Category: Headlines

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

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

HERTS BASEBALL CLUB AWARDED BSUK GRANT TO IMPROVE FACILITIES

 

This article first appeared on www.baseballsoftballuk.com

 

Herts Baseball Club, Brentwood Baseball Club, Manchester Softball League, Fakenham Falcons Softball Club and London Mets Baseball and Softball Club have all been successful in applying for Equipment and Facilities Grants that BSUK advertised earlier in the year.

 

The money is being distributed by BSUK from a capital funding grant provided by Sport England on the basis of BSUK’s 2009-2013 Whole Sport Plan.

 

The funding, amounting to up to £5,000 per project, has to be match-funded by the receiving organisations to allow them to develop facilities through projects costing up to £10,000.00. The grants will give these organisations the opportunity to erect backstops, develop infields and generally improve their facilities and the playing experience for their members and players.

 

It will also allow them to show visiting teams what can be done with a little bit of time and effort and the support of BSUK.

 

Better Standards

 

All new facilities being created through these grants will be ready for the 2010 season and will allow teams to enjoy a better standard of play, provide help in attracting new players and allow the staging of tournaments and finals. The upgraded facilities will also provide a more exciting experience for youngsters when clubs and leagues work with local schools.

 

BSUK National Club Development Manager Paul Wilkinson said, “It has taken a lot of hard work to set up the process for distributing the grants, due to the need to be able to be audited by other agencies. This is the first time we have had money from Sport England to distribute to affiliated leagues and clubs, but hopefully it will not be the last.”

 

Following on from these small grants, BSUK will soon be looking towards four Regional Centre projects where £100,000 grants will be available to develop tournament and Academy standard facilities in each of the four regions where BSUK’s work is concentrated: London, the South East, the North West and the Midlands.

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

HERTBREAK…HERTS LOSE FINAL IN AN EPIC1-0 BALLGAME

The British National Baseball Championships (NBC) entered their final weekend with the Youth competition at Finsbury Park, home of the London Mets. The Bronco (ages 10-13) and Pony (ages 13-16) leagues each welcomed four contending squads, making up the top eight youth teams in the BBF. In addition to the host Mets, the Halton Polecats, Cartmel Valley, Herts Baseball Club, the Bracknell Tornadoes and the Horsham Hornets survived the gruelling stretch of playoff games to reach the NBC.

BRONCO FINALS

On Saturday the tournament hosts, the London Mets, advanced to Sunday’s BBF Bronco Final. By overturning a courageous Cartmel Valley comeback, the Mets batted their way to a six-inning win.

Later that afternoon, Herts won in extra innings against Halton after their Polecats tied the game but then stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning. (A regulation Bronco game is six-innings long, while a Pony game is seven.)

3rd/4th Bronco Game: Halton Polecats 8, Cartmel Valley 4

These games set up a 3rd-4th place showdown between Halton and Cartmel Valley. These two regional rivals have played many times before and the players were eager to take the diamond. In a very rapid six-inning game, Halton quickly found their bats and slugged out a significant lead. Cartmel’s pitching struggled to contain the aggressive Polecats lineup. Leadoff batter Harry Pickup was 2-4 with one RBI and Spencer Roberts was 1-3 with two RBI. Halton’s starting pitcher – Jonas Grader – pitched five innings of quality ball, allowing only three earned runs and a .286 opponent batting average.

Cartmel Valley was not without some offence of their own. Jonny Hill went 2-3, and Tyler Prescott and Ross Duclos were each 1-2 with one RBI. Catcher Tom Woodburn hit a monster solo home run late in the game; some fans reckon the baseball travelled roughly 300 feet and landed near third base on the adjacent Pony diamond.

Nevertheless, Halton’s offence was too much and they won the game 8-4 securing their third-place berth in the BBF Bronco League.

Bronco Final: London Mets 1, Herts Baseball Club 0

Herts and London, also regional rivals, played the tightest, most competitive match of the entire Championships weekend. The stakes were high: bragging rights as the top Bronco team in the country. But the 10-13 year olds kept their wits about them and simply focused on playing solid baseball.

It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the game’s only run scored. After throwing three shutout innings, Herts starter Nick Martinez allowed a deep double to London’s Jack Peters. It was only one of three hits allowed by Martinez in four innings of work, but it was enough despite his seven strikeouts. The run came in to score on some aggressive Mets baserunning and it was the difference in the game. London’s starter, Ryan Headlam, allowed just one hit in his three innings of work. It was the only hit for Herts on the day (from Lewis Patterson).

