitching rotation and add pop to the lineup.  Hare's availability is still unknown, which means Cornish has gone out on a bit of a limb to sign him.  In the process, the Blue Dogs have spent their only trade waiver and will now have to watch in silence if additional free agents make themselves available for the Series.  (There has been no word from Eagles skipper Dave Westfallen, Falcons pitchers Darrin Ward or Dan Kerry, or Taiwanese sensation Lin Yuchih.)

The Series begins on Sunday 20 September 11am at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

To read more about the Kyle Hunlock Series, or for full results or standings, visit:
http://www.hertsbaseball.com/hunlock/

by AspiDimitrov

’09 HUNLOCK SERIES GETS UNDERWAY WITH LIVE DRAFT

The third annual Kyle Hunlock Series begins in just five days.  This special, intra-club event is named for fallen Falcon #36 and is when Herts Baseball Club members reunite after the regular season to enjoy some friendly (yet competitive) postseason baseball at Grovehill.

LIVE ONLINE DRAFT
Like last year, the 2009 Hunlock Series will set aside the established regular season rosters.  Instead, three new managers will draft three new teams from all available Herts players.  The Red Roosters, Blue Dogs and Black Widows will be comprised of Raptors, Hawks, Eagles and Falcons.  During the live online draft this week (Thursday 17 September, 8pm) the managers must make shrewd selections when stacking their bench with pitchers, catchers, position players and sluggers.

Get online this Thursday around 7.45pm and tune-in to the Herts Baseball Internet Radio station.  You will be able to enjoy commentary from the Voice of Herts Baseball – Marty Cullen – hear live interviews with the Team Managers and potential superstars, and follow each draft pick as it happens… including your own!

2009 HUNLOCK SERIES MANAGERS
The Falcons, Eagles, Hawks and Raptors managers put their heads together and selected some standouts from the 2009 season to skipper our three Hunlock teams: the Red Roosters, Blue Dogs and Black Widows.

Returning to manage the Red Roosters is the 2008 Hunlock Series Champion manager Hunter Devine.  Hunter's cutthroat drafting style and never-give-up leadership prowess led to a walk-off victory for the Roosters last year over the Widows.  Hunter was the 2008 Raptors MVP, and in 2009 he batted .750 for the Raptors, .300 for the Hawks (with a double and a triple) and stole 11 of 12 attempted bases.  Hunter is the incumbent, and his opponents will have to work hard to keep him down… and off the 2010 Hunlock managerial staff!

Herts rookie Matt Johnston has the honour of commanding the Black Widows.  Matt – while new to baseball and to the Club in 2009 – spent time with both the Raptors and Hawks this year, and even had an appearance with the AAA Eagles.  Matt's do-or-die attitude pushed his teammates to excel.  He is most certainly the wild card manager in the '09 Hunlock… more of a dark horse than a black widow, perhaps.

Managing the Blue Dogs is #7 Andrew Cornish.  Andy – a critical member of the Falcons squad, as slugger, catcher and outfielder – spent a good part of the '09 season on the disabled list.  Nevertheless, he was always by his teammates' side lending support, and was entrusted as stand-in manager for a couple weeks of the regular season, as well.  With his baseball knowledge and experience, Andy may well be the manager to beat in this year's Hunlock.

SERIES SCHEDULE
Thu. 18 Sept, 8pm      LIVE ONLINE DRAFT
Sun. 21 Sept, 10am    ROUND 1 GAMES (7-innings)
Sun. 28 Sept, 10am    ROUND 2 GAMES (7-innings)
Thu. 02 Oct, 8pm        LIVE ONLINE RE-DRAFT
Sun. 05 Oct, 10am      HUNLOCK CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (9-innings)

The series format is straightforward.  Three teams will face each other twice, with one finalist advancing straight to the Championship Game.  The 2nd and 3rd place squads will play a single semi final to see who advances to the Final. 

OFFICIAL HUNLOCK SERIES HOMEPAGE
http://www.hertsbaseball.com/hunlock/

In the coming days this site will be updated with draft details, team rosters, game results and Series standings.  You will already find the Series schedule and rules, including game rules and draft/trade regulations.

by AspiDimitrov

COCK-A-DOODLE-DO! ROOSTERS STRUT STUFF, GOBBLE WIDOWS

With bolstered rosters from the recent Hunlock re-draft, the Red Rooster and the Black Widows were looking to settle the Series stalemate once and for all. Early predictions favoured the Widows, who beat the Roosters in each of their qualifying matches… but counter-rumours ran rampant as former Blue Dogs donned Black or Red and joined their respective new teams.

