Author: Herts Baseball News Editor

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Falcons’ Robert Smith to represent his country at the U18 World Cup in South Korea next month

Herts Falcons’ pitcher, Robert Smith, received the exciting news that he has been selected by the South Africa Under-18 National Team to compete in the 29th WBSC Baseball World Cup which will be held in South Korea from 30 August to 8 September 2019.

South Africa is ranked 23rd in the world and has been drawn in a particularly difficult group with the number one and two seeds, Japan and USA, respectively. They will open their World Cup campaign against the USA in a night game on 30 August.

The games will be played at the impressive newly-unveiled Gijang-Hyundai Dream Ballpark in Busan (pictured above).

Robert Smith’s family moved from South Africa to the UK in 2016 when he joined Herts Baseball Club playing for the Herts U17 team. He immediately impressed the Herts coaches and soon after joining was added to the Herts Falcons which is the club’s first team playing in the National Baseball League which is Britain’s top league tier.

Rob Smith up to bat for Herts in the 2017 UK Little League Qualifier

Smith will be one of only two players in the South Africa 20-man roster who are based overseas. This adds an additional financial burden on his family.  Herts fans and anyone who wants to help Rob Smith to raise funds to play in the World Cup can do so by going to the online crowdfunding campaign which has started already.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

MLB London Series – we still can’t believe this is happening

We are about to experience a historic week for baseball in Great Britain and Europe. We have been waiting for this for many years. We are just days away but still can’t quite believe that this is going to happen in our home city.

Below you will find details of this week’s events and links to more information to make the most of the MLB London Series.

MLB LONDON SERIES – EVENTS SCHEDULE

  • Sunday, 23 June, – MLB Cup London (U13 Baseball) – The London Stadium
  • Tuesday, 25 June, MLB Elite Development Tournament – Farnham Park, Slough
  • Wednesday, 26 June, MLB Elite Development Tournament – Farnham Park, Slough
  • Thursday, 27 June, MLB Elite Development Tournament – Farnham Park, Slough
  • Friday, 28 June, MLB Workout Day – The London Stadium
  • Friday, 28 June, MLB London Yards – The Truman Brewery
  • Saturday, 29 June, MLB Play Ball Park – The London Stadium
  • Saturday, 29 June, MLB London Yards – The Truman Brewery
  • Saturday, 29 June, New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox – The London Stadium
  • Sunday, 30 June, MLB Play Ball Park – The London Stadium
  • Sunday, 30 June, MLB London Yards – The Truman Brewery
  • Sunday, 30 June, New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox – The London Stadium

MLB LONDON SERIES – USEFUL LINKS

PLAY BASEBALL

You don’t have to be just a spectator this week. We have Midweek Evening Baseball at our ballparks in Hemel Hempstead and NW London. Contact us for details how to take part.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Falcons about to descend on Europe

The Herts Falcons are on the eve of their first ever appearance in continental club competitions. They booked their European Federations Cup place after finishing runners-up in the National Baseball League (NBL) last year.

The Falcons were one of six teams from around Europe drawn in Pool 2. Games will be played in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, which is a city 60 miles from Sofia, the cultural centre of its region. There are two universities, so plenty of cafes and restaurants, and it hosts several music festivals. The Blagoevgrad Buffaloes baseball team have won a string of national titles.

Herts Falcons at Stansted Airport on Saturday about to board their plane to Bulgaria

Herts Falcons will play five pool games commencing Monday, June 10, at 1:30pm local time (11:30am London time) against Polish side UKS Deby Osielsko, who are currently second in the Polish Ekstraliga with 11 wins and 5 losses.

They have four further games to play, one game per day which will give the players a taste of the gruelling lifestyle of MLB players who play 162 regular season games every season.

DATE GAME LOCAL TIME (UK time shown in brackets)
Mon, 10 June 2019 Herts Falcons (GBR) vs UKS Deby Osielsko (POL) 1:30pm (11:30am)
Tue, 11 June 2019 Herts Falcons (GBR) vs Athletic Sofia (BUL) 5:00pm (3:00pm)
Wed, 12 June 2019 Herts Falcons (GBR) vs CS Atletico Alexandria (ROM) 1:30pm (11:30am)
Thu, 13 June 2019 Herts Falcons (GBR) vs Solvesborg Firehawks (SWE) 1:30pm (11:30am)
Fri, 14 June 2019 Utenos Titanai (LTU) vs Herts Falcons (GBR) 1:30pm (11:30am)

Falcons practice session at the excellent ballpark in Blagoevgrad

Four of their five group games will be as the home team, but at some point the Falcons will unveil their new red away jersey (pictured right).