Jack Peters pitched three innings of hitless relief for London, earning four strikeouts and throwing 27 strikes versus only nine balls. Leadoff Met Jamie Dix had two stolen bases.

On the way to the Final, Herts eliminated 5 of the best teams in the country. The Club’s youth programme may have been established only 2 years ago, but this amazing achievement confirms Herts as a growing force in British Youth Baseball.

Click for more images from the 2009 National Baseball Championships

 

2009 BRITISH NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP (UNDER-13s)

FINAL, HERTS ALL STARS @ LONDON METS

Herts All Stars at London Mets
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts All Stars 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
London Mets 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 0
London Mets 1, Herts All Stars 0
London Mets Herts All Stars
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Jamie Dix c 2 0 0 0 Carlos Casal Jr rf 3 0 0 0
Chris Saltzgaber ss 3 0 0 0 Mikito Ariga c 3 0 0 0
Josh Porter cf 2 0 0 0 Nick Martinez p-ss 2 0 0 0
Jack Peters 3b-p 2 1 2 0 Liam Green cf 1 0 0 0
Ryan Headlam p-3b 2 0 1 0 Lewis Paterson 1b 2 0 1 0
Zac Stroman 1b 2 0 0 1 Marty Cullen Jr ss-p 2 0 0 0
Mathew Tarrant 2b 2 0 0 0 Jamie Paterson 3b 2 0 0 0
(t5) Ben Turner 2b 0 0 0 0 Zachary Longboy 2b 2 0 0 0
Todd Dulius rf 1 0 0 0 Dan Phillips lf 0 0 0 0
(b5) George Atkinson rf 1 0 0 0 (b4) Charlie Mayhew lf 0 0 0 0
Ewan Clegg lf 1 0 0 0 (t6) Michael Davies lf 1 0 0 0
(t4) Rintaro Suzuki lf 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 19 1 3 1 TEAM TOTALS 18 0 1 0
E: Lewis Paterson. LOB: Herts All Stars 2, London Mets 4. 2B: Jack Peters. SB: Jamie
Dix(2), Lewis Paterson, Liam Green. CS: Carlos Casal Jr.
London Mets IP H R ER BB SO
Ryan Headlam 3.00 1 0 0 3 3
Jack Peters W 3.00 0 0 0 0 4
Herts All Stars
Nick Martinez L 4.00 3 1 1 1 7
Marty Cullen Jr 1.00 0 0 0 0 1
PB: Mikito Ariga. T: 1:05. A: 198.
by AspiDimitrov

DRAMATIC EXTRA INNINGS WIN TAKES HERTS TO THE FINAL

This article first appeared on www.britishbaseball.org

The British National Baseball Championships (NBC) entered their final weekend with the Youth competition at Finsbury Park, home of the London Mets. The Bronco (10-13) and Pony (14-16) leagues each welcomed four contending squads, making up the top eight youth teams in the BBF. In addition to the host Mets, the Halton Polecats, Cartmel Valley, Herts Baseball Club, the Bracknell Tornadoes and the Horsham Hornets survived the gruelling stretch of playoff games to reach the NBC.

 

BRONCO SEMI FINALS

 

On Saturday the tournament hosts, the London Mets, advanced to Sunday's BBF Bronco Final. By overturning a courageous Cartmel Valley comeback, the Mets batted their way to a six-inning win.

 

Later that afternoon, Herts won in extra innings against Halton after their Polecats tied the game but then stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning. (A regulation Bronco game is six-innings long, while a Pony game is seven.)

 

Herts – as away team – will face the Mets on Sunday afternoon in a six-inning title bout.

 

Full Bronco box scores and game stats from Saturday's prelims and Sunday's finals will appear in Monday's full weekend championships report.

