Category: Headlines

by AspiDimitrov

Yankees and Dodgers Comebacks Short-Lived. Herts and London Resume Rivalry this Saturday in Biggest Game of the Season So Far.

Liam Green hit his second home run of the season

 

The Herts Yankees and Herts Dodgers were looking to bounce back after recording losses in week one of the Herts Baseball Little League.  The Dodgers got their first win of the season with a convincing 18-8 score against the Giants. Dodgers’ batters had an outstanding game at the plate.  Ben Jones was one of the star performers going 4-for-5 with 5 RIBIs including a home run over the centerfield wall.  Dodgers celebration were short-lived as the Giants came back strong in game two winning 17-13 which means they lead the series 3-1.  Game two saw home runs by Matt Cowler (2)  and Aaron Witter. 

In the Herts Major League, the Herts Yankees had a spring in their step with several key reinforcements coming in for them.  Lewis Green started on the mound for them and gave them exactly the start which they needed.  They had a healthy 9-3 lead going into the third inning, but then the Red Sox came alive and started to put runs on the scoreboard and eventually took the lead going into the final inning.  A late surge by the Yankees in the final inning included a 2-run home run by Liam Green (2) bringing them to within one run, but then Red Sox pitcher, Zack Longboy, shut the door retiring three batters in succession to end the game and give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the series. 

Rivals London Mets Come to Town this Saturday 

Will Herts and London produce another classic this Saturday at Grovehill Ballpark

 

Next Saturday, 21 May 2011, the Herts U-17 and Herts U-14 All Star teams will clash in the National League against their London Mets counterparts. This is a repeat of the dramatic London versus Herts National Final which Herts won to lift the Under-14 National Trophy last October.  This year Herts is entering an Under-17 team for the first time in its history. Many of the Herts Under-17 players were members of the Under-14 Championship-winning team from last year. This time they will be facing much older and more experienced players, so it will be exciting to see how they will start in the Under-17 British League. With so many Under-14 Herts players moving up to the Under-17 team, there will be many new faces representing Herts at the Under-14 League level. 

Everything is set for a fantastic day of baseball between two of the biggest rivals in Great Britain.  The games begin at 12pm this Saturday, 21 May 2011, at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  Free admission for all.  Hot Dogs, and alls sorts of other snacks and refreshments will be available on the day. Many new players have signed up with the Herts teams this year and new players can join the League and give baseball a try at any point of the season. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club by visiting the official website of the Herts Baseball Little League.

WEEKEND’S BOX SCORES IN THE HERTS LITTLE LEAGUE

Herts Yankees at Herts Red Sox
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Yankees 4 5 0 4 1 0 4 18 15 12
Herts Red Sox 2 1 3 3 5 5 0 19 9 0
Herts Red Sox 19, Herts Yankees 18
Herts Red Sox Herts Yankees
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Brodie Caress p-ss 3 3 1 0 Jose Morillo ss-c-3b 3 3 1 0
Charlie Mayhew lf 2 3 0 0 Gavin Peterson cf-p-3b-c 4 3 1 0
Kyle Lloyd-Jones 1b 2 4 2 0 Cameron Ross 2b-cf 4 4 3 2
Kieran Manning c 5 2 2 0 Liam Green c-ss 5 3 4 3
Harry Purvis cf 4 2 1 3 Jonny Compton-Weight 1b-p 4 3 3 1
Zack Longboy ss-p 1 2 0 0 Callum Vangundy 3b-rf 2 2 1 1
Brian Moulton 2b 3 1 0 0 (b4) Daisy Ross rf 2 0 0 1
Tristan Le Coz 3b 3 0 2 2 Lewis Green p-1b-3b 5 0 2 4
Alex Rayner rf 2 2 1 0 Rhys Burns lf-2b 2 0 0 0
          Tom Adams rf-2b-lf 4 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 25 19 9 5 TEAM TOTALS 35 18 15 12
E: Jose Morillo(5), Lewis Green(2), Tom Adams(2), Liam Green, Callum Vangundy, Gavin
Peterson. DP: Herts Yankees 1. LOB: Herts Red Sox 6, Herts Yankees 7. 2B: Brodie
Caress, Harry Purvis, Jonny Compton-Weight(2), Lewis Green, Liam Green, Cameron Ross.
HR: Liam Green. SB: Zack Longboy(3), Harry Purvis(2), Brodie Caress(2), Charlie
Mayhew, Kyle Lloyd-Jones, Brian Moulton, Tristan Le Coz, Alex Rayner, Jose
Morillo(5), Gavin Peterson(2), Jonny Compton-Weight.
Herts Red Sox IP H R ER BB SO
Zack Longboy W 4.00 9 9 9 5 7
Brodie Caress 2.33 6 9 8 3 3
Herts Yankees            
Lewis Green 2.00 4 3 0 0 2
Gavin Peterson 2.00 4 6 1 6 1
Jonny Compton-Weight L 1.33 1 10 4 10 1
HBP: by Brodie Caress (Callum Vangundy). . . . . . . WP: Brodie Caress(3), Zack
Longboy(2), Jonny Compton-Weight(11). PB: Kieran Manning(2), Gavin Peterson(5). T:
2:49. A: 78.