The top two teams after the pool games will play in the final on Saturday, 15 June, 12:00pm UK time, to determine the winner. If British baseball clubs make progress in these Qualifiers, they can look forward to competing in the Champions Cup and the CEB Cup alongside the highest ranked European clubs.

There is a heavy financial burden on the players due to the high costs of traveling to Europe and the team has had fantastic support from sponsors Regin Products and other partners and supporters.

As part of the club’s fundraising efforts, the net proceeds from every monthly draw of the Herts Baseball Lottery between June and December 2019 will be used to help fund the Herts Falcons’ European campaign. You don’t have to be a club member to play. Anyone over the age of 16 can buy a ticket and play for a chance to win the Jackpot.

Fans can follow Live Play-by-Play updates from every game on the CEB website. We are also expecting confirmation whether some of the games will be streamed live on the internet. For full coverage of the Falcons’ European exploits, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts looking for more youth baseball coaches with MLB London Series around the corner

The highest number of Herts Baseball Club members was 150, recorded in 2015. That number has already been beaten this season and this is even before the anticipated impact of the MLB London Series games between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees which will be played on 29 and 30 June.

The club is now looking to add more coaches to its youth baseball programmes in Hemel Hempstead and North West London in preparation for this game-changing event for British baseball.

The roles are ideal for someone who would like to pass on their knowledge and experience to a new generation of Herts players and create an enjoyable family atmosphere during games, practice and other events.

Below are links with more details about the roles. For more information or to apply for one or several of these roles, please contact us.

• Team Manager, Youth Baseball Leagues (Hemel Hempstead) (click for details)

• Head Coach, Midweek Evening Youth Baseball (Hemel Hempstead) (click for details)

• Team Manager, Youth Baseball Leagues (NW London) (click for details)

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Coach Monte Brooks to work with Herts players while keeping one eye on MLB Draft this week

This Thursday evening, 6 June, Herts Baseball Club will be hosting an open session with special guest coach Monte Brooks.

Brooks has just completed his 23rd season as head coach of The Master’s University baseball team in the USA, having led the Mustangs to the NAIA postseason in five of the last seven seasons. He earned the 700th win of his Master’s career earlier this year and is the program’s all-time leader in wins with a record of 715-483. He has led the Mustangs to four NAIA World Series appearances (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017) and three regular-season GSAC titles.

As a player, Brooks was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1987 with whom he spent four seasons in the minor leagues and later coached in the Padres organisation before his appointment with Master’s University.

He will be visiting London this week and Herts players will be able to work with him at this session. His area of expertise is working with hitters and infielders so a fantastic opportunity for players aged 14 and over from the various Herts major and minor league teams as well as those considering joining the club.

During his visit to London, coach Brooks will be forgiven if, from time to time, he checks on the MLB Draft which starts this week as three players from his Master’s University team will be hoping to hear their names called out by an MLB team.

This Thursday’s open session will take place from 6pm to 8pm at the club’s Basing Hill Ballpark in northwest London. It is open to all current Herts members as well as new players who are interested to take part in this session with a view to joining the club. If you are not a current club member and wish to take part in this session, please contact us.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Announcing the Herts Baseball Lottery

Over its 23-year history, Herts Baseball Club has been running various fundraising activities and projects which have helped this non-profit organisation to invest in new and better facilities and to increase the number of people playing baseball.

The club is now expanding its fundraising activities further with the launch of the Herts Baseball Lottery.

You don’t have to be a club member to play. Anyone over the age of 16 can buy a ticket and play for a chance to win the Jackpot every month and, at the same time, raise funds for club projects.

The net proceeds from every monthly Lottery draw between June and December 2019 will be used to help fund the Herts Falcons’ European Cup campaign.

Herts Falcons’ heroics in the National Baseball League Playoffs last September meant that next month they will play in the European Federations Cup for the first time in the club’s history. They have been drawn in a group with teams from Sweden, Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Bulgaria. The games will be played between 10 and 15 June 2019 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

For full details how to play go to the Herts Baseball Lottery webpages.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Homeward Bound

The Herts Londoners are preparing for their first home league game at Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London this Sunday.  They will face the reigning BBF Triple-A League national champions, Richmond Knights. The two teams already played against each other last month in Richmond and the Londoners caused a major upset by winning both games of that doubleheader.

They have continued their impressive performances and are currently second in the standings, one game back on the Essex Redbacks.

BBF Triple-A League Standings

“We are looking forward to the future of baseball in North West London and are aware of what that means for our club. We need to begin this chapter by playing hard and making this new field our home with winning performances” said Herts Londoners’ manager, Wade Lynch.

