Pitcher Robbie Almanzar facing Falcons slugger Ryan Bird in game 6 of the 2012 National Championship Final

The Herts Falcons have announced the signing of left-handed pitcher Robbie Almanzar.

Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Almanzar is entering his fourth season in the National Baseball League, having spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the Harlow Nationals followed by a brief spell with the Essex Arrows last year.

In his NBL debut season he burst onto the scene scooping the Most Valuable Pitcher Award after a remarkable debut season. He led all of the key pitching categories including Most Wins (9 wins 0 losses), Most Strike-Outs (52), Best ERA 3.36, Best WHIP (1.17) and Most Innings Pitched (72).

TEAM	SEASON	W	L	ERA	CG	IP	SO	SO/9IP
Harlow Nationals	2012	9	0	3.36	8	75	52	6.2
Harlow Nationals	2013	1	4	6.75	2	29 1/3	18	5.5
Essex Arrows	2014	0	0	0	0	2/3	0	0

Source: Project COBB

Herts fans remember him well after he broke their hearts in game 6 of the National Baseball League Championship Final. He won that game 6-3.

Robbie Almanzar (left) trying to get to first base in the 2013 National Championship Semi-Final (photo by Richard Lee)

He added to Herts Falcons’ misery a year later when the two teams met again in the playoffs, this time in the National Semi-Final. The game finished 9-8 with Almanzar once again pitching a complete game to claim the win.

Although NBL fans mostly recognise him for his pitching achievements, he has impressive batting stats with career batting average of .281, slugging average of .378, including one home run, which was a grand slam against the Essex Redbacks in May 2013.

TEAM	SEASON	R	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBA	SLA	PA/SO
Harlow Nationals	2012	24	1	10	6	0.338	0.44	0.463	12.1
Harlow Nationals	2013	14	0	5	6	0.216	0.32	0.275	15.3
Essex Arrows	2014	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	4

This news is a major boost for Herts ahead of the new season. With 2014 NBL Most Valuable Batter and Most valuable Pitcher, Abel Salas, making the move to the USA, the Falcons were desperate to add to their roster. The additions of Maikel Azcuy and Robbie Almanzar are two major acquisitions which have put the team straight back in the NBL race.

Falcons fans are expected to see both new signings make their Spring Training debuts when the Herts Spring League commences later this month.

By Daniel Levitt @DanielLevitt32

Herts Falcons can officially announc the free agent signing of Pau Sancho from German side Bonn Capitals, their second signing of the offseason thus far.

At 27 years of age, Pau brings a wealth of experience with him, having played in America, Spain and Germany to date. He most recently helped the Capitals to a 17-7 record in the German Bundesliga.

Pau is a natural baseball athlete having been a part of the Under-15 Spanish National Team in 2002, even winning the European Championships MVP award in the same year. His success as a junior earned him a call up to the senior Spanish National Team, and was the second-youngest player at the Baseball World Cup in 2005. In 2008 he won the Under-21 European Championship with Spain defeating Italy in the final.

Pau was invited to the MLB European Academy in 2003, 2005 and 2006, an event attended by a host of MLB teams and scouts. He then went on to play and study at San Diego City College and Rogers State University, Oklahoma, – NCAA Division II – between the years 2007-08 and 2009-10 respectively.

Having played at second-base, shortstop and third-base in the past, the right-hander will add versatility to the Falcons infield and will be an offensive threat in the line-up. Over the last four seasons with Barcelona FC and Bonn Capitals, Sancho maintained a .389 average in 103 games and hit 9 home runs over that period.

Everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club will look forward to seeing Pau on the field in 2015.

By Daniel Levitt @DanielLevitt32

Follow Herts Baseball on Twitter: @HertsBaseball

 

The Herts Falcons can officially confirm the signing of Maikel Azcuy from national champions Essex Arrows.

Azcuy joins the Falcons after winning four straight national titles, a feat achieved by only 16 other players, with the latest coming this year with the Arrows. Azcuy’s three other titles came with the Harlow Nationals.

