Author: Matt Bell

by Matt Bell

The long dark offseason of the soul

written by Ken Pike

Dear Santa. Please get me a time machine so I can skip past Christmas. If you could deliver it now, that would be peachey.

Bloomin Christmas. Baahhhhhhh Humbug. It’s not sunny. I’m not playing baseball. That horrific whiney sound of Mariah Carey ‘singing’ that fe**in ‘song’ that sounds like a mating call for bats (the flying rodent type, not the maple-wood Louisville type). People eating turkey at every chance, ignoring the dry tastelessness that cause them not to eat it for the rest of the year. Shopping department and well known soft-drinks manufacturers saturating tv and Facebook with something designed in equal parts to tug at our heart strings and purse strings. A billion pointless cards to make you feel guilty about not having sent a card to your long lost fifth cousin twice removed, and oh YAY, a jumper featuring a reindeer. That never gets old. FFFUUUUUUU….and breathe…I hate it. Hate it all. Humbuggery all round.

On a plus note, with the club’s AGM out of the way, we can at least reflect that Herts baseball club had a tremendously successful season in 2013. Staggeringly successful in fact. Several teams (both youth and adult) seeing post season, the Falcons finishing top of their league, and the continued growth of the club and wonderful development of our entry level teams. The Raptors for one shed their traditional “Craptors” tag from a couple years back in wonderful style while the Falcons came top of the regular season league. Amazing results really, especially when you consider that most teams were working on a shallow roster to facilitate having five teams compete.

All of these aspects combined are surely a great testament to the hard work that everyone, not least out board and managers, have put into developing the individual teams and the club as a whole. We all deserve a massive collective pat on the back, and especially Aspi, Lee and co for making it all possible. Thanks guys.

BUT..

but…

One thing in that list of achievement rankles. It bugs me. Its sits horribly at the back of my mind…(a bit like Mariah’s bat-mating song)…and festers. Despite all the success, the growth and the progress….there was a distinct lack of trophies at the end of it all, and to make it worse, all three teams that made it to playoffs were most certainly capable of going the whole way. Ultimately any team that makes the knock-out rounds of any competition can go all the way in the right circumstances…bit of luck here, good call there, nice strategy then…

I blinking hate off-season, not just because of the aforementioned ‘festive’ twaddle, but also because its the one time of the year that you absolutely cannot do anything to improve your league position, personal game, etc. You just get to think about the things that nearly went right. Hopefully you have a nice stockpile of things to think about that did go right, and we have more this year than we ever have before, so that is a good thing, but I can’t help but replay my last out at Farnham Park, that one dropped catch that could have closed that one inning out slightly sooner, that one bad throw to second that could have stopped that scoring runner dead had it not been two…ok… five feet wide. Yeah you win and lose as a team, but lets face it, that one individual’s performance can, and often does, make the difference, so I get a few long winter months to ponder if I could have been that person.

I know, defeatist introspective navel gazing talk is never productive, but these are the facts, and that brings me to my main point (“Finally!” they say, “stop insulting our 2013 results!”-I’m not, honestly!). I imagine many, if not every single player in the club, will share my desire to get back into the swing of things. (I nearly said ‘yearning desire’ but that sounds a bit weird.) Training and pre-season really can’t come soon enough if you ask me. I for one had an absolute blast last year. It was easily the most enjoyable year of baseball in my six year long ‘career’, but having come so painfully, tantalisingly, and agonisingly close to a trophy but falling short at the last means the hunger to play, to win, has grown beyond all belief. I’ve joined a football team to quench the competitive thirst, but frankly they are rubbish and while its helping to maintain fitness it’s doing little to replace the crack of the bat, the snap of the pitch, and that enigmatic sound “STEEEERAAAIIIIK!” which is a simultaneous joy for one bunch of people and an agonising cringe for another bunch. I guess at least my beloved Broncos are doing well, but it’s just not the same as my beloved Herts doing well. It’s certainly not the same as playing and (occasionally) doing well myself.

So I look forward to the first training session, seeing if my vague attempts to keep fit have worked…. finding out what new additions have joined the club… seeing if that talented young prospect from last year who showed glimpses of raw ability has grown a couple inches in height, gained a few pounds of muscle and developed the calm confident swagger that will translate to hits, strikes, outs, you name it….seeing if the existing talents, and developing players of last year have continued that trend and seeing which of them make a push for promotion up the teams….seeing the aging and experienced players and the young newcomers alike all struggle with rust, match fitness issues, aches and minor pains from pushing too hard too early….seeing the managers scrutinise every play, and noting how the players groan with the same anguish as they would missing a playoff play in the knowledge that each slip takes them further from promotion….its exhilarating, addictive, wonderful, and terrible all at once.

I don’t care if it’s two foot deep in snow come January. I will happily run up and down an outside court chasing a ball I can’t see for whiteness. I don’t care if I can’t feel my nose, I will happily don a glove and mask and work on zoning in the target for our young pitchers (I can’t feel my nose anyway and certainly don’t need it for baseball). Heck, I don’t care if the ball has icicles hanging off it, that won’t stop me from trying my best to smack it with a bat. At least until I land flat on my arse for the first time.

I for one know that as Christmas approaches and I munch yet another bland and slightly chewy turkey-related food item whilst listening to my other half humming the tune to Wham, or Slade, Pogues, or Live Aid or whatever other horrendous 80’s pop band Christmas-tune/travesty-of-music she last heard on the radio , I will be thinking of the crack of a bat every time I hear a Christmas cracker, and there will be a little ditty running through my head all along that I really won’t mind hearing again and again and again…. “Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd…dum di dooodidooohhhdidaaa……….aaallll I wan’t for Christmaaaass…is a ball game.”

