Author: Herts Baseball News Editor

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors season begins this Sunday. Eagles and Hawks also looking to boost playoff chances.

When the dust settles, will the Raptors, Eagles and Hawks be at, above or below .500 (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

The Herts Eagles are preparing for their second series of the 2014 season this Sunday, 27 April, as they host the Richmond Knights at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. The two teams shared a win each in their doubleheader last season and both finished in the lower half of the Triple-A League table. It is games against teams like Richmond which will decide whether the Eagles will be involved in the playoff race come August. The first game of the doubleheader starts at 1pm and the second at around 3:30pm. Admission is free for these games.

The club’s third team, the Herts Hawks, will travel to Croydon on the same day for a two-game series against the South London Pirates. Both teams suffered heavy defeats on opening day – the Hawks losing to the London Mammoths and the Pirates to the Brentwood Stags.

In the fourth league tier the Herts Raptors will start their campaign with a trip to title-favourites London Marauders. This is the first official league game for the newly appointed managerial duo of Geoff Thomas and Rob Jones. For many this will be a debut season with the Raptors. Among them are Clive Johnson, Daniel Bennett, Drew Mayhew, James Roberts, Ian Byers and Matt Taylor.  It will take a few weeks to assess whether the new-look Raptors will be able to repeat last year’s heroics.

In the National Baseball League, the country’s top league, the Herts Falcons are resting this weekend. Their next game is the away series against the Bracknell Blazers on 11 May. This means that they would have had 35 days without any games by the time they travel to Bracknell next month – far from ideal scenario.

At this time of year the Herts baseball teams usually receive a boost as they are joined by football players whose season is about to end, as well as cricketers and other players who are looking to try baseball. Regardless of whether they have played baseball in the past or are new to the game, boys and girls aged 6 to 16 and men and women from 14 to 45+can come and give baseball a try with the Herts adult and youth league teams and play a part in the race for the 2014 national championships. For more details contact the club.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Triple Play by Hawks not enough to save them from unforgiving Mammoths

Double-A League

Game 1: London Mammoths 17 Herts Hawks 7 (W-Peters, L-Russell)

Game 2: London Mammoths 27 Herts Hawks 10 (W-Ditrich, L-Slater)

The Herts Hawks opened their Double-A League campaign at home against the London Mammoths. Despite another good pitching performance from Nick Russell, they found it difficult to contain the Mammoths’ batting assault. They lost the first game 17-7 and the second 27-10. Fielding errors proved to be a major weakness for the Hawks on the day, but ironically, among all the errors, there were two outstanding defensive plays which are already favourites for Plays of the Year. The first was a spectacular diving catch by centerfielder Ilya Dimitrov. The second was that rarest of plays in the game of baseball – the triple play. With runners on first and second and no one out, the ball was hit sharply on a frozen rope to first base where Andrew Slater caught it. Without hesitation he stepped on first base for the second out and then threw to second base for the third out with runners in both cases desperately diving back into the bags but unable to stay alive. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, there have been 691 triple plays in Major League Baseball from 1876 to April 13, 2013. The most recent triple play, was recorded April 12, 2013 by the New York Yankees against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium.

John Peters was the winning pitcher in game one continuing his unbeaten streak which goes back to the start of the 2013 season when he made his pitching debut with the London Marauders. In game two Andrew Slater was the losing pitcher for Herts and Australian lefty pitcher Max Ditrich was the winner for London. Ditrich is a new acquisition for the Mammoths this season and together with Peters will be difficult to beat.

The heavy defeat will have a negative effect on the Hawks’ confidence, but they will remain positive in the knowledge that they were crushed 21-8 by the Mammoths on opening day 12 months ago and still managed to reach the Double-A playoffs.

The British adult and youth leagues take a break for the Easter holidays. The action resumes on the following weekend, 26 and 27 April.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Eagles come from behind to share spoils with Kings

Mix up between Lee Manning and Jose Morillo (right) as Oxford’s pitcher Masa is safe at first base (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

Triple-A League

Game 1: Oxford Kings 17 Herts Eagles 3

Game 2: Oxford Kings 11 Herts Eagles 16

With the Herts Falcons not involved in NBL action at the weekend the focus was on two other Herts teams who opened their seasons in the second and third tier of the British Baseball League.