A full list of all the four-time winners can be viewed here.

From the 2014 Herts Falcons roster, only Darrin Ward and John Blose have worn the Great Britain Senior National Team uniform in the past, but Azcuy is the first Herts Falcons player in the club’s history who is a current GB Senior Team player. He has been a key member of the GB squad in the last 3 years playing in the 2012 and 2014 European Championship campaigns. In this year’s European Championships in Germany and the Czech Republic, Maikel Azcuy had an impressive .370 batting average.

The Falcons have come up against Azcuy on many occasions over the years, but in 2015 he will be wearing  Herts uniform (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

Herts Baseball Club is delighted to add such a gifted player to its roster, both on offense and defense. Maikel has won five home run titles in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He has a career average of .421 in 9 seasons in the National Baseball League.

Azcuy currently has 33 career NBL home runs and, in 2015, will chase down the all-time record, currently held by Simon Pole with 35.

MAIKEL AZCUY NBL CAREER STATISTICS

TEAM	SEASON	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	HBP	SO	SB	BA	OBA	SLA
Essex Arrows	2014	74	68	24	28	6	4	3	30	5	0	13	7	0.412	0.446	0.750
Harlow Nationals	2013	66	54	18	19	2	1	4	10	9	3	7	7	0.352	0.470	0.648
Harlow Nationals	2012	89	76	15	32	8	0	4	26	8	3	12	9	0.421	0.478	0.684
Southern Nationals	2011	84	71	25	30	5	1	4	23	9	2	17	11	0.423	0.494	0.690
Croydon Pirates	2010	96	85	19	36	5	2	6	31	9	1	18	3	0.424	0.479	0.741
Croydon Pirates	2009	44	39	15	12	4	2	1	4	5	0	7	8	0.308	0.386	0.590
Croydon Pirates	2008	37	34	8	16	1	1	4	12	1	2	10	1	0.471	0.514	0.912
Croydon Pirates	2007	71	58	33	31	4	1	5	31	11	0	6	6	0.534	0.592	0.897
Croydon Pirates	2006	25	23	9	10	3	0	2	6	2	0	4	2	0.435	0.480	0.826
TOTALS		586	508	166	214	38	12	33	173	59	11	94	54	0.421	0.485	0.738

Source: Project COBB

On the defensive side, the Falcons welcome the reigning Best Third Baseman in the NBL, an award equivalent to Major League Baseball’s Gold Glove Award. Azcuy also won the same award in 2010 with the Croydon Pirates.

Herts Falcons fans will be able to see Azcuy for the first time when he joins the team for spring training in 2015.

By Daniel Levitt @DanielLevitt32

Follow Herts Baseball on Twitter: @HertsBaseball

Report by Daniel Levitt

The Herts Falcons have endured their fair share of ups and downs over the course of the 2014 season.

Whether it be the crippling injury to Cristobal Hiche at the start of the year or the consistent line-up changes, they have pretty much seen it all. However, they keep on fighting and have refuted the idea of giving up.

It was fitting then, that the latest chapter in their epic journey provided a synopsis of their season so far.

They fought for their lives this past Sunday, to earn a split against the Southern Nationals at Farnham Park. The 5-7 and 10-9 score lines simply don’t capture the emotion and ardent nature with which both games were played in.

Heading into the double-header, it was salient: how many runs could the Falcons pour on their run-leaking rivals. For the reigning champions however, it was all about offensive production, with just 3 home runs slugged all season, compared to Herts’ 10.

Game 1 could not have gotten off to a worse start for the visitors, as it was the Nationals who piled on the runs early, with 2 runs coming in both the second and third innings. In a complete turnaround from the pre-game predictions, it was the hosts that were on the offensive and waiting for their opponents’ to turn up.

The reply started in the third inning and continued into the sixth where the deficit was cut in half and the game sat poised at 4-2 heading into the final frame.

Enter the Herts Falcons’ bats.

The zealous crowd on hand had waited all afternoon for this highly anticipated game to kick into action, and finally it did.

