Author: Matt Bell

by Matt Bell

TORN

I am torn over the question of whether yesterday's game against Braintree went well for me, or badly. In my first complete game as a shortstop, I made what were far and away my most accomplished plays so far. That is to say, I fielded two ground balls cleanly, and made accurate throws to first — on the second occasion I even added a little extra zip on the throw to make sure I beat the runner. Very satisfying.

And that is probably how I would have remembered the day, if it hadn't been for the manner of my final at-bat. I struck out looking in the seventh inning, with only one out, men on base and the Raptors needing just a couple of runs to keep the game alive. It capped a day of poor swings at the plate, and as we packed up our gear a few moments later, I could only sit and brood about it. Sadly, my young son was not around to offer his famous pick-me-up “Don't be grumpy, Daddy”!

It's often a matter of timing and dumb luck which decides how you feel about your day, and it's the same for a ball game. That strikeout was the cancelled train on the way home, the deal which falls through at the last minute, the text saying “let's be friends” after a hot date. Let's hope the black clouds fade and let the sunshine in.

by Matt Bell

RAYS EXTEND RAPTORS’ LOSING STREAK

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, ROB JONES

This was another tale of bold battling from the Herts rookies, but two bad innings consigned them to a tough but honourable defeat.

The Raptors started well in the Essex sunshine. Four of the first five hitters reached base, and the visitors plated three runs. But the Rays pounced when Herts' starting pitcher, Hunter Devine, struggled with his control as he nursed a tight shoulder. With the help of merciless base-stealing, Braintree took a 9-3 lead in the first inning, and that helped them keep their noses in front. 

The next few innings saw the initiative ebb and flow. Having left the mound, Hunter Devine was a menace at the plate and on the bases. He stole 7 bags in all, and Jon Lewys — the Raptors' player of the year so far — came up big again with hits and with strikeouts. By the middle of the fifth it was 16-8 to Braintree, and the match was finely balanced.

Then the Rays bats suddenly got to work. Their hits managed to find gaps in both the infield and outfield and it was death by a thousand cuts for the Raptors as seven runs scored. Throughout the game there had been notably few big hits from the Rays — the outfield had a mostly quiet day, save for one booming hit which turned into a 3-run homer because of the lack of any outfield fence. But, however they are scored, the runs all count.

Raptors tried to strike back in the top of the sixth but a little bit of bad luck sealed their fate. After Ilya Dimitrov earned the latest in his series of walks, he stole his way to third. Rob Jones worked the count and fouled off pitches before finally connecting with a sharp line drive. But rather than finding a gap for an RBI it whizzed straight into the shortstop's waiting glove, and he sharply doubled off Dimitrov at third base. A potential rally was decisively stifled.

Raptors did manage one last hurrah, in the top of the seventh, as they tried to avoid the slaughter rule. A single and a walk got runners on base, and as Chris Brown beat the throw to first on a dropped third strike, Jeff Witter ran in to score from third. He slipped, but was able to literally crawl across home plate and keep the game alive. The Raptors managed to score four runs, but finally the Rays were too strong.

More images of the Raptors' trip to Braintree provided by Rob Jones

Herts Raptors at Braintree Rays
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Raptors 3 1 0 4 0 0 4 12 10 1
Braintree Rays 9 1 5 1 7 1 0 24 14 3

Braintree Rays 24, Herts Raptors 12
Braintree Rays Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 2 4 2 2 Hunter Devine p-1b 4 2 3 0
Player 2 c 4 4 3 3 Ilya Dimitrov cf 2 2 1 1
Player 3 1b 4 3 3 2 Rob Jones ss 4 2 0 0
Player 4 2b 3 0 1 1 Andrew Slater 3b 3 2 1 1
Player 5 3b 3 4 2 1 Jonathon Lewys 1b-p 4 1 4 3
Player 6 ss 2 3 0 0 Jeff Witter 2b 3 1 0 0
Player 7 lf 3 1 1 5 Nick Read c-3b 2 0 0 0
Player 8 cf 4 2 1 1 (t4) Perrie Sherman cf-c 2 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 3 3 1 0 Phil Crooks lf 3 0 0 0
Chris Brown rf 3 1 0 0
(b4) Paul Curtis rf-lf 2 1 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 28 24 14 15 TEAM TOTALS 32 12 10 5

E: Player 2(2), Player 3, Hunter Devine. LOB: Braintree Rays 5, Herts Raptors 7. 2B:
Player 2, Player 3, Player 1, Jonathon Lewys(2), Paul Curtis. HR: Player 7. SB:
Player 2(10), Player 3(7), Player 1(6), Player 5(5), Player 8(4), Player 9(4), Player
7(3), Player 4(2), Player 6(2), Hunter Devine(7), Ilya Dimitrov(7), Jonathon
Lewys(5), Andrew Slater(2), Rob Jones(2), Jeff Witter, Paul Curtis. CS: Hunter
Devine. SB: Player 1.