 

Click for more images from the 2009 National Youth Baseball Championships

2009 BRITISH NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP (UNDER-13s)

12 SEPTEMBER 2009, SEMI-FINAL

Herts All Stars at Halton Polecats
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts All Stars 0 1 5 1 1 0 7 15 11 4
Halton Polecats 1 3 0 1 1 2 2 10 11 6

Herts All Stars 15, Halton Polecats 10
Herts All Stars Halton Polecats
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Carlos Casal Jr 2b 3 1 1 0 Harry Pickup p-ss 4 4 3 0
Mikito Ariga p-c 4 2 0 0 Patrick Hansford 3b 5 0 2 2
Nickolas Martinez ss 5 1 2 1 Alex Jones c 5 0 3 0
Liam Green cf-p 5 3 3 2 Jamie Evans rf 5 1 0 0
Lewis Paterson 1b 4 3 1 2 Jonas Grader 2b 3 0 0 0
Marty Cullen Jr c-p-3b 3 1 1 1 Spencer Roberts 1b 2 0 0 0
Jamie Paterson 3b-cf 4 2 2 1 Owen Williams lf 2 1 0 0
Zachary Longboy lf 0 1 0 0 Andrew O'Brien cf 3 3 3 2
(t5) Michael Davis lf-rf 2 1 1 2 Ed Williams ss-p 3 1 0 0
Kieran Manning rf 1 0 0 0
(b3) Jonathan Compton-Weight r f
TEAM TOTALS 33 15 11 9 TEAM TOTALS 32 10 11 4

E: Nickolas Martinez, Marty Cullen Jr, Kieran Manning, Lewis Paterson, Alex Jones(2),
Jonas Grader(2), Harry Pickup, Patrick Hansford. LOB: Herts All Stars 6, Halton
Polecats 9. 2B: Nickolas Martinez(2), Liam Green(2), Lewis Paterson, Jamie Paterson,
Marty Cullen Jr, Harry Pickup. HR: Andrew O'Brien. SB: Lewis Paterson, Zachary
Longboy, Alex Jones, Jamie Evans, Harry Pickup. CS: Zachary Longboy, Carlos Casal Jr,
Jonathan Compton-Weight, Spencer Roberts.

Herts All Stars IP H R ER BB SO
Mikito Ariga 3.00 6 4 2 1 6
Liam Green W 2.33 3 4 1 6 4
Marty Cullen Jr 1.67 2 2 1 0 0
Halton Polecats            
Harry Pickup 4.00 2 7 0 6 6
Ed Williams L 2.67 9 8 3 3 2

HBP: by Liam Green (Andrew O'Brien). . . WP: Liam Green. PB: Mikito Ariga(5), Marty
Cullen Jr, Alex Jones(8). T: 2:38. A: 147.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS’ SECOND BASEBALL DIAMOND STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE

The next stage of the Grovehill Ballpark Development is well and truly under way.  The contractors have commenced the work which will see the playing surface of the second diamond being levelled.  Tractors, bulldozers and other specialist vehicles were out in force this afternoon on the second diamond along with various laser measuring equipment required for this type of project. 

 

Apart from levelling the playing surface, the project will also involve the arduous task of grading the hill to make the home plate area and the foul territory around the infield aligned with the rest of the infield.  This will create a bank similar to the one on the first base side of the first diamond.  The one difference is that the hill next to the second diamond is much more pronounced and this will create a natural amphitheatre for spectators in the shade under the big trees, which will be a relief on those hot summer days, which usually see players and fans on the first diamond scrambling for their umbrellas as protection from the sun.

 

Once the playing surface has been levelled, the next step will be to inject the grass seed mixture into the surface.  At that point the weather will play a vital role in how well the grass will grow.  When the first rainfall occurs the grass seed will begin to germinate.  It will be critical that there is plenty of rain after that to ensure a high quality grass surface in 2010.

 

This stage of the Grovehill Ballpark Development has been made possible thanks to the £5,000 grant awarded to Herts Baseball Club last month from the Dacorum Olympic and Paralympic Fund, administered jointly by Dacorum Borough Council and the Dacorum Sports Network.

More images of the Grovehill Ballpark Project

by AspiDimitrov

BRACKNELL ELIMINATE HERTS FALCONS ON THE WAY TO BECOMING 2009 CHAMPIONS

The following article first appeared on www.britishbaseball.org 

Legendary Herts Shortstop, Geoff Hare (second from left),

gets honour of being the plate umpire at the Final

Bracknell Blazers played and won three back-to-back games on Sunday 30 August to be crowned National Baseball Champions for 2009.

The team had lost the opening game of the double elimination format event on Saturday 29 August by a score of 10-4 against reigning champs London Mets. This left the Berkshire team with an uphill battle on Sunday.