Merry Christmas everyone…see you in January. Bring yer game faces.

 

by Matt Bell

Eagles boss steps down after two very successful seasons at the helm

On Sunday the Herts Eagles 2013 BBF season was completed with a double header against Leicester at Grovehill Ballpark.
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Amazingly the Eagles have not lost a game to the weather this year, despite the amount of fixtures being increased to 14 and last year’s swimming pool of a season still in the memory, which has meant the season has been completed relatively early.
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And fittingly the day was a great day of Single-A baseball, with both sides fielding the majority of their sides with youngsters and rookie players, with the two games being split with one win each.
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Ben Marques picked up his first career win on the mound (photo by Rob Jones)

In the first game Ben Marques showed a lot of class and composure to record his first career pitching win to get the Eagles off to a great start on the day, while in the second Leicester showed character to hit back and win despite Manny Banson playing his heart out for the Eagles to get on base every one of his 5 at bats.

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There is no doubt this season has been a tough learning curve for the Eagles. However a 4 – 10 win-loss record is something to be pleased with when you consider over 70% of the Eagles roster has been made up of rookie players in their first full season of baseball, and it looks as though they will finish only 2 or 3 wins off the playoff zone. There have been some great performances, both as a team and individually. The shock victory over the Eagles sister team and Farnham Park playoff-bound Raptors will live long in the memory of the Eagles who played that day, and the sheer jubilation of coming back from the dead to beat local rivals Milton Keynes was also a highlight that spoke volumes for the enthusiasm and character of the Eagles.
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Individually, there has been numerous good displays from the Eagles. Youngsters Mike Cresswell, Charlie Day, Adam Landau Smithers and Jamie Lang have all had excellent seasons and have displayed a superb attitude throughout. Added to the enthusiasm of club favourites Manny Banson and Tomasz Kosak, the experience of Rob Jones, feared slugger Adrian Smithers, the dependable Texan, Serge Plata, the eager Chetan Shah, and Will Belbin, who has had his best season to date, there have been a lot of positives to take from the season. Late season signings Chris Eley and Rob Gibson have also showed enormous potential in the short time they have been with the club.
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After 2 years in the Eagles hot seat, manager Duncan Hoyle will be standing down to focus on his playing career. But whoever takes over will go into the job with the knowledge that they will have a strong foundation to build upon, with hopefully a new intake of promising players to add to the clubs growth. It is very pleasing to see a total of 7 of last year’s Eagles currently playing a part in the Raptors and Hawks play off push and the hope is that this year’s Eagles will soon start to progress through the Herts organisation.
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There is still the end of season stats to look forward to, with scorer and umpire Joseph Osborne-Brade currently working hard to get the winners of the respective batting and pitching awards announced. A special mention should be made to Joseph, currently battling hard to return from a serious injury for his dedication in supporting the Eagles this season.
by Matt Bell

September blues? Not this time.

 

Raptors celebrate making post season
The Herts Raptors celebrated a successful season despite losing their last game.

By Ken Pike

Well that’s it, another season said and done for the Raptors. Time to pack our backs, go home for a long off-season and chill ou….wait…what? Finals? Funny guy, pull the other one. Oh, you’re serious? Well I never! The erstwhile ‘Craptors’ have shed  the mantle of rubbishdom in exuberant style and made it to the post season. This is a team that three years ago struggled to get any wins and now they are through to Farnham Park! Not as a wildcard either, but as one of the top two seeds. Probably second, as the Marauders at the time of writing need 1 win from their last two. While Milton Keynes could give them a run for their money it would be a BIG upset were they to lose to the 2sox (and I mean no offense to Leicester who have played with heart and soul, but not the same level of success as the Marauders).

Either way that means a first round bye, home field advantage in the semi finals on September 7th. If they get to the finals they would also enjoy homefield advantage against any team except (possibly) the Marauders. Admittedly there were a couple of stumbles along the way. Mid season saw a run of two defeats to sister-team the Eagles (congrats to them for a very respectable four wins from the season) and pool rivals the MK Coyotes, while the end of the season saw them trip up again in the last two games against the Dukes and Tonbridge. But despite those blips they have also beaten each of the other pool leaders, and every second placed team bar the Dukes as well so they can go to Farnham confident of being capable of beating any team they face. Sadly they won’t have the air of impenetrability and momentum that they had mid-July though. That said, they should benefit from the return of their young pitchers Zac Longboy and Will Zucker whom they were deprived of for almost all of those four losses, and, subject-to-appeal the powerful bat of Glen Downer who could return from a long absence.

So who have been the standout performers that got the Raptors to this stage? First plaudits have to go to Arnie Longboy. The first Raptors coach to take the team to post season will put him in Herts history books, and his (usually) calm and considered leadership saw the team play with a competence and level-headedness that saw them come back from behind to win in style on several occasions. I believe it is his firm  insistence on base running discipline that has led the Raptors to being the most offensively dominant team in the league despite not having any real power hitters to speak of.

As for play, starting from the mound and going round, the afore mentioned Zac and Will have been leading lights joined by Brodie Careess. The young trio have two wins a piece and truly demonstrated indomitable nerve and supreme skill in dispatching of side after side. Longboy leads the way between them on ERA but they have all been key to the Raptors success. That said they were joined at various stages by stand-ins Theo Scheepers and Jeff Whitter who also pipped a win to their names each (and in Whitter’s case two saves as well.)

Behind the plate Ken Pike received the vast majority of pitches in what was his first full season as a catcher. Being as I am the one writing this article I can hardly sing my own praises but I have been assured by Zac and Arnie that I did a good job of the issue. While I still have much to learn I am looking forward to continuing in what has been the position I have enjoyed by far the most, and taken to with relative comfort.