Herts Dodgers at Herts Giants
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Dodgers 1 5 5 2 5 18 28 1
Herts Giants 1 0 4 0 3 8 17 2
Herts Dodgers 18, Herts Giants 8
Herts Dodgers Herts Giants
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Alexander Deacon p 5 3 5 3 Jamie Brener 1b-ss 3 1 2 1
Rylie Peterson lf 5 1 3 1 Lewis Auchterlounie p-sf 3 1 2 0
Ben Jones c 5 3 4 5 Ryan Reynolds 3b-cf 3 3 3 0
Theo Longboy 1b 4 1 3 5 Matt Cowler cf-3b 3 0 1 1
Zoe Wakelam 3b 4 1 1 0 Aaron Witter ss-1b 3 2 1 1
Colin Vawter cf 4 2 3 1 James Roberts 2b 3 0 3 3
Nicholas Durer 2b 4 2 3 0 Beau Mack-Rehnsi c 3 0 2 2
Jonathan Wakelam sf 4 1 1 0 Christian Lynch lf-p 3 0 0 0
Oliver Durer rf 4 2 2 1 Louis Boote rf-lf 2 0 1 0
Keanu Wood ss 4 2 3 2 Alex Trautman rf-ph 2 0 0 0
          Alex Crombie sf-dh 2 1 2 0
TEAM TOTALS 43 18 28 18 TEAM TOTALS 30 8 17 8
E: Alexander Deacon, Lewis Auchterlounie, Aaron Witter. LOB: Herts Giants 7, Herts
Dodgers 12. 2B: Ben Jones, Theo Longboy, Aaron Witter, Jamie Brener. HR: Ben Jones
Herts Giants at Herts Dodgers
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Giants 4 2 5 4 2 17 23 0
Herts Dodgers 0 2 5 5 1 13 23 2
Herts Giants 17, Herts Dodgers 13
Herts Giants Herts Dodgers
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Lewis Auchterlounie 3b-lf 4 1 1 0 Colin Vawter 3b 4 0 2 1
Jamie Brener lf-2b 4 3 3 2 Nicholas Durer cf 4 1 3 2
Matt Cowler cf 4 2 3 3 Keanu Wood lf 4 2 4 1
Aaron Witter 1b 4 3 4 4 Rylie Peterson 2b 4 2 2 1
Christian Lynch c 4 1 2 0 Alex Crombie p 4 2 2 2
James Roberts ss 4 2 2 2 Oliver Durer c 4 3 4 1
Ryan Reynolds rf-3b 4 2 3 2 Alexander Deacon ss 4 3 4 2
Beau Mack-Rehnsi 2b-rf 4 2 3 2 Ben Jones 1b 4 0 1 2
Alex Trautman p 4 1 2 1 H Player 9 rf 2 0 1 1
TEAM TOTALS 36 17 23 16 TEAM TOTALS 34 13 23 13
E: Alexander Deacon, Rylie Peterson. LOB: Herts Giants 6, Herts Dodgers 9. 2B: Jamie
Brener(2), Matt Cowler, Beau Mack-Rehnsi, Alexander Deacon. HR: Matt Cowler, Aaron
Witter.
by AspiDimitrov

Falcons Game Switched to Grovehill

Fans of Herts Baseball can look forward to two games in Hemel Hempstead this Sunday after the venue for the Falcons vs Diamondbacks game was switched.

Due to a clash at RAF Feltwell, the Herts Falcons’ next league game with the Lakenheath Diamondbacks has been moved to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  The Falcons will still be treated as the visiting team in the game, but hopefully playing at home will give them an advantage as they seek their first win of the season.  The team has had to sit out without any league action over the last three weekends, so they will be eager to get back to the diamond.  They go into the game with a 0-2 record after their Opening Day defeat against the Southampton Mustangs who have quitely gone to the top of the standings with a 6-0 record. 

The Falcons vs Diamondbacks game begins at 12:45. 

Also playing at Grovehill Ballpark are the club’s AA team, the Hawks (0-2).  They clash with League favorites the Sidewinders.  Game starts at 12:00.

The Herts Raptors (0-3) travel to Single-A League leaders, the Cambridge Royals.

by AspiDimitrov

Herts Yankees Move for Morillo and Machin

The Herts Yankees have shown their intentions with two big player trades before Saturday Game 2 against the Red Sox

Last Saturday ahead of the Opening Day clash between the Herts Yankees and the Herts Red Sox there was a last minute player trade.  Cameron Choudhuri moved from the Yankees to the Red Sox in exchange for a player to be named later. The Herts Little League has just confirmed that the player going in the other direction is Jose Morillo. He has developed very quickly into one of Herts Baseball’s hottest prospects and already made his debut with the club’s adult team, the Herts Raptors, who play in the British Single-A League.  He will add experience and a lot of power to the Yankees lineup.  It is a much needed boost for the Yankees who found themselves on the losing end in game one and need to bounce back in game two.

