Author: AspiDimitrov

by AspiDimitrov

BBC AUDIO SLIDESHOW: “SWINGING AWAY”

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

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

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

by AspiDimitrov

HAWKS SUFFER DEMOLITION

Herts Hawks v. Sidewinders, May 23rd 2010

by Hawks Beat Reporter, Simon Langton

 

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

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

 

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

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

by AspiDimitrov

BIG DAY IN LITTLE HEMEL

Before I post anything more considered and coherent, I just want to say two things.

One, the Raptors put in a great performance in an extraordinary game yesterday. It was heart-breaking to lose but everyone there knows the team hit better than ever, fielded better than ever and — above all — competed  better than ever. The game was every bit the equal of last year's marathons against the Marauders. The players involved should pat themselves on the backs. And, of course, aim to go one better next time!

Second, the club as a whole should be proud to have opened up the second diamond this weekend. Big thanks go to Aspi, Marty, Jason, Tim and everyone who has worked on the project. To guys like Lee, and John who have been with Herts for about a hundred years and helped make it what it is. Yesterday was a fantastic day, with sunshine, music and cheering fans, and I understand we had lots of new kids at the Little League on Saturday. Fantastic job all round.

 

by AspiDimitrov

OPENING DAY HOME RUNS, NO-HITTERS, WALK-OFF WINS…AND HOT DOGS

Herts Little League players and fans are standing for the National Anthem

 

Report from Herts Little League Correspondent, Tracey Manning

The sun is shining and the smell of hotdogs is in the air, which means that the 2010 Herts Little League season is under way at Grovehill Ballpark with eager kids and parents alike.

This year’s teams in the Majors Division are the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs and Cardinals and in the Minors Division the players themselves chose the names of the teams and they are the Herts Tornados and the Herts Crocs.

On Diamond 1 the Cardinals and Cubs opened up the new season and the newcomers quickly gelled into their new teams to produce a great game. With a dominant performance by Carlos Casal Jr on the mound and with some timely hitting, the Cardinals picked up the win with a final score of 4-0.

Over on Diamond 2 the Red Sox and the Yankees resumed their rivalry in a cracking game. With much gusto and plenty of heart-in-your-mouth action the game ended dramatically in a 4-4 tie.

On Diamond 3 the Herts Tornados and the Herts Crocs got off to a flying start and boy can those Minor Leaguers play a fast game. The final score was 12-11 to the Tornados.

 

 

Opening Day Guest of Honour was Milwaukee Brewers Coach, Sam Dempster.

The Herts Little League players and parents had the opportunity to shake his hand

and thank him for his support and the tremendous contribution which he has

made for the development of Herts Baseball Club over the last few years.

 

 

After lunch, and plenty of hot dogs and Krispy Kreme doughnuts later, the second games of the day got under way. The Red Sox were too strong for the Cardinals winning with a final score of 13-5.In the other game it looked like the Cubs was going to run away with the win after taking a 9-0 lead, but the Yankees had other plans and fought back with a new-found energy. It proved to be too little too late for them with the Cubs winning 9-5. Nick Martinez was the winning pitcher but Jordan Carter and Lewis Green played a key role in relief.

As the younger members played their last game off the day at a little slower pace the Crocs got their revenge after the loss earlier in the day winning the second game in the series 8-6.

The opening day of the season was the hottest day of the year so far, but the players kept cool and all enjoyed the day. Everyone can’t wait for the next game day, great support from friends and families wonderful turn out and may it continue.

 

 

More images from the 2010 Opening Day

by AspiDimitrov

HAWKS SPLIT DOUBLE-HEADER IN CROYDON

By Herts Hawks beat reporter, Simon Langton

 

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

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

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

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

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

by AspiDimitrov

PITCHING IN

Let's face it — anyone who has seen baseball and enjoyed it even a little bit, wants to get up there and pitch.  For all the glamour of hitting home runs, the pitcher is the guy at the absolute centre of the game. He even gets to stand on a little hill, for heaven's sake. It's what everybody wants to know when you tell them you play baseball: are you a pitcher? And finally this season, several players — including your humble correspondent — have made their debut and got a taste of what it is all about. 