In the Triple-A League the Herts Eagles had a difficult start losing the first game against the Oxford Kings 17-3. However, they came back strong in the second game of the doubleheader to pick up a 16-10 win.  Lee Manning was the winning pitcher in that game. Similar to last year the Herts Eagles squad is made up predominantly of players from the club’s Under-19 and Under-17 teams but they are a year older and expectations are higher this season.

The win will give the team belief that they are capable of reaching the playoffs and Eagles Manager was optimistic after the games. “The second game was completely different. Lee managed to pitch a good game but the difference was the boys’ energetic, alert and aggressive attitude at bat and on the bases. Defensively, they only allowed 2 errors and completed 2 double plays. I am very proud of these group of youngsters” said Casal.

The British adult and youth leagues take a break for the Easter holidays. The action resumes on the following weekend, 26 and 27 April.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

New Era for Herts Baseball

Herts Baseball Club has chosen New Era as its official baseball cap supplier. New Era is an international brand with sports heritage that dates back over 90 years. Best known for being the official on-field cap for Major League Baseball and the National Football League, New Era is the brand of choice not only for its headwear collection, but also for its accessories and apparel lines for men, women and youth.

The brand is worn as a symbol of self-expression by athletes, artists and celebrities around the world. The Company is headquartered in Buffalo, USA and operates facilities in Canada, Europe, Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong.

The decision to choose New Era was made by Herts Baseball Club last year and the first stock arrived in the UK this week. The Herts Baseball Shop headed by Mark Caress is making last minute preparations and the caps will be available to buy at the shop this weekend.

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Fans and players will be able to choose from three of New Era’s baseball cap models. The 59FIFTY cap is New Era’s signature fitted cap. It is a structured cap with a flat visor, that has the ability to curve. The 59FIFTY cap has a full crown and six panels. The cap has eight rows of visor stitching and a button on top. The 39THIRTY is a casual cap with a stretch fit. It is a structured cap with a pre-curved visor. The 39THIRTY has a contoured crown and six panels. The 9FORTY has more of a classic, collegiate feel. It is a structured cap with a pre-curved visor.

All the models carry the club’s traditional letter “H” on the front which is done with raised embroidery. The New Era logo is on the left side of all the models. The 59FIFTY and 39THIRTY models also have Herts embroidered on the back of the cap similar to the designs adopted by many of the MLB teams.

For more information about the new Herts Baseball caps and details how to buy, contact us.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Eagles, Hawks and Raptors confirm rosters ahead of Opening Day

The National Anthem played at Grovehill Ballpark last Sunday (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

The Herts Falcons opened their season last Sunday.  This Sunday it is the turn of the Herts Eagles and the Herts Hawks to open their Triple-A and Double-A League seasons, respectively.  The Eagles host the always competitive Oxford Kings, while the Hawks meet with Double-A League favourites,  London Mammoths.

Both games are at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Herts Eagles vs Oxford Kings starts at 1:00pm while Herts Hawks vs London Mammoths starts at 12:00pm.

The Herts Falcons already announced their roster.  The other three Herts teams unveiled theirs this evening (see below).  These rosters may change over the course of the season as players move between teams in accordance with the BBF player movement rules.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Sunday’s Falcons vs Nationals doubleheader moved to 3rd of August

Nats and Falcons will have to wait a little longer before their first meeting since last year’s national championships semi-final (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

A confirmation has just been received that this Sunday’s scheduled NBL series between the Herts Falcons and the reigning champions, Southern Nationals, has been rescheduled due to issues with the Nationals’ home ballpark.

The game will now be played on Sunday, 3 August.

This news means that the Falcons will have a five week break between last Sunday’s opening series with the Mets and their next game on 11 May 2014 which is a doubleheader away to the Bracknell Blazers.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Boost for Herts as Russell move may not go ahead

With just over 72 hours until the Herts Hawks open their 2014 league campaign, they appear to have received a major boost ahead of their clash with the London Mammoths this Sunday.