The Herts Yankees made another move by picking up Johnny Machin, who is expected to make his debut in the Herts Major League in early June.  It has been reported that the Machin family are big New York Yankees fans so they will be pleased with this news.

Fans of the Herts Little League can keep track of player transactions throughout the season on the League’s official website. (Click to view)

by Rob Jones

Raptors rally in vain

Herts Raptors 16-36 Guildford Mavericks II

Grovehill ballpark, Sunday 8th May 2011

This was, in many ways, a game of two halves. Raptors made heavy weather of the first, while picking themselves up for a brave rally in the second. The final result, though, was decided by the fact that the first half included two big meltdowns.

Photo by H2P photographic
Raptors' lefty pitcher, Phil Gover

The home team’s starting pitcher Phil Gover struggled to get into his rhythm as the game began, walking the first three batters. He settled down and the Mavericks only really got one good hit in the first inning, from a player they had borrowed, Jonny Compton-Weight.  Nonetheless, when it was over 10 runs had crossed the plate. A far from ideal start.

Herts looked to strike back quickly with both the leadoff, Rob Jones, and second hitter Zach Longboy getting aboard with walks. Gover then helped his own cause by driving in a run, which he did again later in the game. But even though the Guildford starter had his own control troubles, and Herts mostly seemed able to get bat on ball, they could only notch up 2 runs as a reply.

The game became tighter for a while, with Herts still giving up walks but also now getting strikeouts. The defence was doing its job, too. An infield double play, and a sure-handed outfield catch by newcomer John Kjorstad, helped keep the third inning clean. And by the top of the fourth it was 13-4 to Guildford.

That is when the visitors started to get their bats going and piling up runs. Raptors could not seem to get the outs they needed, especially that third out. Rob Jones was brought in as an emergency relief pitcher to try to close out the inning. But while he threw strikes, Guildford started to tee off on the pitches and the Raptors defence could not shut the door. A series of routine fielding chances were missed, including one by the pitcher himself, and each time a run scored.

So manager Ken Pike stepped out from behind the dish, where he had been umpiring, to come and fight the fire. Taking over on the mound, he was able to close it out. But in all, 18 runs had crossed the plate, possibly a record even for the Raptors. And that left the team in a deep hole.

And that is where the second half begins. As Herts Hawks started to gather on the sidelines, shouting encouragement, Raptors heads did not drop but lifted, and they fought for the game. They made some better defensive plays and most importantly had both belief and patience at the plate. Will Belbin made fine efforts to secure outs at first base, while third baseman Theo Scheepers had a stream of good hits.

The Guildford pitcher was now tiring and walked batters as Herts  loaded the bases in the seventh with nobody out. Kjorstad stroked a triple to right field, while the Mavericks defence also made a few errors, and an inspired rally was underway. Seven runs scored in all before the final strikeout was called, and the home side had made a respectable score.

There were clear positives for the Herts side. A bit of juggling with the stats would make a very different outcome — for example, Raptors outscored the visitors by a total of 13-8 in five of the seven innings; and they won the last three innings 11-5. But Guildford had complete control because of two innings in which they had scored 28 runs. Raptors will take the lessons on to their next contest in Cambridge.

While all this was happening, the Herts Hawks had been taking on Richmond on Grovehill’s other diamond. They twice rallied from deficits in an excellent game, but ended up as 16-12 losers.

by AspiDimitrov

Home Runs, Walk-Off Hits and Hot Dogs on Opening Day

 

The Red Sox dominated offensively and defensively on Opening Day

The Red Sox got off to the best possible start of the season with a convincing win against the Herts Yankees. The Giants are also in commanding position sweeping the Herts Dodgers on Opening Day of the Herts Little League season.

The Herts Little League team rosters were announced earlier in the week but the Yankees found themselves with a  seriously depleted squad on Saturday with several of their big guns out of action.  Jonny Compton-Weight who just returned after representing Great Britain in the Czech Republic and who is expected to play a key role for the team was unable to take part after suffering with the flu. Callum Vangundy, Jack Harding, Robert Binns and Vincent Moulton were also missing from the Yankees lineup.

The Red Sox took advantage of this by taking a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Lewis Green who has been making tremendous progress as a pitcher over the last 2 years came in to pitch in the second inning for the Yankees and pitched a perfect inning without allowing any hits or walks.  One run did come in during that inning after the Yankees defence committed two errors but this does not take away from the fantastic pitching performance by Green.  The Yankees seemed to be buzzing all of a sudden and were back in the game with a towering 3-run home run to right-centerfield, by Liam Green. That made the score 6-4.  Zack Longboy who was the winning pitcher for the Sox in last year’s final started on the mound and gave his team the platform they needed pitching three innings very effectively allowing 4 hits and 2 walks. By the time he was relived by Brodie Caress the Red Sox had a commanding 11-4 lead thanks to hits by Jose Morillo, Longboy and Kyle Lloyd-Jones who hit a towering 2-run home run. Caress came in and pitched 3 quality innings.  The only minor hiccup came in the top of the sixth when Lewis Green hit his first home run of his career driving in three runs. By that time it was too little too late for the Yankees.  They will need their big guns back for game 2 next Saturday if they are to stand a chance against the dangerous Red Sox.