First base duties were initially taken on by Jeff Whitter and covered in his absences by Charlie Mayhew. Both performed outstandingly throughout the year being solid and generally error free despite some occasionally errant throws coming their way. Jeff’s amicable and calm nature made him one of the on-field captains helping to calm the team in times of frustration, while Charlie’s continual improvement saw a climax in the final game against Tonbridge where a series of amazing full-stretch catches helped to keep the game very close indeed.

Second and short were shared intermittently between the young pitchers, Theo Scheepers and coach Arnie, while by Sonam Lama, in his first year with the Raptors, demonstrated the kind of arm power capable of easily reaching first base and thereby cemented third base as his own. The coach again led the way from the front demonstrating the fewest errors per game for an infielder, and in fact one of the lowest numbers for the whole team. That said it will be fielding errors that he will want to cut out the most, preferably by post season but certainly by next year with nearly half of the team’s conceded runs coming un-earned.

Outfield was shared by Warwyk Byrne, Charlie Mayhew (when not at first), Mark Caress and Andy Bartram. Andy has made a solid case for rookie of the year (not just by virtue of being the only rookie on the team, but also by having the lowest error-per-game rating of any of the regular players. His assured glove, good arm, and fast pace to reach the ball made him a reliable and key player for left and centre.

Along the way there were notable performances by players who only joined for brief periods too. Matt Kiddie’s pitching against the 2sox at mid-season blew the side away and showed unbelievable pace, whilst two grand-slam homers from Ben Marques against the Mavericks helped to seal the game that confirmed the Raptors as Pool winners. Raptors Veteran Glen Downer was sadly occupied elsewhere for most of the season but managed to get in two games where he played solidly in the outfield. He is appealing for special dispensation to the commissioners to be allowed to join the team for post-season.

Defensively the Raptors were 5th in the league for runs conceded, but as for batting, well that’s where the stats really get interesting. While Arnie has not shared the statistics including the last two games, the production was spread throughout the team and at game 12 the numbers were as follows:

  • Runs leader was Ken Pike (41), followed by Arnie (35) and Sonam (35).
  • Hits went to Arnie (24) followed by Pike (20) and then Sonam and Brodie on a par (19).
  • Home run leader by a mile is Ben Marques (2) followed by Jim Arnott (1).
  • On Steals Ken Pike led by some distance (41) over Lama (25) and Arnie and Charlie (24 each).
  • Base on balls leader was Charlie Mayhew (26) followed by Theo (22) and Arnie again (18).
  • Arnie lead the way for AVG, SLG and OPS too but was closely followed in all three by a variety of people including his son Zac, while OBP leader Charlie Mayhew was clear of the rest of the field by some way.

While Arnie, Ken and Sony consistently led the line-ups between them, the whole team demonstrated consistency and ability at the plate averaging 24 points per game and having scored 46 runs more than any other team over the season. They had 7 games in which they scored 30 runs or more.

So in summary? Well the team will be relying on that offence to see them through at Farnham, but that being said the defence had consistently improved throughout the year and should they play to the kind of levels that saw them hold pool B leaders the Blackjacks to 12 or the Eagles and Archers to 4 and 6 respectively then they will be a real danger team. They have proven themselves fallible, but they have also proven that when they set their minds to it they are a force to be reckoned with, and they will surely be fired up to the max in Slough come September. Key warm-up friendlies, hopefully against higher division opposition such as the Hawks, will be key to preparing the team up for things to come. Meanwhile, we all cross our fingers and get our lucky charms at the ready and pray for a successful post season.

Please note, any players from teams not going to Farnham park, your assistance either as, experienced base coaches, bat men, general helpers and especially supporters will surely be massively appreciated and you will get to be a part of Herts Baseball history with the Falcons and Raptors both set to feature. Give Arnie and Lee a shout if you can help out in any way.

 

 

 

by Matt Bell

The Only Way is Essex

When Herts under-11s played the Essex Redbacks in Richmond a few weeks ago, the two teams contested a pair of closely-fought games. Essex coach Jamie Cairns suggested that we schedule a couple more meetings between the two neighbouring counties. And so, the travelling Herts All-Stars found themselves in Billericay on a glorious, baking-hot Saturday.

I don’t know much about Essex, so I turned to my trusty web browser for some deep background. As a result, I can reveal the following:

  1. Essex boasts the sunniest place in the UK. (This comes as no surprise as I inspected my pink legs on Sunday morning.)
  2. Essex has the largest population of adders in the UK
  3. Stansted Airport in 1983 was the site of the only known theft of Space Shuttle equipment
  4. People in Essex are 38% more likely than anywhere else in Britain to be hit by falling aeroplane parts
  5. The 1974 Paper Lace hit “Billy, Don’t be a Hero” was written in pub near Brentwood, and if you’re over 45 you’ll be humming it for the next three days
  6. Although it might have been more useful to know this before our trip, Essex also has more speed cameras per mile than anywhere else in the world
  7. Essex is the home of the oldest door in England, the longest pier in the world, the driest place in Britain, the world’s first public broadcast, the oldest wooden church in the world, and the longest coastline, the smallest town, the largest village and the oldest town in the UK

So it seems that Essex has plenty to offer, if you’re not Chris Huhne, nervous of snakes or running a space programme.

Game One was scheduled for four innings with Herts as the visiting team. Singles by Lewis Auchterlounie and Lucas Lebrato, and a Nicholas Durer hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. Lewis scored on a fielders’ choice with error, and Lucas scored when Josh Jones was also HBP. That was it for Herts, who then took the field with Alex Trautman on the mound. Two quick Ks, but then Essex loaded the bases with a single and a couple of HBPs, before Alex got the third strike-out of the inning. 2-0 Herts.