Although the work to develop Basing Hill into a high standard baseball venue has only just begun, this first home game for the Herts Londoners represents an important milestone for this project. To mark the occasion London Borough of Barnet Councillor Anne Clarke will be the guest of honour who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The ceremonial first pitch is a baseball tradition and it is usually thrown by guests of honour such as Presidents of the United States. Over the years this has also included British dignitaries such as Prince Harry and London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, who threw out the first pitch at MLB games in New York during recent official visits to the US.

This new baseball diamond was opened this year as part of the club’s preparations for the MLB London Series to provide extra capacity to accommodate the growing number of adult and youth participants interested in playing baseball. That interest is expected to be at its peak in the weeks during and after the two MLB games between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees which will be played at the London Stadium on 29-30 June. With no other baseball venues in North West London, residents in this densely-populated region now have the opportunity to come and try baseball and join the Herts baseball teams playing in the British adult and youth leagues.

The pre-game ceremony this Sunday will start at 11:45am and the first game of the doubleheader is at 12pm. Admission is free.  The venue currently does not have seating for spectators and fans are advised to bring chairs or other seating. Basing Hill Ballpark address, transport links etc.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Red-hot Hawks continue their unbeaten run

Brian Morgan reporting from Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead as Herts Hawks sweep Brighton.

Game one saw crafty veteran Darrin Ward take the hill throwing a solid complete game for the victory.  His command of the zone and mix of pitches left many Redhawks guessing.  Solid defence for all but one inning helped the effort.

Great work in the outfield from Antony Lavender, Mike Cresswell and Josh Morgan tracking down the balls from the heart of the order.  Equally solid was a mix of utility players in the infield of Charlie Mayhew, Giuseppe Basilea, Jon Lewys and Brian Morgan.  Andy Cornish was behind the dish keeping everything in front and the runners not wanting to test his arm.

Hawks bats were alive with a mix of singles and doubles to score 11 runs.  Big hits from Jon, Andy and Darrin led the charge.  Game one ended with a rough inning making the final score of 11-8 much closer than the rest of the contest.

In game two lefty ace Charlie Mayhew took his turn working through the Brighton batting order.  Impressive speed and knee buckling movement on the ball held the visitors to only 6 runs.  Several key strikeouts made the work for the defence easy.

Hawks veteran Manager Mike Cresswell made limited defensive changes in game two and that proved to be a key decision.  Key defensive plays by Giuseppe, Jon and Charlie on the mound kept the visitors frustrated.

Strong hitting again in game two from the Hawks order and aggressive base running by Josh and Antony sealed the victory early, 16-6.  Overall the team played very well together in both games and showed resilience when it was needed.  A great start to the new season extending their unbeaten run to four games. The Hawks go on the road next Sunday, 12 May, away at the Richmond Dragons. Game starts at 12pm.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Box scores: London Mustangs 12 Herts Eagles 6 – BBF Single-A League

LONDON MUSTANGS (12) AT HERTS EAGLES (6)

LONDON MUSTANGS      AB  R  H BI  HERTS EAGLES         AB  R  H BI
Andy 1                4  2  2  3  Adam Porte            3  1  1  1
Adele 11              4  0  0  2  Arnie Longboy         4  1  0  0
Jon 8                 2  1  0  0  Rob Gibson            0  2  0  0
Richard 3             3  0  0  1  Darren Priest         2  1  1  1
Joon 7                2  1  1  0  David Grindstaff      3  0  0  1
Oli 5                 3  2  1  1  Mohamed Abdule        2  1  0  2
Liam 2                1  2  0  0  Max Trautman          3  0  0  0
James 10              2  2  1  0  Aspi Dimitrov         2  0  0  0
Jacques 9             1  2  0  1  Andy Stratford        1  0  0  0
TOTALS               22 12  5  8  TOTALS               20  6  2  5

LONDON MUSTANGS               155 10 — 12
HERTS EAGLES                  401 01 — 6

LOB–LONDON MUSTANGS 5, HERTS EAGLES 8. ERR–Joon 7, Jon 8,
Liam 2, Mohamed Abdule (2), Max Trautman (2). 2B–Andy 1,
Oli 5. HBP–James 10, Jon 8, Liam 2. SB–Liam 2, Andy 1,
Richard 3, Oli 5 (2), Rob Gibson (2), Aspi Dimitrov, Mohamed
Abdule (2), Darren Priest, Adam Porte.