The clash in the Minors Division between the Dodgers and the Giants was a much more even affair.  Both teams were matching each other inning after inning. It came down to the bottom of final inning.  The Giants were trailing by three runs.  Singles by Rose van Dort and Josh Jones were followed by doubles by slugger Matt Cowler and Beau Mack-Rehnsi.  The knockout punch was delivered by Ryan Reynolds to give the Giants a wild 16-15 win. 

In game two both teams improved their defensive game.  The Dodgers seemed eager to tie the series and they held a 4-2 lead until the closing innings, but the Giants rallied again in the final inning winning 9-4. 

The series continue next Saturday, 14 May, once again starting at 11am.  Will the Dodgers and the Yankees be able to make a comeback or will their opponents continue their domination.

Herts Yankees at Herts Red Sox
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts Yankees 0 0 4 0 0 3 7 7 4
Herts Red Sox 5 1 5 5 5 0 21 12 6
Herts Red Sox 21, Herts Yankees 7
Herts Red Sox Herts Yankees
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Charlie Mayhew 1b-cf 2 3 1 1 Matteo Manzi cf-1b-3b-p 5 1 3 1
Brodie Caress 2b-p 2 2 1 0 Charlie Owens 2b-rf 2 0 0 0
Jose Morillo ss 3 3 2 2 Gavin Peterson c-3b 4 0 0 0
Kyle Lloyd-Jones 3b 4 3 2 2 Cameron Ross 1b-p-cf 3 1 0 0
Jake Caress lf-c 3 3 2 2 Liam Green p-cf-1b-c 4 1 1 3
Kieran Manning c-lf 3 2 1 3 Kieran Burns rf-3b 1 0 1 0
Zack Longboy p-rf 3 1 2 3 (t5) Cameron Choudhuri 3b-lf 1 1 0 0
Drew Mayhew cf-2b 2 2 0 0 Tom Adams cf-ss-lf 3 1 1 0
Tristan Le Coz rf-1b 1 1 0 0 Lewis Green 3b-p-2b-rf 4 1 1 3
Cameron Choudhuri b 2 0 1 1 Rhys Burns lf-ss 1 1 0 0
Tomas Sharpe b 0 1 0 0 (b4) Alan Ross lf-ss 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 25 21 12 14 TEAM TOTALS 28 7 7 7
E: Brodie Caress(2), Jose Morillo(2), Kyle Lloyd-Jones(2), Matteo Manzi(2), Cameron
Ross, Tom Adams. DP: Herts Red Sox 1. LOB: Herts Red Sox 8, Herts Yankees 9. 2B: Jake
Caress, Kieran Manning, Cameron Choudhuri. HR: Kyle Lloyd-Jones, Liam Green, Lewis
Green. SB: Jose Morillo. CS: Lewis Green, Tom Adams.
Herts Red Sox IP H R ER BB SO
Zack Longboy W 3.00 5 4 4 2 1
Brodie Caress 3.00 2 3 3 3 2
Herts Yankees            
Lewis Green 1.00 0 1 0 0 0
Cameron Ross 0.67 4 4 4 4 0
Liam Green L 0.33 1 5 0 2 2
Matteo Manzi 0.00 7 11 9 3 1
HBP: by Zack Longboy (Kieran Burns). , by Matteo Manzi (Tristan Le Coz). . . . WP:
Zack Longboy(3), Matteo Manzi(8), Liam Green(3), Lewis Green. PB: Gavin Peterson(5).
T: 2:30. A: 78.
Herts Dodgers at Herts Giants
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Dodgers 5 0 3 2 5 15 23 3
Herts Giants 5 4 2 1 4 16 23 2

 

Herts Giants 16, Herts Dodgers 15
Herts Giants Herts Dodgers
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Jamie Brener 3b 4 4 2 0 Alexander Deacon c-p 4 2 2 1
Joshua Jones ss-1b 4 3 4 1 Ben Jones 3b-c 4 3 3 0
Matt Cowler 1b-2b 4 2 2 3 Nicholas Durer cf 4 2 2 0
Beau Mack-Rehnsi cf 4 4 4 3 Theo Longboy p-3b 4 4 4 2
Ryan Reynolds rf 4 1 4 5 Zoe Wakelam 2b 4 2 3 5
James Roberts 2b-ss 3 1 2 2 Oliver Durer ss 3 1 3 2
Alex Trautman p 2 0 0 0 Ozan Martin 1b 3 0 3 3
Christian Lynch lf-c 3 0 1 0 Jonathan Wakelam rf 3 0 0 0
Lewis Auchterlounie c-lf 3 1 2 0 Rylie Peterson lf 3 1 3 2
Talia Martin rf-sf 3 0 1 1 Andrew Powell rf-sf 3 0 0 0
Rose van Dort rf-ph 3 0 1 0          
TEAM TOTALS 37 16 23 15 TEAM TOTALS 35 15 23 15

 

E: Jamie Brener, Joshua Jones, Theo Longboy(2), Oliver Durer. LOB: Herts Dodgers 8,
Herts Giants 9. 2B: Beau Mack-Rehnsi(3), Matt Cowler(2), Jamie Brener, Rylie
Peterson.