The Championship Game was postponed from the week before.  But on Saturday – in a complete reversal of fortunes – Mother Nature smiled down upon Grovehill with unrelenting sunshine.  Players and their families arrived early to set up the field and get the Rooster-Widow showdown underway.  Following a few words in memory of Kyle and a brief moment of silence, the Roosters took the field and the umpire called “Play.”

The first four innings showed everyone that this Final was going to be close. Rooster starting pitcher Darrin Ward kept the Widows at bay, and although he surrendered three hits in the top of the first, a ground out, pick-off and strikeout quickly sent the Widows back to their bench.  The Roosters struck first in the bottom of the inning as Dave Hamilton walked against Widow starter Aspi Dimitrov, and then advanced all the way to home plate on a series of wild pitches and passed balls.

Complicated pitching restrictions in the Hunlock Series allowed only three innings of work per pitcher, and so it was quickly time for Ward and Dimitrov to relinquish the mound to their successors.  Ward allowed five hits over three innings with two strikeouts and no runs allowed.  Dimitrov settled down in the 2nd and 3rd, delivering 4 walks and 3 strikeouts overall.

The game's later pitchers fared less well.  Rooster Mark Hoffman pitched only two innings – giving up 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks – before manager Hunter Devine yanked him in favour of veteran Humberto Goncalves.  Goncalves surrendered a further two runs, but soon settled down and prevented any further bloodletting by the Widows.

Rookie pitcher Marty Cullen took the mound for the Black team, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with 4 walks.  By the 6th inning Cullen was dealing breaking balls for strike after strike, and leading his team toward the victory line with a commanding 7-3 lead.  But when starter Arnie Longboy hyper-extended his hamstring attempting to steal second base, things started to slip away for the Widows.

Reliever Luis Goncalves took the mound and, over the next 2.33 innings, watched the game slip away from his team.  A series of infield errors, wild pitches and passed balls allowed 4 Roosters' runs on only 2 hits… and the game was tied at 7-7.

With Andy Cornish standing on third base and only one out, veteran slugger Darrin Ward came to the plate.  Widows' manager Marty Cullen instructed his hard-throwing, 14-year old ace to intentionally walk Ward (for the second time that day!), but the strategy did not go according to plan.  After three balls had been thrown, Goncalves allowed the fourth and final pitch to sit out over the plate and Ward – to everyone's amazement – reached high and 'tomahawked' the ball into left field to score the winning run.

Some pundits have said an intentional walk in the Hunlock Series is a cowardly move.  Others blame Ward for taking advantage of a young pitcher by refusing to accept a base on balls with grace.

But one thing is for certain: the 2008 Hunlock Series ended in epic style.  The entire experience – from the thrilling live draft to the deadlocked qualifying matches to the delayed, one-run Championship finale – has capped an already historic year in the history of Herts Baseball.  After the Falcons AAA Championship Title and the birth of the Herts third team, the Raptors, no typical post-season series would do.

Sadly, now, the diamond is vacant… the bats and balls are stowed-away until spring.  So hopefully everyone savoured that last breath of crisp autumn air… that final trip round the bases… that Championship Game in which everyone (Raptors, Hawks and Falcons alike) got to 'walk off' in victory.

Herts Black Widows at Herts Red Roosters
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Herts Black Widows 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 0 7 13 5
Herts Red Roosters 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 8 9 5