The second inning was scoreless on both sides, despite singles from Christian Lynch and Lewis. In the third, Alex Trautman and Josh Jones hit singles, both converted into two-base hits with good base running and a fielding error. Joe Gipple hit a line drive single to bring Josh home, and a combination of a single from Alex Jones and a ground rule double from Lewis Auchterlounie brought the third run as Herts took a 5-0 lead. Some good control from Alex Trautman again shut out the Redbacks.

Into the fourth. Nicholas Durer was again hit by a pitch, and some good batting by Alex Trautman, Josh Jones, Joe Gipple and Jonathan Wakelam brought four more runs. Josh Jones then took over as pitcher, and disposed of Essex with a strikeout, a 1-3 groundout and a flyball caught by Lucas Lebrato.

After a break for lunch and plenty of water, it was time for game two. This was a three-inning contest, with Herts now the home team. Josh Jones continued with pitching duties. Essex scored their first run of the day through some good hitting and a couple of fielding errors, and were 1-0 up in the middle of the first. Herts again dominated with the bat, with singles from Joe Gipple and Christian Lynch and doubles from Lucas Lebrato, and Josh Jones.

Christian Lynch now came on to pitch, giving up three hits and three runs as Essex found some form with the bat. In reply, another double from Lewis Auchterlounie started the ball rolling for Herts, followed up with hits for Alex Trautman, Joe Gipple, Jonathan Wakelam, Alex Jones and Nicholas Durer (finally connecting with his bat rather than his chest). Lucas Lebrato fired a big ground rule double to score the maximum fifth run and leave Herts 10-3 ahead.

There it remained as Christian picked up three strike-outs to close out the game.

These were two fairly comprehensive wins for Herts; the difference between the two teams was probably the speed and accuracy of Herts’ pitchers. We are fortunate to have a number of good pitchers on the Herts roster, whose skills have been sharpened over the season in the regular tussles between the Dodgers and the Giants. There were some good performances at the plate, too, particularly from Lewis Auchterlounie, 4-4 in the day (and climbing up the batting averages as a result), Josh Jones (3-3 and 4 RBIs), Joe Gipple (4-5) and Lucas Lebrato who hit two doubles and claimed two RBIs.

Another Dodgers/Giants battle takes place this coming Saturday. This will be followed the following week by a return fixture when the Essex Redbacks come to Hertfordshire. We can’t offer snakes, tumbling aeronautical components or even much in the way of a coastline, but we do provide a warm welcome, quality doughnuts and a stiff northerly wind.

Game Statistics

Season Statistics

 

 

by Matt Bell

Road to the single A playoffs

By Ken Pike

As you might have already heard thanks to a very proud ‘yours truly’, the Herts Raptors are confirmed as being in the playoffs (with the caveat that they do not forfeit any games between now and the end of the season, which could bring other teams back into play – but we won’t let that happen) and with any luck some of you are planning to come and support. With other Herts teams, including the Falcons, being right in the mix for also going to British Baseball’s new home,Farnham Park, there might be a big convoy headed from Hemel to Slough in the first couple of weekends of September. It would be great to get as much support as possible for this historic occasion for the club, so we urge you all to get your friends and family to come along.

Just so you know what to expect over playoffs, the structure for the single A post season is as follows:

  • 12 teams in three pools play in A South.
  • The two best pool winners get first round bye into the NBC.
  • The 3rd pool winner (#3 seed) and next 3 best teams based on win %, regardless of pool play wild card round on September 1st, with the Semi Finals and Championship game at Farnham Park on September 7th and 8th.

As in all leagues, all teams will be seeded based on win % to establish postseason ranking.

 

Now the Raptors final position is not set in stone and here are the two main permutations:

Worst case scenario (which still ain’t bad to be honest)

The Raptors have some work to do to determine exact postseason positioning, but the main part is done. They are set for Farnham Park.

The worst case scenario is that they don’t win another game and the Coyotes win all of theirs then the Raptors would be #4 seed and placed as the top wildcard team. This would result in them having to play in the first round of the playoffs on the 1st of September at Farnham Park against the second best wildcard team while the Pool winner with the lowest record of the pool winners will play the third wildcard team. If the Raptors win the wildcard game they would face the #2 seeded team (which would in that scenario likely be the Coyotes) on September 7th.

Best case scenario

If the Raptors win 1 more game (or the Coyotes lose one) by the end of regular season, then the Raptors will clinch the Pool A pennant and a #1 or #2 seeding is already sealed in that scenario. This would mean they will get a 1st round bye and the first game would be on September 7, also at Farnham Park, and they would nominally be the home team facing one of the wildcard round winners. As to being first or second seed, that depends on a very close race with the Marauders and will likely not be settled until the last game of the regular season.

The final is on September 8 at Farnham Park.

 

Expect to cheer on your fellow teams, as well as fight tooth and nail for your own team!

by Matt Bell

Raptors bats ablaze to clinch playoffs on hottest day

Will Zucker hits another grounder as the Raptors drove through their nearest opposition in 30 degree heat

by Ken Pike

 

The Raptors hosted Southern Single A Pool A rivals Milton Keynes knowing that a win would clinch a  guaranteed playoff position and set them up to win the pool outright and earn a first round bye at Farnham Park. They were facing a team that had beaten them by the narrowest of margins earlier in the year, and while the self assured pronouncements that the Raptors had been missing key players were not without basis, there was still room for doubt and question over what the result would be.