 

Herts Giants IP H R ER BB SO
Alex Trautman 4.00 23 15 14 0 8
Herts Dodgers            
Alexander Deacon 2.33 10 7 7 0 5
Theo Longboy 1.67 13 9 8 0 1

  

GAME 2

Herts Giants at HOME Opponent
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Herts Giants 1 1 0 4 3 9 16 0
HOME Opponent 1 3 0 0 0 4 10 2
Herts Giants 9, HOME Opponent 4
Herts Giants HOME Opponent
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Beau Mack-Rehnsi 3b 4 3 3 1 H Player 1 p 3 2 2 1
James Roberts 1b 4 1 2 2 H Player 2 2b 3 0 0 0
Joshua Jones c 4 0 1 1 H Player 3 1b 3 0 3 1
Matt Cowler cf 4 1 4 2 H Player 4 lf 3 0 2 2
Christian Lynch lf 4 0 1 1 H Player 5 c 3 0 0 0
Jamie Brener ss 3 0 0 0 H Player 6 ss 3 0 0 0
Ryan Reynolds 2b 3 2 2 0 H Player 7 3b 3 0 1 0
Lewis Auchterlounie p 3 1 2 0 H Player 8 cf 2 1 1 0
Alex Trautman rf 3 1 1 0 H Player 9 rf 2 1 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 32 9 16 7 TEAM TOTALS 25 4 10 4
E: H Player 1, H Player 2. LOB: HOME Opponent 6, Herts Giants 8. 2B: Matt Cowler(3),
Beau Mack-Rehnsi.
Herts Giants IP H R ER BB SO
Lewis Auchterlounie 5.00 10 4 4 0 11
HOME Opponent            
H Player 1 5.00 16 9 6 0 5
T: 1:20. A: 78.

  

by AspiDimitrov

Herts Little League Baseball Season Opens This Saturday

The Herts Baseball Little League is back.

The waiting is over. The boys and girls of summer will get the 2011 Herts Baseball Little League season underway this Saturday, 7 May 2011, at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Players from across Hertfordshire, London and as far as East Anglia will be putting on the Herts jerseys as the race for the championship begins.

The season will open with two mouth-watering match-ups. The reigning Champions, Herts Red Sox, will face bitter rivals the Herts Yankees. Red Sox Manager, Arnie Longboy, will be hoping that his team can pick up where they left at the end of last season. Their opponents, the Herts Yankees, picked up the bronze medals last year and they will be eager to get back to winning ways early. Both teams will field very strong lineups with each of them featuring members of the Herts All Stars team which represented Hertfordshire so magnificently at last year’s British National Baseball Championships and returned home with the silverware.

The other Opening Day match-up is expected to be another exciting clash. When baseball fans hear Dodgers and Giants, they think of the famous West Coast rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. The Herts Dodgers and the Herts Giants Opening Day clash is likely to be just as fiery.

As always, at the start of every season, there will be many new faces after numerous player transfers, trades between the teams and free agents joining the League during the close season, so it will be a fascinating opening day.

This year’s Herts Little League will see a changed format with teams from other parts of the country taking part as well in an Inter-League format similar to the one introduced in America a few years ago. It brought a lot of excitement to Major League Baseball and it is expected to spice things up in Hertfordshire as well.

Apart from the race for the Herts Little League Championship, throughout the 2011 season members of the Herts Little League will also be taking part in BBF league games against teams from other parts of the country. The Herts teams competing in the BBF Leagues are referred to as All-Star teams and they are a selection of the best performing players from all the Herts Little League teams in the various age groups.

Last year Herts had one All-Star team competing in the BBF Under-14 (Bronco) League. This year Herts is committed to give more of its members the All-Stars experience by adding two more All-Star teams competing in the BBF Leagues.

With the weather expected to remain sunny, there isn’t a better way to spend Saturday then at the ballpark enjoying the various snacks and drinks which will be on offer. The games begin at 11am. Free admission for all. Many new players have signed up with the teams over the last few weeks and new players can join the League at any point of the season. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club by visiting their official website www.hertsbaseball.com

by Rob Jones

ANOTHER INCH, PLEASE

By Rob Jones, still Going Through the Change

You don’t need me to tell you that baseball is a game of inches. But at least the next time I think about it I will have a few frustrating examples to offer, all from half a game at home to the Southampton Mustangs. I was back at third base as a substitute, after missing the top of the game due to being asleep after a night shift. And the hot corner was to give me a very hot day.