Herts Red Roosters 8, Herts Black Widows 7
Herts Red Roosters Herts Black Widows
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Nick Russell lf 6 1 1 0 Luis Goncalves ss-p 3 1 0 0
Dave Hamilton cf 2 2 0 0 Aspi Dimitrov p-3b-ss 4 0 2 0
Andy Cornish c 5 1 1 0 Dave Westfallen c 6 2 3 2
Darrin Ward p-3b 4 2 3 1 Marty Cullen 1b-p 5 2 4 0
Peter Kikel 3b-ss-p 5 0 2 0 Greg Bochan 3b-1b 5 1 0 0
John Oliver 2b-1b 5 1 1 0 Tim Elkins cf 5 0 1 0
Humberto Goncalves ss-2b-p 3 0 1 0 Arnold Longboy 2b-rf-lf 4 0 0 0
Mark Hoffman 1b-p 1 0 0 0 Chris Barnes lf-2b 4 0 3 0
(t6) Ilya Dimitrov rf 2 0 0 0 Reagan Wood rf-lf 2 1 0 0
Andrew Slater rf 1 0 0 0 (b7) Liam Green rf 1 0 0 0
(t5) Hunter Devine rf-2b 2 1 0 2
TEAM TOTALS 36 8 9 3 TEAM TOTALS 39 7 13 2

E: Hunter Devine(3), Darrin Ward, Peter Kikel, Luis Goncalves, Dave Westfallen, Marty
Cullen, Greg Bochan, Tim Elkins. LOB: Herts Black Widows 14, Herts Red Roosters 16.
2B: Darrin Ward, Andy Cornish, John Oliver. SB: Andy Cornish, Humberto Goncalves,
Luis Goncalves(2), Dave Westfallen, Tim Elkins. CS: Arnold Longboy, Chris Barnes.

Herts Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
Humberto Goncalves 3.67 3 2 0 2 1
Darrin Ward 3.00 5 0 0 0 2
Mark Hoffman 2.00 5 5 2 3 2
Peter Kikel W 0.33 0 0 0 2 0
Herts Black Widows            
Aspi Dimitrov 3.00 3 1 0 4 3
Marty Cullen 3.00 3 2 0 4 1
Luis Goncalves L 2.33 3 5 1 5 4