The Falcons would not just pull back and tie the game, they would go onto score five runs in the seventh inning to win the contest. After six innings of anguish, Herts Manager Cristobal Hiche and his troops could exult and breathe a sigh of relief, for now.

Click here to view game one box scores.

Their jubilant mood over such heroics would last only so long however, as game 2 started hastily.

For the Falcons, they were determined to get off to a better than they had in the opener, but that was just a pipe dream as the defending champions once again raced off to a 5-0 lead after just four innings. But the hosts weren’t as resolute in holding their lead as they had hoped.

With Abel Salas leading the way, the Falcons rejoined a string of hits and suddenly found themselves with three hard-earned runs, but still trailing 10-3 heading into the seventh and final inning of the afternoon.

The presentiment from the Nationals over what might happen for the second time in one afternoon, couldn’t have helped their nerves and, for a split second, it looked as though both teams would leave the ballpark with the ‘Miracle of Farnham Park’ swirling in their heads.

As the hosts came within one out of falling to defeat, they built momentum and again pieced the hits together to score five runs in succession.

The much talked about Falcons bats were finally flying.

The baseball gods had seen enough drama for one afternoon however, and the Nationals eventually recorded the final out to leave the game as an enigma, but not one the Falcons would want to try and work out.

As for the standings, the Falcons remain three games out of a playoff spot with just four games remaining in this rollercoaster season. For the first time now, their fate is out of their own hands and their road to redemption reconvenes this Sunday as they play a pair of games against the Essex Arrows.

Nationals and Falcons meet again at Farnham Park in a do or die series for Herts (photo by Richard Lee)

Written by Daniel Levitt

The Herts Falcons take on the Southern Nationals at Farnham Park on Sunday in the most crucial of series they will play all season.

It seems as though the latter part of that last sentence is reiterated each week, but as the Falcons sit just 3 games out of the fourth and final playoff spot, held by the Nationals, it’s a make or break weekend for the visitors.

“We’ve been playing some great baseball all year” Falcons Manager, Lee Manning said. “We need to put it all together for one last push”.

That “push” starts on Sunday as a plethora of questions will be answered for not only the Falcons and Blazers, but the whole league as well. After their series split with the Falcons last week, the Bracknell Blazers find themselves just one game behind the Nationals, as they gear up to face the third-placed London Mets this weekend.

That task is made harder by the fact that there are just 6 games remaining, emphasising the importance of sweeping the Nationals. Should they fail to, they will remain 3 games out with just 4 to go, or worse, eliminated completely should they get swept.

“We have a team which is capable of pulling it off” Club President Aspi Dimitrov claimed leading up to weekend’s action. “All the pressure is on us this Sunday, but we can turn the table on the Nationals if we win both games”.

For the Falcons, they know what they have to do: win or they are out. Be sure to catch the double-header at Farnham Park, Slough.

Jose Sosa came within two innings of securing a win in game one (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Report by Daniel Levitt

It seems as though time fast-forwards each week in this captivating playoff race the Herts Falcons find themselves in. This chapter of their season saw the Bracknall Blazers visit Grovehill Ballpark to settle a two-game series.

With the Blazers and Falcons sitting two and three games out of the fourth playoff spot at the start of the day respectively, no team could afford to lose both games with just eight games remaining in the season.

The Falcons welcomed back Abel Salas from a two-week absence due to illness, whom would provide them a much needed quality start in the second game, but it was Jose Sosa who took the mound in the opener.

Sosa, coming off his best start to date last week against the Southampton Mustangs, seemed to be in full control early, on the way to his second win in as many weeks.

Combining a heated fastball and nasty breaking ball, the Cuban found himself up 2-0 courtesy of some solid offensive production from his hitters after the three innings, however that was where it all turned south.

After giving up two runs in the top of the fourth, Sosa helped his team fight back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the fifth, but it was in the sixth inning where Sosa lost his mojo and ultimately when the Falcons collapsed to a heartbreaking loss.