A close play at first base for the Raptors in 2010
It all comes together in a close play at first base

The first chance came quickly, I think the first batter of the second inning I played. I fielded the ball cleanly, took a step, then sent a throw sailing about ten feet wide of the first baseman. I felt the smooth part of the ball slip from the fingers as I threw it, but that doesn’t help me get it back.

The second throw, in the next inning, was in the first baseman’s reach, but it was still between him and the onrushing runner, and he couldn’t hang on. Having played a bit of first myself, I realised I had rather hung him out to dry.

The third one went … I remember not where, but I know the guy wasn’t given out! And the fourth throw, with runners on base, was there and safe and sound – but to my surprise the runner was also given safe and sound. Four chances, one clear error, and no outs.

Somewhere in the midst of all this I made what was nearly a spectacular play. Leaping at a line drive which even I thought was about to go over my head, I got the meat of the glove to a ball. But just not enough, or I started landing a fraction too soon, I don’t know. The ball flicked back up in the air, out of reach of a flailing second attempt, then fell to ground. Almost a web gem, but in the end just another runner aboard.

So where does the inch come into it? Well, I’m not a big guy and I don’t think it’s giving too much away to any future opposition to say I do not have a “Big Arm”. But the throw from third base is a “Big Throw”, and there’s a simple conclusion here that I just didn’t make it. That inch might have got those outs. An inch might have secured that catch, too.

All of this might spell the swift end of my third base career, though I hope not! I have played two stints there and I really enjoyed it. Chiefly because those stints have been busy, and that’s exactly what you want when you step on the field – “hit the ball to ME!”

I was really pleased that against the Mustangs I picked up every ball cleanly and surely, despite all the rust- and sleep-related excuses I am keeping in reserve. But the throws need to be that bit sharper and stronger to make sure I get the guy, and I am keen to work on that. Unless someone conjures me an inch…

While I am on the topic of being “sharper”, I should note that for the second time in two games I found my uniform spattered with blood. In the HSL it was, I think, just a rotating seam that scuffed skin off my hand. All rather feeble, and when it happened this time around I started to think about seeing a ‘weak skin specialist’ or something. So I was slightly reassured to find once I cleaned up my hand after the game that it was a bona fide cut. And I duly found a shard of broken glass near my fielding position at third. A note to all, I think, to check a public field carefully when you set up.

My cut throwing hand
The red badge of courage

A quick word about my batting is that just half an inch might have done, to make my first at-bat a hit. On a 2-2 count fastball I swung but just missed making really good contact. It became a fairly routine ground ball to the third baseman. I was out by a step, but I was out.

I think most Herts players can take solace in the quality of the Southampton defence. As you may have read elsewhere, Mustangs pitcher Dave Wrigley recorded the club’s first no-hitter. But that was not because he was so overpowering or bamboozling. Large part — and I’m sure he would agree – was down to his defence. Take for example, the scorching Raptors hit to lead off the ninth. It was an excellent pick-up by the fielder, then made even better by the first baseman digging it out. We must doff the cap to a really good performance by the visitors.

And what of the Raptors’ all-round experience? Whilst it may not have started well, when I got there it was a tight game. The home team threw up zeroes, and made good plays. New guys seemed pretty confident and comfortable. It’s hard to look back on lots of glaring errors, barring my own decision to airmail a routine throw to first. So there’s always stuff to learn, and with a rookie team a lot of it is still drilling on basics. But there’s a lot to look forward to as well.

by AspiDimitrov

Since We’ve Been Gone

Recharging batteries after busy inning at third base

As the Jones family flew into the United States last week, what did I most notice out of the plane window?

Was it the skyscrapers? The huge, snaking interstate roads? No, it was the baseball fields. The sight of more and more of those distinctive cut-out diamonds warmed my heart. At one site there were about nine, all clustered together. Not a major league training complex, not a national centre. Just a few diamonds, casually sprinkled in the suburbs. It’s a different world over there.

We actually spent most of the holiday in Canada, where I took in my first Major League game for about five and a half years. The Toronto Blue Jays, who had started the season with a burst of runs and victories, hosted the Oakland Athletics. Jose Bautista was out of the line-up, most of the big stars have long been traded away, but the Blue Jays are still soldiering on. This game was a pitcher’s duel, coming down to a couple of manufactured runs and a wild pitch. Oakland won 2-1.

It didn’t win over the extended family to the joys of the game — “Swing miss, swing miss, swing miss, sit down” is still how my sister characterises baseball — but I certainly enjoyed the experience. And I got within just a few feet of one of those diamonds I had been excited about seeing from the air.