HBP: by Darrin Ward (Aspi Dimitrov). , by Mark Hoffman (Reagan Wood). . . . . . WP:
Mark Hoffman, Luis Goncalves(5). PB: Andy Cornish(2), Dave Westfallen(5). Balk: Marty
Cullen. T: 3:45. A: 45.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 1st:
Luis Goncalves grounded out.
Aspi Dimitrov singled, picked off.
Dave Westfallen singled, batted forward to 2nd.
Marty Cullen singled.
Greg Bochan struck out swinging.
0 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 1st:
Nick Russell struck out swinging.
Dave Hamilton walked, advanced to 2nd on passed ball, advanced to 3rd on passed ball,
advanced to home on passed ball.
Andy Cornish popped out.
Darrin Ward walked, batted forward to 2nd.
Peter Kikel singled.
John Oliver grounded out.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 2nd:
Tim Elkins popped out.
Arnold Longboy struck out looking.
Chris Barnes singled.
Reagan Wood popped out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 2nd:
Humberto Goncalves singled, batted forward to 3rd.
Mark Hoffman walked, batted forward to 2nd.
Andrew Slater struck out looking.
Nick Russell popped out.
Dave Hamilton walked.
Andy Cornish struck out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 3rd:
Luis Goncalves popped out.
Aspi Dimitrov hit by pitch, forced out at 2nd.
Dave Westfallen reached on fielder's choice, batted forward to 2nd.
Marty Cullen singled.
Greg Bochan popped out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 3rd:
Darrin Ward grounded out.
Peter Kikel singled, advanced to 2nd on passed ball, tagged out going to 3rd.
John Oliver reached on fielder's choice, advanced to 2nd on passed ball.
Humberto Goncalves flied out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 4th:
Tim Elkins singled, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd.
Arnold Longboy struck out looking.
Chris Barnes singled, batted forward to 2nd.
Reagan Wood hit by pitch.
Luis Goncalves popped out.
Aspi Dimitrov grounded out.
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 4th:
Mark Hoffman walked, batted forward to 2nd, tagged out going to 3rd.
Andrew Slater walked, batted forward to 2nd.
Nick Russell flied out.
Dave Hamilton walked.
Andy Cornish out by infield fly rule.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 5th:
Dave Westfallen singled, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on error, advanced to home on
wild pitch.
Marty Cullen reached on error, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, advanced to home on
error.
Greg Bochan flied out.
Tim Elkins reached on error, advanced to 2nd on error, advanced to 3rd on passed ball.
Arnold Longboy walked, caught trying to steal 2nd.
Chris Barnes struck out swinging.
2 runs, 1 hit, 2 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 5th:
Darrin Ward ground rule doubled, advanced to home on error.
Peter Kikel reached on error, advanced to 2nd on error, tagged out going to 3rd.
John Oliver flied out.
Humberto Goncalves reached on fielder's choice.
Mark Hoffman popped out.
1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 6th:
Reagan Wood walked, batted forward to home.
Luis Goncalves walked, batted forward to home.
Aspi Dimitrov singled, batted forward to 2nd, forced out at 3rd.
Dave Westfallen singled, batted forward to 2nd, advanced to home on error, 2 RBI.
Marty Cullen singled, advanced to home on error.
Greg Bochan reached on error, advanced to 2nd on error, advanced to 3rd on error,
advanced to home on error.
Tim Elkins struck out looking.
Arnold Longboy grounded out.
5 runs, 3 hits, 3 errors, 0 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 6th:
Hunter Devine called out by interference.
Nick Russell singled, batted forward to 3rd, advanced to home on balk.
Dave Hamilton struck out looking.
Andy Cornish doubled, advanced to 3rd on balk.
Darrin Ward walked, advanced to 2nd on balk.
Peter Kikel popped out.
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 7th:
Chris Barnes walked, advanced to 2nd on passed ball, batted forward to 3rd.
Reagan Wood out by infield fly rule.
Luis Goncalves walked, batted forward to 2nd.
Aspi Dimitrov grounded out.
Dave Westfallen grounded out.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 7th:
John Oliver doubled, advanced to 3rd on wild pitch, batted forward to home.
Humberto Goncalves walked, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, batted forward to 3rd.
Ilya Dimitrov struck out looking.
Hunter Devine grounded out, 2 RBI.
Nick Russell grounded out.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 8th:
Marty Cullen singled, forced out at 2nd.
Greg Bochan popped out.
Tim Elkins reached on fielder's choice, forced out at 2nd.
Arnold Longboy reached on fielder's choice.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 8th:
Dave Hamilton grounded out.
Andy Cornish walked, batted forward to 2nd, advanced to 3rd on error, advanced to
home on wild pitch.
Darrin Ward singled, advanced to 2nd on error, advanced to home on wild pitch.
Peter Kikel reached on error, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, advanced to 3rd on wild
pitch.
John Oliver struck out looking.
Humberto Goncalves walked, stole 2nd.
Ilya Dimitrov struck out looking.
2 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Herts Black Widows – Top of the 9th:
Chris Barnes singled, caught trying to steal 2nd.
Liam Green grounded out.
Luis Goncalves walked, stole 2nd, stole 3rd.
Aspi Dimitrov walked.
Dave Westfallen grounded out.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Herts Red Roosters – Bottom of the 9th:
Hunter Devine walked, advanced to 3rd on error, advanced to home on error.
Nick Russell grounded out.
Dave Hamilton walked, advanced to 2nd on wild pitch, advanced to 3rd on error, batted
forward to home.
Andy Cornish reached on error, stole 2nd, batted forward to 3rd.
Darrin Ward singled, 1 RBI.
2 runs, 1 hit, 3 errors, 2 LOB.

by AspiDimitrov

ARACHNOPOLLO: ROOSTERS FACE SPIDERS IN HUNLOCK FINALE

After much ado, the 2008 Kyle Hunlock Series awaits its dramatic conclusion on Saturday, as the Black Widows look to three-peat with another win over their co-finalist Red Roosters.

Last Sunday's showdown was postponed due to inclement weather, but the Hunlock Commissioner has given the green light to Saturday's Final come rain or shine.  Manager Marty Cullen hopes to lead his Black Widows onto the field of battle and clinch the 2008 Hunlock trophy.  The Widows have twice beaten the Red Roosters and fellow-Manager Hunter Devine.  Will Saturday yield more roast-chicken, or will Devine herd his henhouse to greatness and steal the title from the over-confident Widows?

The Hunlock Final has twice seen a shift in format this year.  Following last Sunday's postponement, fickle Commissioner Jason Greenberg pushed for a three-team round-robin style climax to this year's dramatic three team tie.  However, limited player availability for Saturday's rescheduled match has forced a recourse to the original gameplan: the bested Blue Dogs have been carved up and redrafted by Cullen and Devine, and will join their new teammates on the diamond for a two-team-only knockout round.