Over the last few weeks the prospect of losing one of the most feared pitchers in the British Double-A League has been haunting Herts Hawks fans. Nick Russell was on the verge of making a switch to his hometown team in Northampton, however late last night news started filtering through that this transaction may be in doubt and Russell could be back with the Hawks in time for Opening Day.

Nick Russell received the Hawks best pitcher award in 2011 and in 2012 when he picked up 5 wins and had an earned-run-average of 2.18. His return is still subject to completing the necessary paperwork, but sources close to the club are confident that this is a real possibility.

On Sunday the Hawks will face the London Mammoths who are many people’s favourites to win the Double-A League after an impressive performance in the Herts Spring League which saw them lose only 1 of their 4 games and that was against Triple-A opposition.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

The NBL is back! Mets and Falcons open the season with another classic

Cris Hiche greeted at home after his grand slam which started an almighty comeback (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

If the Opening Day games between the Herts Falcons and the London Mets are an indicator of what is to come this season, fans of British baseball would be advised to buckle up as we are in for a wild ride. The games had everything – incredible comebacks, home runs, gutsy pitching performances, heroic plays, heavy collisions and more.

Usually batters take a little longer to get back up to full speed after the winter offseason and pitchers hold the advantage in the first few weeks of the season, but that was turned on its head as hitting dominated throughout despite facing some of the best pitchers from the 2013 season. The starters in game one were Mike Osborne for Herts (6-0 and ERA 1.12 in 2013) and Sam Sproule for London (1-1, ERA 1.91 in 2013), but batters didn’t appear too concerned about those numbers. The Mets took an early 10-2 lead although it must be pointed out that most of these were unearned runs as the Falcons’ new look defence was still finding its feet. “It will take a little more time for us to tune up our defence after losing several key players who moved overseas” said Falcons manager Lee Manning. The Mets conceded an average of 3.36 runs per game last season so it would have been a natural reaction for Herts heads to drop and accept defeat. It was also interesting to see how the squad would react to such a score line. With so many new faces and a much lower average age there was a risk that there would be a negative effect on confidence and team spirit, but that wasn’t the case. In the bottom of the third inning Herts showed that they cannot be written off under any circumstance. A grand slam home run by Cris Hiche to centerfield, 2-run double by Jamie Gregory and a sacrifice fly by Carlos Casal Jr, brought in 7 runs reducing the deficit to 1 run. In the fifth inning a towering 2-run home run by 2013 NBL MVP, Ryan Bird, hits by Abel Salas, Darrin Ward and a sacrifice fly by Dave Tretheway gave Falcons a 13-11 lead.

The Mets responded in a big way not only to come back from this but to build an unassailable lead winning the game 23-13. This included a home run by Martin Tucker and a very scary moment when London outfielders Jonathan Cramman and Josh Saunders made a brave attempt to make a diving catch which resulted in a very serious collision requiring a 10-minute delay while treating both players. Thankfully, both managed to recover and seemed in good shape by the end of the day. There was also an injury to Ryan Bird which seemed innocuous but which may take him more time to recover from. The Falcons had to go into the second game without Bird as he had to be taken out of the lineup.

Abel Salas was the starting pitcher for Herts in game two and he went the distance. The Mets took an early 6-0 lead which included a grand slam home run by Zach Stroman, but from that point Salas was in control of the game and produced a battling performance which gave his team the opportunity to win. To do this, they needed their offence to get back into the game against the London Mets’ best pitcher of 2013, Pietro Sollecito. They responded with 4 runs in the bottom of the first and 3 in the second inning to take a 7-6 lead and added an eighth run in the third inning. The Mets came back to tie it at 8-8 in the fifth only for Herts to retake the lead in the bottom of that inning with 3 more runs. With darkness gradually setting in, both teams knew that the game can be called at any moment so the Falcons needed to keep that lead at any cost. The Mets scored two in the top of the sixth inning but Abel Salas produced two key strikeouts in the final inning to end the game stranding London’s tying run at third base and securing a win for Herts.