Sadly, while I was gone, the British season got under way without me. And it sounds as if it started badly for Herts. No wins. But it also sounds as if a much depleted Falcons side was only undone by one bad inning, and the Hawks and Raptors faced leading contenders from their divisions. It will take more than a defeat to dissipate the excitement of opening day. I know I can’t wait to get started, and I guess that the players who already have a game under their belts still feel that way too — they want to really get going, and get winning.

Part of the reason for my pwn enthusiasm is the boost from the Herts Spring League. Since we have a weekend off, I thought I would take the opportunity to reach back to the pre-season for some observations which never quite made it to the blog.

First of all I have to ask everyone involved one question — was that fun or was that fun? I usually refer to Spring Training in inverted commas, to suggest in my amusing little way that the experience is often cold and wintry. But it was pretty bright and sunny when I was there, and good baseball was to be found. It was great for Herts to attract another record number of teams for the tournament.

My own ailing physique actually found the experience quite reassuring. Since starting the year by moaning that my 38 year old body seemed to be creaking under the strain, I had tried doggedly to put in hours at the gym or on the streets. I can rarely get to baseball training but I can run home after doing the school drop-off, and my shifts at work have been kind in allowing me to get on the treadmill and lifting (suitably small) weights.

And I felt pretty good after playing two games. I was bleeding after ripping skin off my hand by misfielding a line drive, but what’s a bit of blood between friends? Overall, it’s nothing! I was ready for more.

I made my competitive debut as third base, often referred to as the Hot Corner. And it was like a firing range down there! There were drives over my head, balls along the line, and an infuriating bloop over my head. I managed to stop quite a few, with my legs, my chest and sometimes even my glove. One ball fair knocked me on my backside as it kicked up off the infield grass, and another I had to slide for in the gravel. But they both ended in the glove. The throws were a little too hurried and didn’t make it in time by inches. But that gives me stuff to work on.

For the record and for my ego I should say that I did make some outs, including a tag to cap off some good relay work from the outfield and snag an aggressive Herts Hawks runner.

As for the batting… well, the first against the Hawks was probably the worst I can think of for some time. Hitting second in the line-up and with a runner on first, I would almost never swing at the first pitch. Why would you? Even in any situation I am pretty patient, and won two batting titles basically on the fact that I wouldn’t swing at junk. So did I wait patiently and let my runner steal? Err, no. I watched the pitch, waited, and then the rush of blood became too much to contain so I swung at it. By then, though, it was far too late. It came off like a checked swing and hopped down to the first base man.

Fortunately the runner had enough of a jump that I didn’t hang him out to dry in a double play. And later at-bats were a bit better. My second ground-out to the Hawks was down to Nick Russell’s nifty fielding, and against the Redbacks I got three good hits and I’m pretty sure a walk thrown in too. So there’s another whiff of optimism as I count down to my own Opening Day. See you all there, as soon as I can.

by AspiDimitrov

Opening Day Disaster for Herts

The Herts teams couldn’t have imagined a worse start of the 2011 baseball season.  All four games involving Herts teams ended in defeat.  

  

The Herts Falcons faced the Southampton Mustangs in their home opener and they came into the game with a lot of confidence after a good run of results in Spring Training which included a convincing victory against the Mustangs.  Despite taking the lead in the first inning, the Falcons gradually lost grip of the game.  In the fifth inning the visitors delivered the knockout punch scoring 9 runs.  Southampton’s starting pitcher, Gary Davison, pitched a complete game allowing only 4 hits. He was shaken up only once when the Falcons’ 2009 MVP, Darrin  Ward, launched a towering 2-run home run over the left-field wall, but it came too late for Herts.   

 

The second game of the doubleheader was a much closer contest.  Chuck Truelson picked up the win for Southampton after Rodriguez came in very effectively to relieve him in the fourth inning.  Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, was gracious in defeat: “Southampton outplayed us and they deserved to win today. We need to bounce back now.”

 

The one positive for the Falcons is that they now have a two-week break which should be enough for their freakishly long list of injured players to recover including Jamie Munn (arm), Jon Lewys (ankle), Troy Linton (elbow), Nic Goetz (arm), Mahendra Prasad (hamstring), Aspi Dimitrov (shoulder).  They will face the Croydon Pirates in their next game on May 1, once again at Grovehill Ballpark.

 

The Herts Hawks were brought down to earth by a much improved Thames Valley team who, on today’s performance, should be able to challenge in the race for the postseason.  They have acquired the temperamental lefty starting pitcher, Matteo, from the Oxford Kings.  Despite pitching a blinder, he managed to get himself ejected from the game in the final inning with his team winning 16-5.

 

The Herts Raptors opened their campaign against the newly formed Cambridge Royals, who already look like the team to beat in the Single-A League.  With experienced players like Gary Liston, Adam Brown and Sri Lankan pitcher Raj, who fans of Herts know well, they have the tools to get to the postseason.  They won with a convincing 33-5 score against a Herts Raptors team that will be in much better shape in their next game with the return of some of the team’s big guns Arnie Longboy, Bryan Drummond, Chris Deacon, Phil Crooks, Rob Jones, Stephen Patmore and Tom Green.