The Blazers crossed the plate a mammoth six times in the sixth to break the game wide open, chasing Sosa from the tie in the process.

Darrin Ward came in to pitch the seventh and surrendered just a single run, but it wasn’t enough as the Falcons handed the Blazers the first battle of the day as they fell 9-5.

Heading into the finale, the Falcons simply couldn’t afford another late game collapse, with their entire season depended on them not doing so.

With Abel Salas back on the mound the Falcons are a very dangerous opponent (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Game two was almost a mirror image of the opener as the Falcons jumped to an early, scoring four in the first and adding on another in the second to find themselves up 5-0 after three. The hosts would not score again, instead leaking runs gradually to set up a late-inning climax for the ages.

As the visitors found the scoreboard with two in the fourth and then another run in the sixth, the contest teetered on a knife edge heading into the final frame of the day, with the Falcons up barely by 5-3.

The Blazers added one run in the seventh, which left the deficit at just one run. Through some sterling defence and clutch pitching down the stretch by Salas, the Falcons split the two-game series and were able to avoid a disaster that would have surely ended any playoff hopes.

For Salas, it was a pitching performance that, if the Falcons go onto make the postseason, will be remembered long in the history of the organization. In his seven-inning complete game, Salas struck a startling 12 batters, while also walking twice and scoring a decisive run at the plate.

As it stands now, Herts stand three games behind the Southern Nationals for the fourth and final playoff spot and, with two games coming against the Nationals this Sunday, the Falcons have one last chance to make their move and resurrect their championship hopes.

A split next week will leave them with slimmest of chances of making the postseason, being swept will be catastrophic and will all but end any remaining hopes.

Jose Sosa was majestic on the mound from start to finish of game 1 (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Daniel Levitt reporting from Grovehill Ballpark

Everybody on the Herts Falcons knew the stakes, it was now matter of everyone fulfilling their expectations.

The Falcons sat three games behind the playoff spots heading into their double-header with the Southampton Mustangs on Sunday, after losing a pair to the London Mets last week that crippled their postseason hopes

In the week leading up to crunch two-game series, the Falcons learned that they would again be without star pitcher and hitter Abel Salas, out with an illness for the second straight week.

Their mission just got a whole lot tougher.

With their fate in their own hands still, the team knew that they could not afford any more hiccups. The table-topping Mustangs were no pushovers by any stretch of the matter, but for 13 of the 14 innings played on Sunday, the Falcons looked as though they would escape this chapter unscathed and with two wins under their belts.

In Salas’ absence, centre-fielder Jose Sosa stepped onto the pitcher’s mound to produce perhaps the best outing of his career. Facing a stacked Mustangs line-up, Sosa was military like, sitting down hitters as though they were being ordained.

Sosa had just two rough innings, not bad for someone known more for his offensive exploits. After giving up a solo shot in the second and facing bases loaded with nobody out an inning later, the Cuban took advantage of his pinpoint fastball and some heads up defense by third-baseman, Jamie Gregory, to escape the major jam with just one run given up.

Having weathered the storm early on, it only got better for Sosa and his team.

Entering the sixth inning down 2-1, the Falcons unleashed a rally as if their lives depended on it.

Sosa himself started the comeback by reaching base for the third time in the game, courtesy of a throwing error to first and even managed to advance to second on the play. A Darrin Ward single between the third-base-shortstop gap prevented Sosa from advancing, and when a sacrifice bunt forced the pitcher to be tagged out at third, you couldn’t help but think it just wasn’t their day.

Enter John Blose.

The left-fielder has been largely unmentioned thus far this season, but he seldom fails to get in on the action. A double to straight away centre-field cleared the bases and, just like that, the Falcons had taken the lead. A wild pitch was enough to score Blose and make it 4-2.

Sosa then reeled off 1-2-3 in the last inning to seal the deal, including a terrific grab off a line-drive that would have otherwise taken his face off, had his glove not been there.

The sweep was on the cards and another step towards the fourth and final playoff spot, but the finale could not have panned out worse for the Falcons early on.