In 32 degree heat the Raptors had taken a very easy warmup to conserve energy and hydration levels while Milton Keynes took the opposite approach. After watching their sister team, the Eagles’ playoff hopes sadly fail at the hands of the Pool C leaders, London Marauders the delayed Pool A titans clash could commence. Young Brodie Caress’ reassured mound performance only saw a couple of Coyotes get on base, but the first inning was ultimately cleaned out without any damage being done. The Raptors’ bats had been vicious all year and if anything the sun had set them on fire as they made mincemeat of the opening Coyotes pitcher going around the order and drawing a replacement pitcher to the mound before three outs were recorded opening up an 11 run lead right from the word go.

Back in the dugout a touch of overconfidence asserted itsself with players lamenting that the Raptors could have been looking at a perfect season were it not for a couple of weak performances, but Milton Keynes came back to the field with more intent. They notched up two scores as some defensive errors started to creep into the Herts team. T he sun played a serious part with several balls lost in the blazing sky and the heat causing some more lapses of concentration. The starters for the home side have an average on base percentage of well over .500 and more than 170 stolen bases (17 per game) before going in to this game so two runs was hardly a concern. The Raptors promptly brought around another 8 runners to pump the lead to 17.

The third inning played out somewhat differently though. Whether the heat had finally got to the Raptors as well, or whether Brodie Caress’ young arm was getting tired is uncertain but a series of errors and missed chances allowed 8 Milton Keynes Players to cross home plate. The final out came courtesy of short stop Will Zucker who ignored the fact that he could not see the ball which had again disappeared in the sun, and he guessed at its location… correctly. Certainly a wobble for the home defense, but quickly mitigated with 4 reply runs leaving a reduced lead of 13.

The Raptors blip was shortlived however as they came back refocused. Brodie struck out two Coyotes before the final out at first retired the side in order and the Raptors bats came back out to knock in another 3 and the lead looked healthy again at 16. The young pitcher’s arm and concentration had been shot by the fifth inning where five players crossed the plate. Never the less it was far too little as the Raptors brought in another 10 going around the order one and a half times in the bottom of the inning and putting the game beyond any reasonable doubt with a lead of over 20 runs.

In an effort to shut down the game and get out of the sun, coach Arnie Longboy brought out sidearm closer Will Zucker. Will made a slightly shakey start, thanks in part to accidentally hitting a Coyote very squarely on the knee with a wild pitch. While it took him an inning to get his composure fully back he allowed only 2 runs in the sixth and seventh while the Raptors responded with 2 of their own.  The lead remained at 20 at the top of the last inning, but this was too much of an ask for a now dehydrated and exhausted Coyotes team who valiantly got 2 runners around before Will Zucker struck out the final batter to bring the Raptors team to ecstatic jubilation knowing they had just secured the first playoff in Raptors history.

As the players cheered and embraced it was plain to see what this result meant to them, and it is certain they will be bringing their determination and love of the game to Farnham park for the off season. Having beaten every team they faced over the past 7 games, including the heavyweight Marauders, Blackjacks, Arrow and now Coyotes they carry a serious momentum with them. Another win and they top their pool, while topping the single A league can be guaranteed with three straight wins inthe remaining games or a mixture of wins and Marauders losses.

Raptors coach Arnie Longboy said: : “I am so proud of the team and what we’ve done to get this far.  A few people have asked me how we’ve managed to score so many runs this season.  First of all we have had production throughout the entire line up.  The fact that our number nine hitter leads the team in RBI’s should tell you something.  Secondly I think the guys have come to realize that just some basic fundamentals of base running and situational hitting can make a big difference.  Yes, we continue to have the occasional fielding errors and that’s to be expected.  But more importantly we have managed to eliminate almost all mental errors on the base paths that cost us outs.   And with our mix of young talent, sophomore players, and veterans really starting to gel it should make for an exciting rest of the season and of course Farnham park!”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R
MK Coyotes 0 2 8 0 5 2 2 19
Herts Raptors 11 8 4 3 10 2 0 38

 

 

by Matt Bell

Black & Blue

If you went to see ten major league baseball games, you could expect to see about seven batters hit by a pitch.

Or you could mosey on down to Grovehill Ballpark, grab a doughnut from the concession stand, set up your collapsible armchair, and watch Herts under-11 baseball. On Saturday we hit seven batters in four innings.

Joint leaders in the “hit by pitch” league table are Lewis Auchterlounie and Jonathan Wakelam, with four each. Nicholas Durer has three, all picked up on Saturday. Even Noah Lynch has been clouted twice, and Lord knows, he’s not a big target.

Now, our league is not well known for its tactical use of the inside pitch. Brushbacks are generally not in our armoury; nor do you see much chin music in a Dodgers v Giants clash.

It’s true that in Major League Baseball, batters face pitches thrown maybe an mph or two faster than our U11 pitchers can yet manage. It’s true also that the adult baseball is essentially a smooth rock, while we favour a softer, more squidgy projectile.

However, your typical MLB batter steps up to the plate sporting an elbow pad and a shin guard, and for all I know, a variety of other guards too. Meanwhile our brave batters face down the pitching wearing just their Herts uniforms and a helmet. Do they flinch?  OK, do they flinch much? No, they don’t!

So Herts Baseball Club would like to apologise to any U11 parents or guardians whose charges returned home on Saturday afternoon covered in bruises. Be assured, it’s for the good of baseball.

On with the game. If you’ve been keeping up with our rambling reports, you’ll know that the Giants held a two-game lead after the first game in the 8th June double-header. The Dodgers then won two on the bounce to level things up, 3½ – 3½.