The redraft – conducted Thursday night in a closed-door session in the Commissioner's Office – lasted only 7 minutes and proved easy-pickings for the finalist managers.  The result is a 31 player extravaganza.  Devine and Cullen will have nearly the entire Herts Baseball Club to draw on over nine dramatic innings.

Blue Dogs Manager Tim Elkins was unavailable for comment following Thursday's redraft.  However, sources confide that Elkins was chagrined to learn that his team was – after all – destined for the carving board following last week's strange developments.  The Blue Dogs, of course, have suffered a roller-coaster ride in this Series… the last loopty-loops coming as Commissioner Greenberg first rewarded all three teams for their nearly identical play in the Hunlock qualifying matches by reformatting the Championship Game, but then reversing course and reverting to a two-team face-off… and the abolition of the 2008 Blue Dogs.

Saturday's game begins sharply at 10am.  All players are reporting at 9am, allowing only a quick warm-up before play gets underway.  A coin will be tossed for home field advantage.

Following the Hunlock finale is the 2008 Herts Little League Home Run Derby and Awards Ceremony… and a Herts Family and Friends Softball Game and Picnic.  Local residents are welcomed to the field and – with a little luck – the sunshine will reign over Grovehill for one final day in 2008.

THE 2008 HUNLOCK SERIES FINALISTS

RED ROOSTERS
ANDY CORNISH (SS/CF)
ROB CROUCH (RF/LF)
HUNTER DEVINE (2B/LF)
ILYA DIMITROV (SS/LF)
HUMBERTO GONCALVES (2B/P)
JASON GREENBERG (C/IF)
MARK HOFFMANN (P/1B)
PETE KIKEL (3B/P)
JOHN OLIVER (P/1B)
ANDREW SLATER (3B/LF)
DARRIN WARD (P/DH)
STEVE NIPPRESS (CF/LF)
PAUL AUCHTERLOUNIE (C/CF)
DAN KERRY (CF/LF)
JAMES ROBERTS (IF/OF)
ROB JONES (CF/LF)
STUART BOAST (P/IF)
DAVID HAMILTON (OF/IF)
JAKE KIKEL (C/P)
PETE COX (SS/2B)
LUKE ASHMEAD (IF/OF)
JACK MOON (/)
NICK RUSSELL (OF/IF)

BLACK WIDOWS
MARTY CULLEN (1B/3B)
ASPI DIMITROV (CF/P)
TIM ELKINS (OF/2B)
LUIS GONCALVES (SS/P)
LEE MANNING (LF/2B)
CARLOS CASAL (3B/P)
KAL DIMITROV (C/RF)
DAVE WESTFALLEN (C/SS)
JAMIE MUNN (IF/OF)
ROD NAGHAR (RF/LF)
GREG BOCHAN (LF/RF)
RODERIC ARISS (IF/OF)
ALEX CASEY (IF/OF)
LOUIS HARE (1B/P)
MARK HOUCHIN (IF/OF)
NICOLAS GOETZ (P/3B)
PAUL HAWES (1B/3B)
JIM HYDE (LF/CF)
KIMIYOSHI SAIONJI (2B/DH)
CHRIS BARNES (OF/2B)
EBOW HALM-QUASHIE (/)
REAGAN WOOD (/)
by AspiDimitrov

READY, STEADY, DRAW! HUNLOCK REPEAT AS ALL TEAMS EVEN

In an unexpected twist to the 2008 Kyle Hunlock Season, all three teams have pulled level at 2-2.  Only a scant run differential separates the first-place Black Widows (+4) from last-place Blue Dogs (-3).

This second day of intense qualifiers ended in precisely the same result as week one: each team split and no team was able to break away with two wins on the day.  Moreover, the wins and losses came in the same match-ups!

The Red Roosters fell early to the Black Widows who put up crooked numbers in the 1st, 3rd and 4th.  Only a single run here and there kept the Roosters in the game, but dominant performances from Widows pitchers Nic Goetz and Aspi Dimitrov showed no mercy and allowed no earned runs.  Carlos Casal went 2-2 with 2 runs and 2 RBI for the Widows… and only Rooster pitcher Stuart Boast looked able to contend with the other Widows batters, delivering two perfect innings with 3 strikeouts.