First they faced and defeated Herts Falcons 12-1 in a five-inning “mercy rule” game. Next was a rematch with London and this time the Blazers won 11-7 over seven-innings. This set up a nine-inning grand final against National Baseball League winners Richmond Flames.

A close game against the Flames (3-3 after six innings) was blown wide open by a Josh Chetwynd double with the bases loaded that scored three for Bracknell. Richmond couldn't fight back, trailing 9-4 going into the ninth inning, only to see Bracknell knock in another seven runs to seal victory.

Rob Rance, Bracknell Manager, and Paul Vernon, Assistant Manager, were jubilant, as was Mark Salter, Bracknell President.

Images from the 2009 National Baseball Championship

Herts Falcons at Richmond Flames
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 1
Richmond Flames 2 4 4 1 0 0 0 11 20 2

Richmond Flames 11, Herts Falcons 3
Richmond Flames Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Marty Visser cf 5 3 3 0 Riley Fisher 3b-p 4 1 1 1
Mike Osborne 2b 4 3 4 3 Jason Greenberg c 3 0 1 1
Cody Cain ss 2 2 2 1 Lin Yuchih 2b 3 0 3 1
Ryan Bird lf 5 1 2 1 Darrin Ward p 3 0 0 0
Grant Delzoppo c 5 1 3 3 (b6) Aspi Dimitrov lf 1 0 0 0
Guy Lidbetter 1b 5 0 2 1 Andy Cornish rf 4 0 1 0
Hayden Davidson 2b 4 0 3 2 Kimiyoshi Saionji cf 3 0 0 0
Matt Spaulding rf 4 0 0 0 Luis Goncalves ss 3 0 0 0
Yoshi Saito 3b 4 1 1 0 Marty Cullen 1b 3 1 1 0
           Nick Goetz lf-3b 1 1 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 38 11 20 11 TEAM TOTALS 28 3 7 3

E: Mike Osborne, Cody Cain, Nick Goetz. DP: Richmond Flames 2. LOB: Herts Falcons 8,
Richmond Flames 13. 2B: Marty Visser, Riley Fisher. 3B: Mike Osborne. SB: Marty
Visser(2), Jason Greenberg, Marty Cullen.

Richmond Flames IP H R ER BB SO
Herts Falcons            
Darrin Ward L 5.00 19 11 10 0 2
Riley Fisher 1.00 1 0 0 2 2

HBP: by (Jason Greenberg). , by Darrin Ward (Cody Cain). . , by Darrin Ward (Cody
Cain). . . . WP: Riley Fisher. T: 2:02. A: 170.
Bracknell Blazers at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Bracknell Blazers 1 4 2 2 3 12 12 2
Herts Falcons 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 1

Bracknell Blazers 12, Herts Falcons 1
Bracknell Blazers Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 2 3 1 0 Riley Fisher c 3 1 1 0
Player 2 c 3 2 2 2 Andy Cornish dh 1 0 0 0
Player 3 1b 3 0 1 3 (t3) Kimiyoshi Saionji lf 1 0 0 0
Player 4 2b 3 1 2 2 Lin Yuchih 1b 2 0 1 1
Player 5 3b 2 0 1 1 Darrin Ward 3b 2 0 0 0
Player 6 ss 3 2 0 0 Dan Kerry cf-p 1 0 0 0
Player 7 lf 2 1 2 2 Luis Goncalves ss 2 0 0 0
Player 8 cf 2 0 1 1 Carlos Casal 2b 2 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 2 3 2 0 Aspi Dimitrov rf 1 0 0 0
           (b5) Marty Cullen rf 1 0 0 0
          Jamie Munn lf-cf 1 0 0 0
          Nick Goetz p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 22 12 12 11 TEAM TOTALS 17 1 2 1

E: Player 5(2), Dan Kerry. LOB: Herts Falcons 3, Bracknell Blazers 6. 2B: Player 5,
Player 2, Player 1, Player 7, Riley Fisher. HR: Player 7, Player 4. SB: Player 3,
Player 2, Dan Kerry. SB: Player 8. SF: Player 4, Player 3.

Bracknell Blazers IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 5.00 2 1 0 1 4
Herts Falcons            
Nick Goetz L 2.67 9 7 6 3 0
Dan Kerry 2.33 3 5 3 3 2

HBP: by Nick Goetz (Player 6), by Player 1 (Dan Kerry). . , by Dan Kerry (Player 5).
. WP: Dan Kerry. PB: Riley Fisher. T: 1:49. A: 170.