As the visitors today, the Dodgers opened up the batting, Josh Jones on the mound. William Morillo picked up a single, and Nicholas Durer was hit by his first pitch of the day. These two were left on base, though, as Josh struck out Alex Trautman for the third out. The Giants weren’t able to take advantage, as Dodgers pitcher Alex Trautman recorded three quick outs to close the first inning.

Top of 2, and Jonathan Wakelam was next to be clunked with the ball, and moved into scoring position when Rory Vangundy singled. Wakelam then scored on an error. Two more HBPs later, Rory Vangundy also made it home after a fielding mix-up. 2-0 Dodgers.

It looked as if the Giants would be able to respond in kind as Josh Jones hit a double to lead off their 2nd inning, and Alex Jones singled, moving Josh onto third and reaching second on the throw. With Lewis Auchterlounie thwacked on the chest, the bases were loaded with two outs, but Alex Trautman got the crucial strikeout to get the Dodgers out of jail.

In the third, the Dodgers sparkled with the bat – James Dullea, Rory Vangundy, William Morillo and Lucas Lebrato made successive base hits, with two runs scored. Josh Jones was tiring as pitcher and Ben Jupp took over. Nicholas Durer reached on a fielder’s choice as Lucas was tagged out. A single for Alex Trautman, another clout on the leg for Jonathan Wakelam, and an RBI ground-out for James Dullea, and that was four for the inning, and a 6-0 lead.

Ben Jupp then led off the bottom of the third for the Giants, and hit a hard drive towards second baseman Rory Vangundy. Rory snagged the ball, set himself and fired a throw to Nicholas Durer at first for a terrific 4-3 play. The Giants then recorded a couple of base hits in, but things weren’t going their way as the inning ended scoreless.

In the fourth, Lucas Lebrato, who leads the season’s batting averages, hit his second double of the game. Nicholas Durer recorded his third “hit by pitch”, although by now we suspected he was just throwing himself at the ball. But two quick strikeouts, and that was it for the Dodgers – the Giants would have to score six to keep the game alive. Despite three singles, they could only manage one run, Oliver Durer with the RBI, and the Dodgers recorded a 6-1 win to take a one-game lead in the series.

This game was perhaps closer than it looked; the Dodgers scored eight hits to the Giants’ seven, and the Giants had seven batters left on base. Had the Giants been able to make something out of the two-out, bases loaded position in the second, the game might have taken a different course. All to play for as the season progresses.

On Saturday 6th July, the under-11 all-stars travel to Essex to meet the Redbacks. Essex batters are advised to pad up.

 

Batting

Pitching

Fielding

 

Season Averages

 

by Matt Bell

Falcons and Nationals keep fans on the edge of their seats in a thriller at Grovehill Ballpark

The Falcons came out of the dust as the winners, but the Nationals deserve a lot of credit for a fantastic game of baseball (photo by Richard Lee richardleephotography.org)

written by Cristobal Hiche

BRILLIANT! That’s the only way to describe two well played games both of which were literally decided on the last pitch. More importantly, Falcons came away with two important wins, keeping them on top of the National Baseball League.

NBL (Game1) Herts Falcons 3 Harlow Nationals 2 (click to view box scores)

The first game was an MLB classic with a pitching duel by veteran and All-Star Michael Osborn for Herts and Marty Cullen Jr.’s debut against the Falcons. It was not meant to be an easy task against a powerful Falcons lineup but Cullen Jr. managed to give up only 3 hits in 5 and two-third innings. Unfortunately for him, Osborn again grabbed the spotlight with another pitching gem, despite the Nationals taking a lead with an unearned run in the top of the 3rd inning after two unexpected errors by the Falcons defence. Herts reacted quickly in the bottom of the inning. Marty Jr. with 2 outs lost a bit of concentration and hit Cris Hiche. A wild pitch and an error by 2B Matt Gilbert extended the inning. With men on 1st and 3rd the always dangerous Jordan Farkas came to the plate and punished the Nats with a 2-run double to put the Falcons in the lead. The great pitching duel continued but Cullen Jr. made a small but costly mistake at the end. In the bottom of the 5th he walked Robbie Unsell to start the inning. Falcons needed the insurance run so they were aggressive with Robbie stealing second and then third base. Cullen Jr looked to end the inning by striking out Cris Hiche but with 2 outs Ryan Bird was able to bring the run home with a double. Harlow needed to react but with a man on 1st and 1 out, Osborn turned up the heat and struck out the next two batters. The Nationals were following Yogi Berra’s quote “it ain’t over till it’s over”, determined to try and get a lead in the last inning with the top of the batting order coming to the plate. Falcons looked poised to win with Roberto Almanzar on 1st base and having the always dangerous Maikel Azcuy hit a fly to CF to record the 2nd out. Unfortunately Osborn seemed to lose a bit of gas and although ahead in the count to both Edwin Acantara (1-2) and Jarrod Pretorius (0-2), allowed singles to load the bases. Credit must be given to the Falcons defence which was well positioned to make sure no runs were scored on Jarrod’s single even with Robbie Almanzar’s great speed and being in scoring position. Manager Lee Manning decided to call the bullpen and put flame-thrower Ryan Bird to close the game. The crowd went numb when Ryan walked Dan Parker on four straight pitches to bring the 2nd run home (the only earned run credited to Michael Osborn). A hit could potentially put Nats ahead. More importantly could Ryan find the strike zone? It was an intense moment for fans on both sides of the field. With the count 1-1, Matt Gilbert hit a laser beam towards 1st base and Herts’ hearts (no pun intended) stopped beating for a second. It was a potential bases-clearing double but Darrin Ward was able to catch the line drive, end the game, and make everyone’s heart beat again. A dramatic but well-deserved win for the Falcons.