Starting pitcher Michael Osborne, suffering from lingering inflammation around his throwing shoulder, could only manage one inning before the pain eventually got too much. Third-baseman Jamie Gregory stepped into to try and fill the void, but he too was unable to do so.

After two innings, the Falcons found themselves down 11-2.

As Ryan Hackle took control for the last 5 innings of the second game, Herts fans arriving late for the game were asking whether this is Robbie Unsell (photo by Paul Holdrick)

But as Falcons fans have been accustomed to for much of the season, they were about to witness a soaring comeback that forced them to stand for the rest of the game.

Very rarely does a team score double digits in one inning, so the Falcons knew the deficit would have to be broken down inning by inning.

When Gregory swapped the glove for the bat and hit a single to lead off the 4th inning, Phil Clark then slugged his third home run over the right-field fence to make it an 11-6 game. A nervous energy began to fill the ground.

Phil Clark greeted at home after his 2-run homerun in the second game (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Ryan Hackel led the 5th inning off with a double and then proceeded to score on a throwing error. Darrin Ward cashed in Zac Malone to put the game on a knife point at 12-8. Another run batted in by Gregory and the Falcons were within a long-ball of tying the game.

That’s where it all ended however, as failure to convert a Jose Sosa double in the sixth meant the Falcons were on the wrong end of yet another agonizing defeat.

The Mustangs on the other hand, will count themselves lucky to escape Hertfordshire with even one game, and return to the south coast knowing they had been within three runs of a humiliating collapse.

The Falcons remain three games out of the playoff spots and face a double-header at home against the Bracknell Blazers on Sunday. The series proves to be the most important of the season thus far and, the ability to move within one game of the Southern Nationals will be on the minds of the home team.

Jose Sosa willing Ryan Hackel on to score against the Mets (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Daniel Levitt, reporting from Grovehill Ballpark

The Herts Falcons saw their playoff hopes take a huge dent on Sunday, as they dropped a pair of games to the London Mets in Finsbury Park.

Starting the afternoon already two games behind the reigning champion Southern Nationals, the Falcons knew they had to escape the capital with at least one win under their belts. The fact that they departed with zero, serves as yet another major hump in a bumpy road this season.

The Falcons, whom have been plagued with injuries all season long, were up against it from the start, after news broke that star pitcher and hitter Abel Salas would be unavailable for both games due to illness. A testament to the team was that they fought right to the death, and could have actually walked away as winners of both games.

It wasn’t to be however.

Game 1 saw centre-fielder, Jose Sosa, step in at the eleventh hour and perform a quality outing in just his second start on the mound this year. The Dominican flashed the heat throughout, striking out 11 in total and appeared in control and relatively unfazed, but a run in the each of the first, fifth and sixth innings proved to be his downfall.

On another day, Sosa would have played the hero, instead he was the losing pitcher.

There were positives that the Falcons could take into the second game of the afternoon, with Michael Osborne and Liam Green each tacking an RBI onto their season totals, while shortstop Ryan Hackel once again flashed the leather on defense, turning another string of impressive double plays.

One trend the Falcons continued was their indefatigable commitment and unwillingness to give in, and relentlessly fought back to just a 3-2 deficit heading into the final inning.

With runners on second and third and two outs, the game could have gone either way. It wasn’t meant to be however, as Mets closer Jamie Thomas sealed a tough loss for the Falcons.

Falcons manager, Lee Manning, will not know how his team lost game 2, but a mid-game collapse may have just cost his side a spot in the postseason. After sprinting to a 6-0 lead in the third inning, the Falcons steadily surrendered the lead and eventually lost in extra innings.

Having gone ahead early through a Hackel RBI single, a two-run double by Osborne and three RBIs courtesy of three consecutive walks, the Falcons seemingly took their foot off the gas and began thinking about next week’s match-up.

By the sixth inning, they were tied.

The Mets then took the lead in the sixth, scoring on a single to go up 7-6.

The seesaw game took to another turn when the Falcons managed to tie the game once again, courtesy of a John Blose RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.