“After such an outstanding comeback in the first game we felt that we missed a good opportunity, but we showed character to respond in the second game especially as the team had to do it without the injured Ryan Bird and it is a positive sign that we have players who can step up in difficult situations with the game on the line” said Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Arrows, Mammoths and Marauders clinch HSL titles

(photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

The Essex Arrows’ 100% record from the first two weeks was sufficient to keep them top in the Majors division. The MK Bucks and Cambridge Royals ended their pre-season preparations with good wins against the London Mammoths and Essex Redbacks, respectively to finish half a game back on the Arrows. The Royals’ superior defensive record of conceding only 1 run per game means that they take the second place on the tie-break rule.

Mammoths’ defeat was the first in the career of pitcher, John Peters, who has taken British baseball by storm since he made his league debut with the London Marauders 12 months ago. This was a pre-season competition so Peters’ regular season record is still intact. He will make his official AA debut on Sunday against the Herts Hawks in the season opener.

Despite the defeat, the Mammoths are the HSL Double-A winners on the tie-break rule pushing London’s U17 team into second place due to a better runs-conceded record of 3.75 runs per game compared to the London U17’s 6.5 runs per game.

In the Single-A Division the London Marauders remained unbeaten with a record of 3-0 this Spring and clinched the HSL Single-A Championship. Their incredible come-from-behind win against the Herts Hawks in week two proved to be deciding.

Click to view the full HSL scoreboard and HSL standings.

And so the 2014 Herts Spring League is complete and all the focus turns to the race in the four league tiers of the British Baseball Federation.
WEAR THE HERTS BASEBALL JERSEY IN 2014

Herts Baseball Club welcomes youth players from 6 to 16 and adult players from 14 to 45+ from complete beginners to experienced ballpalyers. New players can join at any time of the year. For more details on how to give baseball a try contact us.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

The Show begins this Sunday as Falcons-Mets rivalry resumes

After two seasons of reaching the postseason but missing out on the NBL title, the Falcons are ready to go at it again – will it be third-time-lucky? They open the 2014 NBL season this Sunday, 6 April, against bitter rivals, London Mets, at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. It’s a doubleheader. First game starts at 1:30pm.

Last weekend’s display of home run power was the boost which Herts fans needed. Cris Hiche launched two against the MK Bucks, going the opposite way for the first one and the second to the deepest part of the ballpark in dead-centerfield. Two of the team’s new acquisitions also went deep. Lefty Abelardo Salas drove the ball over the left-centerfield wall, while a day earlier Jamie Gregory went deep over the left field wall.

There was more good news for the Falcons as starting pitcher, Mike Osborne, made his first appearance on the mound after sustaining an injury earlier in Spring Training. The discomfort from the injury didn’t seem to affect him as he put on another of his solid performances which NBL fans have come to expect from him over the last 15 seasons in which he has accumulated 45 wins and 372 strikeouts.

The second week of HSL games gave the Falcons a chance to field many of the club’s youth team players who are part of the Great Britain U19 and U16 national teams. They put on some very encouraging performances so that would suggest that we may be seeing more of the club’s young talent on the biggest stage in British baseball this season.

Over the last few seasons the series with the Mets have always been tense affairs with an average of one bench-clearing per game. The two clubs have a healthy rivalry which has served both clubs well by motivating them to push harder to improve in every department from on-field competitiveness to infrastructure and grassroots development. This has made them the two biggest clubs in the UK.

Among the Mets to watch out for on Sunday are catcher Grant Delzoppo batting .522 (3rd) with 3 home runs in 2013, pitchers Pietro Sollecito (7-2, ERA 0.95), Julian Somers (5-0) and Sam Sproule (1-1) not forgetting Erick Henson who is always a difficult batter to face.

Pietro Sollecito is expected to start one of the two games and perhaps Sam Sproule the other, however there may be one or two surprises as new players are usually unleashed to unsuspecting opponents at this time of the year.

For the Falcons, it looks as though 2012 home run leader, Dave Tretheway, may not be ready in time to make his return after his ankle operation kept him out for the whole of the 2013 season. Louis Hare is in a similar situation having undergone a broken elbow and knee operations following a football accident. No date has been set for his return yet.

Hot and cold drinks, hot dogs, and other snacks and refreshments will be on sale at the ballpark and with many HSL games scheduled on the same day, the venue is expected to be buzzing with home and away fans. The hope is that the weather will co-operate to make it a truly great occasion as Opening Day always is.