NBL (Game1) Herts Falcons 8 Harlow Nationals 5 (click to view box scores)

Either Falcons players were still thinking and celebrating the victory of Game 1 or Nats were absolutely determined to reverse their faith, but 2 consecutive errors and a wild pitch opened the gate for the Nats to score 4 runs and could have been worst since they had 2 runners on base with only 1 out, but left them stranded. Given the result of the first game and Harlow having Matt Gilbert on the mound, this could potentially be enough for the visitors. However the instructions heard from Falcons dugout were to adopt the ‘one run at a time’ philosophy and it looked that way when in the bottom of the 1st with 2 outs, Cris Hiche and Ryan Bird were able to manufacture a run between them. Unfortunately, Maikel Azcuy had none of that and silenced the stadium with a blast to RF to keep the 4-run lead. Falcons responded in the bottom of the 3rd when after an 8-pitch battle, Cris Hiche hit a home run to centerfield to close down the score 5-2. Falcons made everything interesting again in the bottom of the 4th when they pulled a string of hits to manufacture two more runs and reduce the deficit down to 5-4. On the other hand, Jordan Farkas was able to settle down after the 1st inning and keep the dangerous Harlow Nationals bats quiet. On a hot day in Grovehill, both starting pitchers looked tired and both managers decided to go to the bullpen. Coincidentally, both brought the same relievers as in Game 1, Ryan Bird (Herts) and Robbie Almanzar (Nationals). In the bottom of the 6th Robbie Unsell again started the inning with a single and knowing how important it was to score at least 1 run, Phil Clark moved Robbie to 2nd with a sacrifice bunt. Cris Hiche was able to reach base on an infield single and all of a sudden the Nats went into a meltdown. Robbie balked bringing the tying run and destroying the potential double play. Then he hit Ryan to put him on base. Following that, Luis Goncalves made a throwing error sailing into right-field and this brought two more runs home. Several batters later Dave House hit a double with Jordan Farkas on third base. With 2 outs Luis Goncalves made another fielding error to bring Jordan home. Falcons had a 3-run lead with only 3 outs left and Ryan Bird on the mound. Game over, right? Well, in what is becoming a Herts tradition, it needed to end dramatically. Robbie Almanzar started the top of the 7th with a single and Ryan Bird walked Edwin Alcantara. The tying run was at the plate with the powerful and always dangerous Jarrod Pretorius stepping to the plate. Fortunately he flew out to centerfield to record the second out and Ryan was able to strike out Dan Parker to finish the game. Game over.

An ecstatic Lee Manning said after the game, “happy with the way we played today: solid defence and strong pitching again. Timely hitting helped us catch them in Game 2. My only concern is the amount of runners we left on base”. He also put emphasis on the quality of the games today and the pitching duel in Game 1 by adding “I must say that Marty Jr. did an amazing job in Game 1 to keep toe-to-toe with NBL legend Michael Osborn”.

These were quality games by both teams who showed great pitching, good defence, and some power hitting too. These games showed how close the league is and how a single fielding error, a bad pitch, or a bad inning can make a difference in the outcome of the game. The crowd responded with a record (or near-record) attendance and I think they left happy. There is another opportunity to come and support the Falcons this Sunday as they host the Bracknell Blazers and, with the summer finally here, pick up a nice sun-tan along the way!

 

by Matt Bell

Raptors win puts them on the brink of playoffs

Baseball teams from across the UK are jostling for playoff positions.

The Raptors top the single A league and stand on the brink of clinching a playoff spot thanks to another big win today. Sadly, having not been there, I cannot report on the game itsself, though the 24-6 drubbing of the contenders for Pool B’s lead is certainly another impressive head to add to recent victories over the Blackjacks and the Marauders. So, with Pool A rivals, the Coyotes, coming to Grovehill next week, just what are Raptors’ chances of making the post season?

To win Pool A and get a first round buy, a win against the Coyotes next week would put the Raptors 2.5 games clear with only 3 remaining after that, so again either 1 win or a Coyotes loss would furthermore seal Pool victory. A loss would put the Raptors only 0.5 games ahead with 3 remaining and head to head results means the Raptors would have to win as many as the Coyotes do or slip behind them.

If that did happen and the Raptors didn’t top the pool, then they would have to go for a wildcard place. The Coyotes replace them at the top of Pool A and would be out of wildcard equations. The Blackjacks and Marauders who top their Groups would also be irrelevant (all coloured blue in tablefor demonstrative purposes).

With that in mind, the table is currently as follows:

Team Wins Losses Games back
Raptors 8 2 0
Marauders 6 2 1
Mavericks 5 3 1
Coyotes 6 3 1.5
Blackjacks 4 4 3
Archers 3 4 3.5
Redbacks 3 4 3.5
Tonbridge 4 5 3.5
Eagles 3 6 4.5
2Sox 2 5 4.5
Old Timers 3 6 4.5
Dukes 3 6 4.5
Key Divisional leaders if Raptors fail to secure Pool pennant
Unable to surpass Raptors

 

The Eagles, 2Sox, Old Timers and Dukes do not have a mathematical chance of overtaking the Raptors now as they are 4.5 games back with 4 games remaining. (coloured grey on chart).

This leaves only the Mavericks, Archers, Redbacks and Tonbridge to go for the remaining three wildcard spots. Currently the Mavericks are only a game back, so even if they finish ahead of the Raptors there are two places left for wildcards.

The Archers, Redbacks and Tonbridge are all 3.5 games back, meaning 1 more win for the Raptors would put all three out of contention of overtaking the Raptors. A loss by any one of those teams would also put that team out.

Thats basically it. One more win and the Raptors are through to the post season as a wildcard or better. Failing that, one slipup by any two of those three teams and they are through as well.