AA & A Divisions

League newcomers Mildenhall Bulldogs downed Midlands rivals Alconbury Braves 8-1 to seize the AA Division title at the first attempt.

Leicester Blue Sox, also from the Midlands, pushed aside Southern opposition defeating Essex Archers 12-8 for the A Division title.

AAA Division

There will be more baseball on 5/6 September when the AAA Division Championships take place in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Hosts Harrogate Tigers will play Liverpool Trojans, Essex Arrows and Southampton Mustangs for the AAA Division title.

RESULTS

National Baseball League
Game 1 – Bracknell Blazers 4, London Mets 10
Game 2 – Herts Falcons 3, Richmond Flames 11
Game 3 – London Mets 1, Richmond Flames 4 (Richmond through to Grand Final)
Game 4 – Bracknell Blazers 12, Herts Falcons 1 (Herts eliminated)
Game 5 – London Mets 7, Bracknell Blazers 11 (London eliminated)
Grand Final – Bracknell Blazers 16, Richmond Flames 4

AA Division
Semi-Final 1 – Kent Mariners 3, Alconbury Braves 13
Semi-Final 2 – Mildenhall Bulldogs 10, Manchester A's 6
3rd/4th Place – Kent Mariners 0, Manchester A's 7
Final – Alconbury Braves 1, Mildenhall Bulldogs 8

A Division
Semi-Final 1 – Leicester Blue Sox 9, Bracknell Blazers II 5
Semi-Final 2 – Humber Pilots 5, Essex Archers 6
3rd/4th Place – Bracknell Blazers 17, Humber Pilots 11
Final – Leicester Blue Sox 12, Essex Archers 8

by AspiDimitrov

FALCONS GO INTO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AS THE UNDERDOGS

The 2009 National Baseball Championships take place on August 29-30 at Roundshaw Playing Fields in Croydon. Teams from the National Baseball League, Double-A and Single-A leagues will compete over the two days to decide the national champion at each level.

 

In previous seasons the showpiece event of the British Baseball calendar was referred to as the Final 4. This year the event has been renamed to the National Baseball Championships (or NBC) and given a brand new logo as above.

 

You can find a list of the qualifiers and the schedule for the weekend in the NBC document in the Downloads section.

 

Spectators are welcome and entry and car parking is free. Food and drinks will be available.

 

Click for directions to Roundshaw Fields.

 

 

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW

 

Bracknell Blazers (14-10)

 

Built over recent years with a mixture of young British talent, including Michael and Ryan Trask and Matt Maitland, and experienced heads like former Great Britain player Josh Chetwynd, the Blazers made a vast improvement on last season and enter the NBC in good form with five straight wins.

 

Of this year's participants Bracknell have the most appearances in the championship weekender (four) but are yet to win an honour in the NBL.

 

Team history:

Bracknell Baseball Club was formed at the end of 1992 as a single adult team, the Blazers, and they played for the first time in 1993's BBF Southern Conference Division Three East.  The club instigated youth development work in local schools starting in 1994 and began a youth section, which has won either the Bronco or Pony titles in the last six years, the same year.  The Blazers moved up the BBF league structure steadily and were admitted to the Premier Division in 1998 and have played in the country's top division, currently the National League, ever since.  Blazers 14-10 record this season is their best regular season record since 2003.  The club ran multiple teams for a few years in the late 90s and established a second adult team, Blazers II, in 2006; their 12-0 record this season is the first unbeaten regular season in the club's history.

 

The club believes that young players should be given the chance to prove they can compete against the best players in the country.  The club has healthy links with Great Britain programmes.

 

Players to watch:

 

Ryan Trask

Ryan Trask first played for the Bracknell Mens team at the age of 14 and his younger brother Michael Trask is hot on his heels as one of the strongest players with the British National League. Ryan led the National Baseball League with 28 RBI in the regular season.

 

Tom Bray

Bracknell slugger Tom Bray compiled a .412 batting average in 2009 with a league best .644 OBA. He arguably has one of the best ‘eyes’ in the NBL, with 18 walks and 15 RBI.

 

Matt Maitland

Pitcher and GB World Cup hopeful Matt Maitland has tied Richmond’s Michael Osborn for most NBL regular season strikeouts. While he has only two wins this season, he boasts a 3.31 ERA and a WHIP of of 1.65.