I always knew I wouldn't become a regular pitcher. I don't throw the ball hard, I am not a big, strong guy, and I don't have Timmy Lincecum's freakish ability to overcome a small frame with fantastic mechanics. But I never gave up hope! This year, in our Opening Day blowout by Southampton, the opportunity finally arose for me to tug the manager's sleeve and say “Hey, put me in”. And I enjoyed every second of it. Really, really enjoyed it. The game follows your rhythm, the fielders watch you, the runners watch you, the hitters watch you. The game is yours to win, and to lose. Maybe even Timmy remembers with fondness the first time he stood on the mound…

Although I enjoyed it, that's not to say I was happy with the results, not by a long shot. But it wasn't a disaster. I told the team before we went out that my aim was to throw strikes, and let the hitter earn his way on base — not to toss him BP, you understand, but not to get caught out by trying to be too fine. And I honestly don't remember walking anyone, although I assume I must have done. So I will count that in my favour. There were hits, certainly. I remember one strong double going into left field. But there were also three outs. The first was a ground ball to our infielders who had a a really good day at Southampton. The second was — oh yes — a strike-out. Why didn't I buy that ball off the Mustangs! I struck someone out!! And then I also helped make the final out — a towering pop-up which I lost about four times in the sun, then bobbled as it came down, only to be rescued by Phil Gover, alert on the infield,  standing next to me — he promptly caught it cleanly.  

I am happy to be my own toughest critic and so I can tell you that I singularly failed to ignore the batter. I did feel constrained, and ended up trying to place the ball into the zone, rather than throwing it through. That meant that more than one pitch bounced on the plate! I didn't focus enough on the glove, despite years standing in the outfield shouting to the pitcher to just “put it in the glove”. I never imagined it was that easy but now I know for sure.

The Raptors manager this year, Ken, has laudably decided that people should be given the chance to step on to the mound as well as stepping up to the plate. Jeff is our only “veteran” pitcher and so, as well as me, there have been first timers in Bryan Drummond, Jim Arnott, Ken himself and Phil Gover. I know they have all enjoyed it and will gladly go back for more, and I will be right there with them. Phil has been this week's phenom. “Such a great feeling” was how he summed up the experience. “Pretty stunning” was what the manager said. I suspect he, like me, will long remember the feeling when he took the game ball in his hand, and stepped to the heart of the action.

 

by AspiDimitrov

HISTORIC WEEKEND FOR HERTS BASEBALL

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

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

 

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

 

by AspiDimitrov

BREAKTHROUGH FOR HERTS TEAMS

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

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

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

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

by AspiDimitrov

HERTS TEAMS SUFFER STRING OF LOSSES

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

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

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

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

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

by AspiDimitrov

BBC VIEWERS GET A TASTE OF HERTS BASEBALL

The following article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

GOOD WEEKEND FOR BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL ON THE BBC

 

It was a good May Bank Holiday weekend for British baseball and softball on BBC national radio and television.

Softball on Radio 2

It began on the Friday Fixture slot on Simon Mayo’s Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 just before 7.00 pm.

This segment features sports that don’t get as much publicity as they deserve, and in a three-minute interview with sports reporter Matt Williams, Bob Fromer, BSUK Communications Consultant and GB Softball General Manager, was able to promote co-ed slowpitch softball as a participation sport and the GB Women’s Fastpitch Team for their achievement in qualifying for this summer’s World Championships in Venezuela despite receiving no public funding.

Baseball on BBC 1

Then, on the BBC 1 Breakfast programme on Saturday morning, their resident intrepid sports reporter Mike Bushell visited Herts Baseball Club to see what was happening and have a go.

The report covered the encouraging growth in British Baseball league teams this season and the developing youth programme at Herts, and Herts player-manager and GB Baseball General Manager Jason Greenberg was able to promote the current fund-raising drive to get the GB Baseball Team to this summer’s European Championships.

Given the general reluctance of mainstream media in this country to pay much attention to minority sports, the coverage this weekend was very welcome, and the BBC should be commended for providing it.

Click here for more photos featuring the Herts Little Leaguers and Mike Bushell’s tryout with the Herts Falcons