 

The remaining games are:

Coyotes (6-3) @ Raptors

Raptors @ Mavericks (5-3)

Raptors @ Dukes (3-6)

Raptors @ Tonbridge (4-5)

 

 

 

by Matt Bell

Raptors make Blackjacks walk the plank despite downpour

By Ken Pike

What a difference a month makes in baseball. On the third weekend in May the Raptors had just suffered the second defeat in a row levelling their record at 2-2 after what had been a very promising start to the season. Errors had plagued the team, and while part of the damage came from notable absences of the younger members having to undergo end of year exams, the remaining players had to admit at the time that lapses of concentration had cost them dearly. Playoffs still seemed a very long way away and it was clear that no more mistakes could be tolerated if those were to ever become reality.

Fast forward four games and victories against league leading London Marauders, the solid Redbacks, a dominant performance over the 2Sox, and vengeance against their sister team the Eagles had restored their position at joint top of Single A Pool A and revitalised faith in their abilities. What’s more, the manner of victories had also been resounding – four straight mercy rule games, with a significant drop in error rates, and impressive pitching performances.

Yet much more was to come. Despite the continued success there was no light between their Pool opponents the MK Coyotes and the next few games saw them face 2 pool leaders (including MK), a team that could top their pool if they won their games in hand, and a series of teams all with winning records. First up, the Haverhill Blackjacks, a team that had suffered a rocky start to the season before notable acquisitions from the local US Airforce base had significantly improved their fortunes with rumours of a near unbeatable pitching/catching partnership.

The first inning started with a touch of the shakes for Herts. A couple of fielding errors led to three unforced runs scoring for the Haverhill team, but the Raptors had seen far worse starts turn to victory and were barely phased by that. The Raptors offense is rapidly making a name for itsself having outscored every other team in the league by 50 runs over the season. The bottom half of the first saw Ken Pike get on base and test the fabled visiting battery early on with a steal to second. A hit moved him to second before he took his opportunity on a pass ball. In what was a close play the pitcher made the mistake of stepping over the plate into the path of the 13 stone Raptors catcher. The wind promptly knocked out of him, the ball was no-where near a glove and the home team were on the scoreboard. Only one more runner would score to bring the game back to one.

The second inning saw the Raptors defence hit their stride. Young Will Zucker was cutting through the Haverhill lineup and a series of powerful plays saw the side retired without further score. The bottom half of the inning saw a significant change of pace. Perhaps the pitcher had suffered slightly from his collision, or perhaps the batters had taken heart from the fact the battery wasn’t as dangerous as they had heard. Either way they batted around the order nearly twice with 13 runners scoring before the side was retired (not before Haverhill had gone through two pitchers and descended into a full blown on the pitch argument with themselves). No fancy homeruns required for the home team, just a solid on base percentage with the youthful and fast side making the most of any opportunity to advance.

The third inning saw Will Zucker swapped for the equally young Brodie Caress on the mound, but little else changed. One Blackjack came around before the side was retired, barely denting the Raptors lead of 12. Said lead was promptly restored in the bottom of the inning, but not with quite as much aplomb as the previous inning. Three runners scored – a lead of 14 runs. Sadly not without loss of limb (though thankfully not life.) The cursed first base on the old Grovehill diamond had struck again as Warwyk Byrne landed awkwardly on his hand while returning to first on a pickoff attempt adding a broken finger to the long list of Herts players having suffered in the same position (Duncan Hoyle, Ken Pike, Rob Jones, Joe Osborne-Brade etc etc etc).

Brodie’s performance on the mound continued into the fourth too, this time retiring the side in rapid progression, the first two batters departing within 3 pitches. A walk later the fourth batter went for a simple fly out with barely 15 pitches having passed all inning. Again, another 3 Raptors runs were added stretching the team’s lead to 21-4.

With clouds looming the fifth inning proved more exciting. Caress’ arm was clearly tiring and despite him comfortable lead some of the accuracy had departed. Six runs from Haverhill gave them a fighting chance but they still had work to do to overcome the mercy rule which loomed within two innings. Sadly for the away team, their work should have started on defence in the bottom of the fifth. Instead the Raptors went to town again putting the game well beyond doubt, going around the order again plating 10 more runs to extend the lead to 31-10.

As the sixth started an increasing rainfall started to play havoc with Caress’ accuracy before the heavens opened deluging the field sending both teams heading for umbrellas as umpire Adrian Smithers called for a rain timeout of 5 minutes. Those minutes passed without change for the better and the game was called with a result being called and Havehill’s score being pulled back to the end of the fifth. End result 31-10.

Raptors manager Arnie Longboy praised another great performance: “I think our offense had another explosive game against a tough opponent.  I want to be sure though that we can keep up the momentum for our next two opponents.  Sony Lama continued his hot hitting streak with two singles, a double, triple – just missing the cycle by a homerun.  Jim Arnott’s production also carried over with a team season high seven RBI’s . And of course Ken Pike added to his team lead in stolen bases with another 3.”

The Raptors have now convincingly demolished the leaders of both other pools, and thanks to the Coyotes – Marauders game being postponed by two weeks they now sit top of their group by a half game. They face MK in two weeks, and suddenly the resurgence of faith and potential has turned into a serious charge for the end season. No predictions can be made in what is a very close fight to the finish in all the pools, but whoever wins that game will be strong favourites to finish top of their group. That said, that might make little difference the second team in pool A will be very strong candidates for the first of the three wildcard spots. What will matter however is pride, bragging rights, belief, and above all, momentum.

 

Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E L
Haverhill Blackjacks 3 0 1 0 6 10 7 5 3
Herts Raptors 2 13 3 3 10 31 15 4 7