  

 

  

  

Herts Falcons (12-12)

 

Last year's Triple-A Champions made a smart debut in the NBL, winning three of their first four games including a comeback victory against the 2008 National Champion Mets. However, they faded at the end, losing six in a row. Despite this, a .500 record over the season has proved the Falcons deserve to play at this level – a feat made yet more commendable given that only two years ago the Falcons were a Double-A team prior to back-to-back promotions. Manager Jason Greenberg will be looking for his side to rally for a final effort this weekend.

 

Team history:

 

Based in Hemel Hempstead, the Herts Falcons joined the BBF Leagues in 1997, achieving their first winning season a year later with an 11-3 record.  In 1999 they were invited to step up a division to the old BBF Southern Conference First Division. In 2004 they won the Division 1 South title and secured promotion to the Premier League where they played for two seasons only to suffer a heart-breaking playoff loss in 2006 sending the team back down to Division 1.  Since that setback, the team has taken British Baseball by storm winning back-to-back promotions, first from AA to AAA in 2007 and from AAA to the NBL in 2008.

 

This is the team’s first season in British Baseball’s top-tier and has proven many doubters wrong with an impressive .500 regular season record in 2009.  Over the years Herts has grown and is now the biggest adult programme in British Baseball with 4 adult teams playing in all 4 British Leagues.  In 2007 the club also started its youth programme and in its second year of existence has already managed to qualify for the 2009 BBF Youth National baseball Championship.

 

Players to watch:

 

Darrin Ward

‘The Colonel’, as he’s known to his Herts teammates, is a force to be reckoned with at the plate and on the mound. Ward has pitched more innings (74.2) in the NBL than anyone else in 2009 and amassed six wins in 12 decisions. He had a .413 regular season batting average with seven doubles.

 

Lin Yuchih

This Taiwanese infielder has a natural power swing with incredibly quick bat speed. His .342 batting average was second best on the Falcons (behind Ward), with eight doubles, 18 runs scored and 15 RBI.

 

Luis Goncalves

The youngest Falcon at age 15, Goncalves is universally considered one of the top prospects in the NBL. His range, glove and arm at shortstop is well-respected by rival clubs. While his average was merely .191 in 2009, he worked 13 walks and was 10/10 in stolen bases.

 

 

 

 

London Mets (17-7)

 

Defending Champions, the Mets lost a number of players from the all-conquering class of '08 which went 23-1 in the regular season. Despite this, the new-look squad led the league for much of this summer including a run of 13 wins in a row between May and August. But London comes into the NBC hoping it didn't peak too soon as it has lost three in a row including a final day sweep by Richmond which ousted it from first place.

 

One of the stories of the weekend looks to be the chance for some of London's Triple-A players to show their worth at the highest level as they've been promoted to replace a significant number of first-teamers who are unavailable.

 

Team history:

 

In 2007, the thriving London Mets Youth Baseball Club decided to launch an adult team aimed at young players who had outgrown the BBF youth leagues. The adult Mets were permitted to enter the BBF National League in their first season and finished as National Champions.

The London Mets continued to grow their senior programme in 2008, launching a AAA team (London Metros) who took the Wild Card spot in that year's Final 4. The London Mets NBL team were 2008 Southern League Champions and went on to be crowned National Baseball League Champions for the second year running, with a team that independent observers described as the best British team for a generation.

The lure of European competition and the forthcoming Baseball World Cup saw the London Mets lose ten members of the Championship-winning team, so that the 2009 season has been a rebuilding year for the club. Fortunately the strength in depth of the London Mets organisation has meant that the NBL line-up has been filled with quality players looking to secure the National Championship for the third successive year.

 

Players to watch:

 

Will Lintern

This British National Team catcher – soon to depart as a member of the GB World Cup roster – will undoubtedly keep rival baserunners at bay through the weekend. While he spent most of the season playing abroad in Germany, Lintern has brought his bat and leadership prowess back behind just in time to aid a depleted London squad.

 

Rob Antony and Carl Randall

These London sluggers took League honours for best batting average (Antony, .500) and runs scored (Randall, 33). Antony also had 18 stolen bases and a 90% fielding mark at shortstop. The boast three triples between them.