The Falcons’ fate was sealed when they allowed the Mets to score the winning run on an overthrow, a bitterly disappointing way to lose a thrilling game.

Osborn and Ward combine to pick off a London runner (photo by Paul Holdrick)

With that, the Falcons now find themselves at 4-10 for the season and 3 games out of the playoff places. With a crunch 2-game series coming up against the table-topping Southampton Mustangs, the Hertfordshire based club cannot afford to lose any more ground if they are to be serious playoff contenders.

The double-header takes place at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hemstead, with the first pitch scheduled for 12pm.

Falcons’ rally caps couldn’t get them the run they needed in the final inning (photo by Paul Holdrick)

Daniel Levitt, reporting from Grovehill Ballpark

The Herts Falcons took on the Southern Nationals in a double header on Sunday, in what was the most anticipated series of the season thus far. Heading into the two games, both teams stood on the cusp of the playoff spots.

Soaked in glorious sunshine, Grovehill Ballpark was once again drenched in perfect playing conditions. The Falcons knew they would have to be at their very best to topple the reigning champion Nationals.

The Nationals opened Game 1 with one run in the top half of the first without even registering a hit, but the Falcons quickly answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, when Phil Clarke scored on a Jose Sosa double, who was then thrown out at third stretching for a triple.

The Nationals slowly built a solid three run lead by tacking on a run in each of the next three innings. But as the home team has done all season long, Herts battled back and climbed within one run in the fifth inning.

Carlos Velzaco got things started with a lead-off walk and when Clarke also got a free pass, Sosa delivered his second hit and RBI of the game. Abel Salas then walked to load the bases for power-man Darrin Ward.

First baseman Ward displayed a mature approach at the plate by getting on base any way possible. Instead of swinging aimlessly, Ward managed to frustrate the pitcher enough to draw a hit-by-pitch and make it a 4-3 contest.

It looked as though the game was out of reach when Nationals’ Moses Vasquez launched a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to make it a 6-3 deficit, but the Falcons once again fought back.

They added an RBI single courtesy of Clarke in the bottom of the sixth and, when Salas launched his second solo home run of the season, the Falcons were suddenly just one run down again.

Despite having a runner in scoring position with two outs, the Falcons would fall just short however.

Falcons’ starting pitcher, Michael Osborne, was unlucky to be the losing pitcher, but a couple of critical errors by the Falcons led to the crucial runs being scored. Sosa completed an inning of work on the mound, striking out two in the process.

Click here to view Game 1 box scores

Game 2 saw Abel Salas take the mound for the Falcons, coming off a majestic outing a fortnight ago against the South London Pirates. In the win over the Pirates, Salas pitched a complete game giving up just the single run. This week was another solid performance, coming up just short against a tougher line up.

The final game of the day was a different story with the Falcons leading for most of the way and the Nationals this time staging the late comeback. Heading into the bottom of the fourth tied at two, the Falcons opened up some daylight between their pesky opponents.

Velazco drew his second lead-off walk of the game and Liam Green followed by being hit by a pitch, and when John Blose drew the second walk of the inning, it led to a bases loaded situation for starting pitcher Salas. Just as he did a fortnight ago against the Pirates, Salas helped his own cause by cashing in two runs with a double to deep centre field.

Click here to view Game 2 box scores

After the game Falcons manager, Lee Manning, said of Salas, “he just goes to work every time”.

“He is integral to our team and what Herts Baseball is all about. Especially with the younger guys, he’s a great role model”.

Salas’ efforts weren’t quite enough this time around, as the Nationals slugged their second home run of the game in the sixth inning to tie it up, and then scored the go-ahead run in the seventh. Salas struck out a season high fourteen batters in seven innings.

The Mexican won’t be too crestfallen as the Falcons sit just two games outside of the playoff spots, with the team heading into a three week break before their next game.

The Falcons’ next game is a double header away to the London Mets (7-5 ), who currently sit in third place. Join us in Finsbury Park for what promises to be a crunch series for the Herts Falcons.