In Game Two the Roosters bounced back to snag one from the Blue Dogs, who sent manager Tim Elkins to the mound in his career pitching debut.  Elkins threw consistent strikes, but the Rooster bats came alive and they connected for 10 runs on 11 hits overall.  Rooster starter Mark Hoffman kept the Dogs at bay with 4 strikeouts and some wicked breaking balls.  Dan Kerry, Andy Cornish, Stuart Boast and rookie Jack Moon had two hits apiece for the Red team.  Blue Dog rookie Jamie Munn went 2-3 with a triple and an RBI.

The Dogs then returned to the diamond after a short rest and bested the Widows in the day’s final five-inning showdown.  This topsy-turvy nail-biter was close to the finish… and despite the Dogs’ Series-high 8 errors, they held on tight and denied a last-inning Widows’ rally.  Tim Elkins and Darrin Ward had two hits each for the Dogs… and Widow Carlos Casal finished the day perfect going 4-4 with the 4 runs and 3 RBI in the two games.

Now that all qualifying play has been completed, Herts Baseball members are turning to October 5th and the Hunlock Series Championship Game.  Rumours and front office sources suggest the Commissioner is in consultation with the team managers and – due to the shockingly split results of the last two weeks – might take measures to reformat the Championship event.  Stay tuned to the Newswire for developments.

GAME ONE

Herts Black Widows at Herts Red Roosters
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts Black Widows 3 0 2 4 0 0 9 9 3
Herts Red Roosters 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 5 4

 

Herts Black Widows 9, Herts Red Roosters 3
Herts Black Widows Herts Red Roosters
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Luis Goncalves ss 3 1 1 2 Hunter Devine 2b 3 1 0 0
Chris Barnes cf 3 1 1 1 Nick Russell cf-lf 2 0 1 1
Aspi Dimitrov 2b-p 4 1 1 0 Andy Cornish ss-c 3 0 1 0
Carlos Casal 3b-2b 2 2 2 2 Jason Greenberg c-ss 3 2 2 0
Marty Cullen 1b 3 1 1 1 Dan Kerry p-3b-cf 3 0 0 1
Lee Manning c 4 0 2 1 Peter Kikel 3b-p 3 0 1 0
Kal Dimitrov lf-rf 2 1 0 0 Humberto Goncalves 1b 3 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p-3b 2 1 1 0 Andrew Slater rf 2 0 0 0
Marco Lanni rf 1 0 0 0 Ilya Dimitrov lf 1 0 0 0
(b2) Mark Houchin lf 1 1 0 0 (t5) Stuart Boast p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 25 9 9 7 TEAM TOTALS 23 3 5 2

 

E: Carlos Casal(2), Marty Cullen, Jason Greenberg, Dan Kerry, Peter Kikel, Stuart
Boast. LOB: Herts Red Roosters 4, Herts Black Widows 6. 2B: Marty Cullen, Andy
Cornish. SB: Carlos Casal(2), Aspi Dimitrov(2), Luis Goncalves(2), Nick Goetz, Nick
Russell(2), Stuart Boast, Jason Greenberg, Hunter Devine. CS: Luis Goncalves, Marty
Cullen, Peter Kikel.

 

Herts Black Widows IP H R ER BB SO
Nick Goetz W 3.00 3 1 0 0 2
Aspi Dimitrov 3.00 2 2 0 1 0
Herts Red Roosters            
Dan Kerry L 3.00 6 5 3 2 4
Stuart Boast 2.00 2 0 0 0 3
Peter Kikel 1.00 1 4 4 4 0

HBP: by Dan Kerry (Chris Barnes). . . . , by Aspi Dimitrov (Stuart Boast). , by
Stuart Boast (Carlos Casal). WP: Aspi Dimitrov, Peter Kikel. PB: Lee Manning, Jason
Greenberg(2). T: 2:00. A: 0.