 

The AAA London Metros

With a significant number of first-string Mets unavailable for the Championships – including manager Alex Pike and starters Jason Roberts and Reid Wilson – it’s anybody’s guess who will step up and perform this weekend. Perhaps one of the four AAA players offered BBF dispensation to join the top-tier NBC…

 

 

 

 

Richmond Flames (17-7)

 

The first-placed Flames earned their first division title since joining the NBL in 2004 but are experienced in the postseason having won the National Championship in 2006 and lost in the final last year. Manager Grant Delzoppo sites the depth of pitching staff as one of his side's strengths and it certainly will be a key factor at the NBC with at least three games to play to win the Championship. The rotation includes three pitchers who rank highly in the pitching statistics: Cody Cain, named the league's Most Valuable Pitcher for 2009, Michael Osborn and Ryan Bird. These guys aren't shy with the bat either and Ryan Bird was named Most Valuable Batter in '09.

 

That multi-talented nature across the team has been another of Richmond's strengths in recent years although Delzoppo has minor concerns about his small squad being tested by the number of games this weekend. However, the Flames are fuelled by an eight-game winning streak – including a sweep of the defending champion Mets – and will be tipped as favourites.

 

Team history:

 

Richmond is one of the largest and most successful clubs in the UK, with three adult baseball teams in the BBF leagues, as well as an under 13 youth programme and women's and girls fastpitch softball with the Angels. Formed in 1992, the club won the London Tournament in both 2007 and 2008. Since 1992, the Richmond organization has worked hard both on and off the field to bring exciting baseball for all kinds of levels of players.

 

The Richmond Flames have played in the National Baseball League since 2004, and were the 2006 National Champions and defeated finalists in 2008. They finished the 2009 season 1st with a 17-7 record. The Richmond Dragons were established in 2003, and play in the A division and have finished with a 7-5 record.

 

Players to watch:

 

Ryan Bird

Named as the Most Valuable Batter for 2009, Ryan hit 0.449, (2nd in League), with 6 Home Runs (1st) and 27 RBIs (2nd). This is the second year in a row that Ryan has received this award and Ryan has played with Richmond since 2006 after relocating from South Africa. The hard throwing Ryan has also pitched strongly with a 4-1 record in 2009, an ERA of 1.85 and 14.4 K/9 Innings. Ryan will be one of the key players for the Flames in the playoffs.

 

Cody Cain

One of the most experienced pitchers in the National Baseball League, Cody was named as the Most Valuable Pitcher for 2009, with a league leading ERA of 1.67, and 3-1 record. A native of the USA, he played for Lewis and Clark College (Division 1), and the highlight was his team making it to the College Baseball World Series. With 495 Career Strikeouts to date, Cody only needs 5 Strikeouts in the post season to be the first player to reach 500 Career Strikeouts in the National Baseball League.

 

Mike Osborne

Starting baseball at the late age of 21, Mike is a veteran of more than 11 years at the National Baseball League. He originally played for the London Warriors, before moving over Richmond in 2006. A starting pitcher, this year Mike has a 6-3 record, with a league leading strike outs of 57. Mike has also contributed with the bat, hitting 0.346, and On Base of 0.455.

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS ELIMINATE 2 MORE TEAMS TO REACH NATIONAL FINALS

The Herts All Stars knocked out another two teams this weekend and have booked their place in the National Baseball Championships which confirms them as one of the top four teams in Britain. 

 

The Herts Baseball Little League programme has existed only 2 seasons but has managed to turn the 2009 Under-13 National Baseball Championship on its head.  The team entered this competition for the first time and was given a wild card entry in the early qualifying playoff rounds as an independent team, which meant that they needed to win six games in a row to become the British Under-13 Champions.  There was no room for error.  One wrong step and the team's first entry into the National Championships would end abruptly.

 

Against all odds the Herts All-Stars are not just surviving but are starting to put fear in their opponents.  After eliminating Horsham and Bracknell in the earlier round, Herts overcame first the Tonbridge Bobcats and then the Brentwood Bucks on Saturday at the home of the London Mets in Finsbury Park. 

 

This means that the Herts All Stars will be returning to London on 12 and 13 September for the Finals.  Also qualifying for the final are the London Mets as well as the two best Northern teams, Cartmel Valley and Halton.

 

Four games, four wins.  The Herts All-Stars need to win two more to become British Champions.  Can they continue to shock British Baseball?  The Herts Baseball Newswire will have all the latest news for you, so stay tuned.