LONDON MUSTANGS                 IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Richard 3                      5.00    2    6    2    9    6    0
HERTS EAGLES
Arnie Longboy                  1.67    5   11   10    5    0    0
Aspi Dimitrov                  3.00    0    1    0    1    2    0

PB–Liam 2 (3), Darren Priest. SO–James 10, Jacques 9, Aspi
Dimitrov, Mohamed Abdule, Max Trautman, Arnie Longboy, David
Grindstaff, Darren Priest. BB–Joon 7, Jon 8, Jacques 9 (2),
Liam 2, Richard 3, Rob Gibson (3), Aspi Dimitrov, Andy
Stratford (2), Mohamed Abdule, Darren Priest, Adam Porte.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Teams ready for Opening Day of a huge season for baseball in the UK

Millions of MLB fans are enjoying the Opening Week of the 2019 baseball season and British Baseball fans will do the same this Sunday, 7 April, as the NBL and Triple-A League seasons get underway, followed by the Double-A and Single-A Leagues on 14 April.

The BBF schedules have been published and the five Herts teams have difficult opponents on Opening Day.

NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE

The Herts Falcons start with games against London Capitals and the Essex Arrows in a 3-team day at Finsbury Park. In the second week they travel to the reigning NBL champions, London Mets. This will be the first opportunity to see if the Falcons have been able to close the gap between them and the Mets since the end of the 2018 season which was dominated by the NBL champions.

The Falcons will have to wait until 28 April for their home-opener, and it is set to be a special occasion as all NBL teams will be in action at Grovehill Ballpark with four games on the two diamonds.

The NBL regular season will be played over 13 weeks, ending on 18 August. The Playoff Semi-Final and National Final will be played at Farnham Park on 24 and 25 August. The postseason is usually played in September, but it has been brought forward to August due to a clash with the European Championships where many NBL players will receive an international call-up from the GB Team and other European national teams.

Herts Falcons Schedule

TRIPLE-A LEAGUE

The Herts Londoners go into their inaugural season as one of three expansion teams in the Triple-A League.  The other two are the East London Latin Boys and the Kent Bucs, both promoted from the Double-A League which the Latin Boys won last year.

Similar to Tottenham Hotspurs and their newly-built stadium this year, the Herts Londoners will have to wait a few weeks for their first home game at their new Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London which is being built at the moment. Until then, they will play their first two home games at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead starting with a doubleheader versus Kent Bucs on Opening Day, 7 April. Their first game at Basing Hill Ballpark will be on 19 May.

The Triple-A League Playoffs will be played on 24-25 August alongside the NBL postseason.

Herts Londoners Schedule

DOUBLE-A LEAGUE

After reaching the Playoff Semi-Final last year, the Hawks will be hoping to go one better this time around. They open the new season on Sunday, 14 April, at home against the Richmond Dragons.

They have been placed in a division which looks very different this year as the geographic boundaries had to be redrawn after the addition of the Bristol Badgers who were the 2018 runners-up having previously played in the Central Division.

The Double-A Postseason will be played over three weekends starting with the Quarter-Finals on 25 August, Semi-Finals on 1 September and ending on 8 September with the National Final.

Herts Hawks Schedule

SINGLE-A LEAGUE

Herts will be represented by two teams in the Single-A League.  The Herts Raptors will play their home games at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead and the Herts Eagles will be based at the club’s new Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London.

Both teams open their campaigns at home on 14 April – Raptors versus London Musketeers and Eagles versus London Mustangs which will be the first ever baseball game to be played at Basing Hill Ballpark.

Both Herts teams are in the same division which brings the mouth-watering prospect of the Herts derby, which is always a special occasion for Herts baseball fans. Mark 14 July and 11 August in your diaries when the two teams will play at Grovehill Ballpark and Basing Hill Ballpark, respectively. The last Herts derby took place in 2016 when the Raptors were drawn to play against the Herts Hawks in the Single-A Playoff Quarter-Final.

The Single-A Playoffs will be played over three weekends – Wild Card games on 25 August, Quarter-Finals on 1 September, Semi-Finals on 7 September and the Final on 8 September.

Herts Raptors Schedule

Herts Eagles Schedule

MLB LONDON SERIES

There will be no games in any of the four BBF leagues on the weekend of 29-30 June to make way for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees who will play two regular season games at the London Stadium as part of the MLB London Series.

PLAYERS STILL REGISTERING

It is not too late to register and play for the Herts adult and youth league teams based in Hemel Hempstead and North West London. In fact, the club has intentionally left extra capacity in the team rosters to accommodate the anticipated increased interest from new players on the back of the excitement surrounding the MLB London Series. Contact us for more details how to join or to come and try baseball at an upcoming open session.