GAME TWO

Herts Red Roosters at Herts Blue Dogs
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts Red Roosters 2 1 4 3 0 0 10 11 2
Herts Blue Dogs 2 0 1 1 1 0 5 6 3

 

Herts Red Roosters 10, Herts Blue Dogs 5
Herts Red Roosters Herts Blue Dogs
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Hunter Devine 2b 2 2 1 0 Rodney Naghar ss 2 1 1 0
Nick Russell lf 3 0 1 1 Dave Hamilton lf 3 1 1 0
Andy Cornish ss 2 3 2 0 Darrin Ward 3b-p 1 1 1 1
Jason Greenberg c-3b-rf 3 1 0 0 Dave Westfallen c 2 0 0 0
Dan Kerry cf 3 1 2 2 Paul Auchterlounie cf 2 0 0 1
Peter Kikel 3b-c 2 1 1 1 (b3) Greg Bochan cf 1 0 0 0
Stuart Boast 1b 3 2 2 0 Tim Elkins p 1 0 0 0
(b5) Humberto Goncalves p 0 0 0 0 (t3) Reagan Wood p-3b 2 1 1 0
Jack Moon rf 2 0 2 2 John Oliver 2b 2 0 0 0
(t5) Andrew Slater rf-3b 1 0 0 0 Jamie Munn rf 3 1 2 1
Mark Hoffman p-1b 3 0 0 0 Steve Nippress 1b 1 0 0 0
(b3) Paul Hawes 1b 2 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 24 10 11 6 TEAM TOTALS 22 5 6 3

 

E: Andy Cornish, Jason Greenberg, Rodney Naghar, Darrin Ward, Steve Nippress. DP:
Herts Red Roosters 1, Herts Blue Dogs 1. LOB: Herts Red Roosters 3, Herts Blue Dogs
7. 2B: Peter Kikel, Jack Moon, Rodney Naghar. 3B: Jamie Munn. SB: Andy Cornish(2),
Hunter Devine, Dan Kerry, Rodney Naghar(2), Paul Auchterlounie, John Oliver, Jamie
Munn, Reagan Wood, Paul Hawes. CS: Nick Russell.

 

Herts Red Roosters IP H R ER BB SO
Mark Hoffman W 4.00 4 4 3 4 4
Humberto Goncalves 1.00 2 1 1 0 1
Stuart Boast 0.00 0 0 0 0 0
Herts Blue Dogs            
Tim Elkins L 2.33 8 7 3 2 0
Reagan Wood 1.67 3 3 3 0 1
Darrin Ward 0.67 0 0 0 0 0

HBP: by Mark Hoffman (John Oliver). . , by Reagan Wood (Andy Cornish). . . WP: Mark
Hoffman(2), Reagan Wood(4), Tim Elkins(3). PB: Dave Westfallen. T: 2:00. A: 0.

GAME THREE

Herts Blue Dogs at Herts Black Widows
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Blue Dogs 0 1 3 3 2 9 7 8
Herts Black Widows 3 0 0 1 4 8 5 4

 

Herts Blue Dogs 9, Herts Black Widows 8
Herts Blue Dogs Herts Black Widows
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Rodney Naghar 2b-1b 1 0 0 0 Luis Goncalves ss 1 0 0 0
(t4) Dave Westfallen 2b-3b 1 1 0 0 Chris Barnes cf 3 1 0 1
Darrin Ward p-ss 3 1 2 0 Aspi Dimitrov 2b-p 4 2 1 0
Paul Auchterlounie c 1 2 0 0 Carlos Casal 3b-2b 2 2 2 1
Reagan Wood ss-3b-2b 3 1 0 0 Mark Houchin lf 3 0 1 1
Greg Bochan cf-p 2 2 1 0 Lee Manning c 2 2 0 0
Tim Elkins lf 3 2 2 2 Nick Goetz p-3b 3 0 0 1
John Oliver 3b-1b-p 3 0 1 0 Marty Cullen 1b 3 1 1 0
Paul Hawes 1b 1 0 0 0 Ebow Halm-Quashie rf 1 0 0 0
(t3) Steve Nippress 1b-cf 2 0 0 0 (b4) Kal Dimitrov rf 1 0 0 0
Dave Hamilton rf 1 0 0 0
(t4) Jamie Munn rf 2 0 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 23 9 7 3 TEAM TOTALS 23 8 5 4

 

E: Paul Auchterlounie(4), Darrin Ward, Rodney Naghar, John Oliver, Tim Elkins, Luis
Goncalves, Lee Manning, Marty Cullen, Ebow Halm-Quashie. LOB: Herts Blue Dogs 4,
Herts Black Widows 7. 2B: Greg Bochan, Jamie Munn, Mark Houchin. SB: Greg Bochan,
Rodney Naghar, Tim Elkins, Darrin Ward, Lee Manning, Marty Cullen, Aspi Dimitrov, Kal
Dimitrov.