 

More photos from the Playoffs at Finsbury Park, 22 August 2009

Tonbridge Bobcats at Herts All Stars
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Tonbridge Bobcats 0 2 2 0 1 5 5 2
Herts All Stars 5 4 5 2 0 16 8 1

Herts All Stars 16, Tonbridge Bobcats 5
Herts All Stars Tonbridge Bobcats
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Mikito Ariga 3b-p 2 1 0 1 Harry 1b-p 2 0 0 0
Carlos Casal Jr 2b 3 1 0 0 James p-ss 2 1 1 0
Liam Green p-3b 2 3 2 2 Olu cf 2 1 0 0
Lewis Paterson 1b 2 3 1 1 Sam c 3 1 2 1
Nickolas Martinez ss 2 3 2 2 Kester 2b 3 1 1 1
Jamie Paterson cf 0 2 0 1 Alex 3b 1 1 0 0
Kieran Manning c 2 2 2 4 Adam ss-p-1b 2 0 1 1
Michelle Johnson rf 2 0 0 0 Callum rf 2 0 0 0
(t5) Dan Phillips rf 0 0 0 0 Mason lf 1 0 0 0
Charlie Mayhew lf 2 1 1 1
(t5) Lewis Green lf 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 17 16 8 12 TEAM TOTALS 18 5 5 3

E: Carlos Casal Jr, Kester, Callum. LOB: Tonbridge Bobcats 3, Herts All Stars 7. 2B:
Liam Green, Nickolas Martinez, Kieran Manning, Sam(2), Kester. 3B: Lewis Paterson.
SB: Liam Green(2), Nickolas Martinez, Lewis Paterson, Mikito Ariga, Charlie Mayhew,
Sam, Kester, James. SB: Jamie Paterson.

Herts All Stars IP H R ER BB SO
Mikito Ariga W 4.00 5 5 4 3 6
Liam Green 1.00 0 0 0 2 1
Tonbridge Bobcats            
James L 2.33 4 10 8 9 2
Harry 1.00 2 2 2 3 3
Adam 0.00 2 4 1 2 0

HBP: by James (Charlie Mayhew). . . . . WP: Liam Green(2), Mikito Ariga, James(2).
PB: Kieran Manning, Sam. T: 2:00. A: 120.

Herts All Stars at Brentwood Bucks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts All Stars 5 0 1 1 0 5 12 16 1
Brentwood Bucks 0 0 1 1 1 1 4 10 5

Herts All Stars 12, Brentwood Bucks 4
Herts All Stars Brentwood Bucks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Carlos Casal Jr 2b 4 2 2 0 Stewart 3b-rf 4 2 4 1
Mikito Ariga c 4 2 2 3 Max c-ss 3 0 1 1
Liam Green p-ss 4 3 3 2 Sebastian p-c 3 0 1 1
Lewis Paterson 1b 4 3 3 1 Tom 1b 3 1 2 0
Nickolas Martinez ss-p 4 1 2 1 Charlie ss-p 2 0 0 0
Jamie Paterson 3b 3 0 0 0 Reiss 2b 3 0 0 0
Kieran Manning lf 2 0 1 1 Jamie cf 3 0 1 0
(b4) Dan Phillips lf 2 0 1 0 Alex lf 3 0 0 0
Lewis Green cf 3 0 2 2 Dean A rf-3b 3 1 1 0
(t6) Michelle Johnson cf 1 0 0 0 Dean P rf 0 0 0 0
Jose Morillo rf 2 0 0 0
(b4) Charlie Mayhew rf 0 1 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 33 12 16 10 TEAM TOTALS 27 4 10 3

E: Liam Green, Max(3), Sebastian, Jamie. LOB: Brentwood Bucks 7, Herts All Stars 7.
2B: Liam Green, Mikito Ariga, Lewis Green, Stewart(2), Tom, Dean A. HR: Liam Green.
SB: Carlos Casal Jr(2), Kieran Manning, Charlie Mayhew, Tom, Charlie. CS: Max. SB:
Jamie Paterson, Max.

Herts All Stars IP H R ER BB SO
Liam Green W 3.00 3 1 1 1 7
Nickolas Martinez 3.00 7 3 1 0 3
Brentwood Bucks            
Charlie 3.00 5 6 2 1 2
Sebastian L 2.33 11 6 6 0 3

WP: Liam Green. PB: Mikito Ariga(3), Sebastian. T: 2:00. A: 101.