 

A disappointing start of the season for the Herts teams, but those who dismiss their chances do so at their own peril.

 

 

BOX SCORES – GAME 1  

Southampton Mustangs at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Southampton Mustangs 1 2 1 1 9 0 1 0 15 18 3
Herts Falcons 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 4 7
Southampton Mustangs 15, Herts Falcons 5
Southampton Mustangs Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
AIZPURUA V. ss 4 2 2 2 PRASAD Mahendra cf 4 0 0 0
(b5) BIBBY R. rf-ss 2 0 0 0 SAIONJI Kimiyoshi 2b 2 2 0 0
DAVIS Ben 1b 5 1 4 3 WARD Darrin p 3 2 1 2
RODRIGUEZ A. cf 5 2 1 2 LINTON Troy 1b 4 1 1 1
SIERRA Oscar c 5 2 2 0 HARE Louis ss 2 0 0 0
DAVISON Gary p 5 2 2 0 LEWYS Jonathon rf 3 0 0 0
TRUELSON Chuck 3b 5 2 2 2 GOETZ Nic 3b 3 0 1 0
ARIETA Ross rf 5 2 2 1 DIMITROV Aspi lf 2 0 0 0
JOHNSON P. 2b 5 2 3 0 MANNING Lee c 2 0 1 0
COOPER A. lf 3 0 0 1 (t6) SHERMAN Perrie c 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 44 15 18 11 TEAM TOTALS 26 5 4 3
E: RODRIGUEZ A., DAVISON Gary, TRUELSON Chuck, HARE Louis(3), GOETZ Nic(2), LINTON
Troy, LEWYS Jonathon. LOB: Herts Falcons 5, Southampton Mustangs 10. 2B: DAVIS
Ben(3), DAVISON Gary, SIERRA Oscar, JOHNSON P., MANNING Lee. HR: RODRIGUEZ A.,
TRUELSON Chuck, WARD Darrin. SB: DAVIS Ben(2), TRUELSON Chuck, JOHNSON P., AIZPURUA
V., SAIONJI Kimiyoshi. CS: HARE Louis. SF: COOPER A..
Southampton Mustangs IP H R ER BB SO
DAVISON Gary W 7.00 4 5 2 5 6
Herts Falcons            
WARD Darrin L 7.00 18 15 8 1 2

  

   

 

BOX SCORES – GAME 2  

 

Southampton Mustangs at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Southampton Mustangs 3 3 1 0 4 0 0 11 12 5
Herts Falcons 2 0 3 0 0 3 0 8 6 5
Southampton Mustangs 11, Herts Falcons 8
Southampton Mustangs Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
AIZPURUA Victor 2b-ss 5 3 3 0 PRASAD Mahendra cf 4 1 2 2
DAVIS Ben cf 5 2 2 2 SAIONJI Kimiyoshi 2b 2 1 0 1
RODRIGUEZ A. 3b-p 5 2 2 0 WARD Darrin 1b 3 2 1 0
SIERRA O. c 4 3 2 6 LINTON Troy 3b-ss 4 0 0 0
DAVISON G. 1b 3 1 1 2 HARE Louis ss-p 4 1 1 2
TRUELSON Chuck p 2 0 0 0 LEWYS Jonathon lf 3 1 1 2
(b4) JOHNSON P. 2b 1 0 1 0 (t6) ARNOTT Jim rf 1 0 0 0
ARIETA Ross rf 4 0 1 0 GOETZ Nic p-3b 1 0 0 0
BIBBY R. ss-3b 4 0 0 0 (b3) DIMITROV Aspi 3b 3 0 1 1
COOPER A. lf 4 0 0 0 NAGHAR Rodney rf-lf 2 1 0 0
          MANNING Lee c 2 0 0 0
          (b6) SHERMAN Perrie pr-c 0 1 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 37 11 12 10 TEAM TOTALS 29 8 6 8
E: BIBBY R.(2), DAVIS Ben, RODRIGUEZ A., AIZPURUA Victor, LINTON Troy(2), HARE Louis,
MANNING Lee, NAGHAR Rodney. LOB: Herts Falcons 5, Southampton Mustangs 7. 2B: HARE
Louis, PRASAD Mahendra, DIMITROV Aspi. 3B: PRASAD Mahendra. HR: SIERRA O.(2), DAVISON
G.. SB: AIZPURUA Victor(2), DAVIS Ben, JOHNSON P.. SF: SAIONJI Kimiyoshi.
Southampton Mustangs IP H R ER BB SO
RODRIGUEZ A. 4.00 3 3 1 1 2
TRUELSON Chuck W 3.00 3 5 1 3 2
Herts Falcons            
HARE Louis 4.67 7 5 2 0 3
GOETZ Nic L 2.33 5 6 3 1 1
HBP: by GOETZ Nic (DAVISON G.). . . . . . . Balk: RODRIGUEZ A.. T: 2:30. A: 89.