 

Herts Blue Dogs IP H R ER BB SO
Darrin Ward W 3.00 3 3 1 1 1
Greg Bochan 1.33 2 4 0 4 1
John Oliver 0.67 0 1 0 2 0
Herts Black Widows            
Nick Goetz L 3.00 4 4 2 3 2
Aspi Dimitrov 2.00 3 5 1 2 0

WP: Darrin Ward. PB: Paul Auchterlounie(2), Lee Manning(2). T: 2:00. A: 0.

by AspiDimitrov

HUNLOCK: BUSY DAY ON THE TRADING TABLE

In a flurry of Friday afternoon action, several players exchanged hands midway through the 2008 Kyle Hunlock Series.

Rookies Jack Moon (Red Roosters), Reagan Wood (Blue Dogs) and Ebow Halm-Quashie (Black Widows) were picked up on waivers.  They will join their benches for the first time on Sunday.

Widows Manager Marty Cullen kept up the pace, today, trading RBI-machine Jamie Munn to the Blue Dogs for a waiver option.  Cullen still looks to spend his waiver before Sunday – time is not on his side as this weekend's sudden-death qualifiers approach.

The unofficial rumour mill reports some hefty trade proposals have been quashed at the last moment, including a straight up swap of Widow Aspi Dimitrov for either Rooster Andy Cornish or Jason Greenberg.  No trades have been announced, but such negotiations are prone to delays due to a disputed contract clause or a shaky player physical.

by AspiDimitrov

RECENTLY WIDOWED: CULLEN PADS ROSTER, SIGNS FREE AGENT BARNES

In a surprise move Thursday, Black Widows Manager Marty Cullen designated Alex Casey for the DL and claimed clutch Canadian Chris Barnes off waivers.

Barnes – who works in the north and makes the long trek Sunday to aid the Widows in the qualifiers – has yet to complete a full season with the BBF Herts Baseball Club.  No doubt his big bat, quick feet and keen eye in the outfield will help the pennant 'fade to black.'

Casey is listed week-to-week and is not expected to play in the Series.

According to an unnamed Newswire source, all eyes are on Tim Elkins and co-manager Hunter Devine.  Both hold waivers and are eagerly scoping out their free agent possibilities.  Sources suggest Devine and his Red Roosters will be first to respond to the Widows aggressive off-day dealings.

by AspiDimitrov

MEDIA COVERAGE OF KYLE HUNLOCK SERIES

Herts Baseball Newswire has been alerted to the fact that the 2008 Kyle Hunlcok Series is being covered by other media outlets.  Below is an article published on www.baseballgb.co.uk BaseballGB is a site dedicated to writing about baseball from a British perspective, with contribution from writers such as Joe Gray, Matt Smith and Steve Bartley, among others.

Beautiful weather is not wasted thanks to innovative baseball club

September 21st, 2008 by Joe Gray

After the persistent rain made the National Finals rather less enjoyable than they could have been back on the first weekend of this month, the September sun is familiarizing itself once again with our green and pleasant land. Thankfully, there is still baseball being played, so the solar rays are not going to waste.

I’ve just returned home from Hemel Hempstead, where a 3-week, end-of-season tournament is being run within the Herts Baseball Club (today is the first of three consecutive Sundays). This is the club that put together what was probably the most innovative Spring programme seen in the country for a number of years, with the Herts Spring League. And now the club is ensuring that the season runs through into Autumn with the Kyle Hunlock Series. Hunlock, who played for the Herts Baseball Club in 2005, tragically died in 2006 after an industrial accident in Ohio, USA.

This is the third year that the series has taken place, but this year there was added excitement as the rosters for the competing teams were selected in what is thought to have been the first live radio draft in British baseball.

And this is not the only baseball action still to come in 2008. There is the match between the GB national team and a squad of top cricketers already mentioned on this site, which is taking place on Saturday 4 October in Taunton. Furthermore, I have heard that the rescheduled AA-final between the Bournemouth Sharks and the Sindwinders is set to be played at 1pm on Sunday 28 September, at Bracknell’s ground. If you are interested in that game, keep an eye out for details on the British Baseball Federation site.

Visit BaseballGB for more indepth analysis of baseball from a British perspective.