Braintree Rays IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 7.00 10 12 6 8 11
Herts Raptors            
Jonathon Lewys 5.00 11 14 13 8 5
Hunter Devine L 1.00 3 10 10 10 1

HBP: by Player 1 (Nick Read). WP: Player 1(2), Jonathon Lewys. PB: Player 2(2). T:
3:20. A: 60.

by Matt Bell

ARROWS COME OUT ON TOP IN HERTS-ESSEX DERBY

Eagles and Arrows starters, Louis Hare (left) and Carlos Mancheno (right), respectively, produced a classic pitchers’ duel

Essex Arrows extended their winning streak to 12 games with two victories over the Herts Eagles at Grovehill to consolidate their position on top of the AAA league.  It was a far from one-sided contest though as the Eagles battled hard throughout game 1 and came close to an unlikely upset.

 

The first game was a classic pitching duel between two very different hurlers.  The visitors’ ace Carlos Mancheno was a fireballer, throwing much quicker than any other pitcher the Eagles had encountered all season and leaving a number of Herts hitters swinging at thin air.  For the home team, stand-in manager Louis Hare was on the mound and doing an excellent job of keeping the powerful Essex hitters off balance with his subtle variations of location and movement.

 

The Eagles held the Arrows to just two runs over six innings and snatched a run of their own thanks to some alert baserunning from Luis Concalves who came round to score from second base as catcher Jason Greenberg managed to beat out what looked to be an inning ending ground ball.  So with just one inning to go, the score was only 2-1 and there was everything to play for.  Unfortunately for the growing number of Eagles fans though, the Arrows launched some power-hitting, including a solo home run by Mancheno, to add three insurance runs which proved more than enough to secure victory. 

 

Game two was less competitive, with the Arrows opening out an early 6-1 lead and eventually running out 16-5 winners.

 

More images from the Essex Arrows vs Herts Eagles battle

GAME 1

Essex Arrows at Herts Eagles
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Essex Arrows 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 5 11 2
Herts Eagles 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 1
Essex Arrows 5, Herts Eagles 1
Essex Arrows Herts Eagles
ab r h bi ab r h bi
John Blose ss 4 0 0 0 Rod Ariss ss 2 0 0 0
William Johnson 3b 4 1 0 0 Luis Goncalves 3b 2 1 0 0
Carlos Mancheno p 4 2 3 2 Jason Greenberg c 3 0 2 0
Edwin Alcantara cf 4 0 1 0 Louis Hare p 3 0 0 0
Richard Chesterton rf 4 0 2 1 Jamie Munn 2b 3 0 0 0
(b7) Sub 2 rf 0 0 0 0 Mark Hoffman 1b 3 0 0 0
Adrian Bonsor 1b 2 1 1 0 Bart Schouwenaars rf 3 0 1 0
Franklin Sequera 2b 3 0 1 1 Dave Hamilton cf 3 0 0 0
(t7) Sub 1 pr-2b 0 1 0 0 Ade Orioye lf 2 0 0 0
Rudis Fonseca c 4 0 1 1
Luke Foley lf 3 0 2 0
TEAM TOTALS 32 5 11 5 TEAM TOTALS 24 1 3 0
E: John Blose(2), Luis Goncalves. LOB: Herts Eagles 4, Essex Arrows 10. 2B: Carlos
Mancheno. 3B: Franklin Sequera. HR: Carlos Mancheno. SB: Richard Chesterton, Rod
Ariss, Jason Greenberg. CS: Luke Foley, Jason Greenberg, Jamie Munn.
Essex Arrows IP H R ER BB SO
Carlos Mancheno W 7.00 3 1 0 2 15
Herts Eagles            
Louis Hare L 7.00 11 5 4 3 6
HBP: by Louis Hare (Franklin Sequera). . . . . . WP: Carlos Mancheno, Louis Hare. PB:
Rudis Fonseca. T: 3:00. A: 67.

GAME 2

 

Essex Arrows at Herts Eagles
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Essex Arrows 4 2 0 1 6 3 16 16 2
Herts Eagles 1 0 1 1 2 0 5 6 0
Essex Arrows 16, Herts Eagles 5
Essex Arrows Herts Eagles
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Player 1 p 3 3 2 0 Rod Ariss ss 2 2 0 0
Player 2 c 5 1 1 0 Aspi Dimitrov p-lf 3 1 1 1
Player 3 1b 3 4 2 2 Carlos Casal 3b 2 1 1 0
Player 4 2b 4 4 4 3 Luis Goncalves 2b 2 0 0 0
Player 5 3b 4 2 3 4 (b4) Lin Yuchih 2b 1 0 1 2
Player 6 ss 4 1 1 1 Louis Hare lf-1b 3 1 1 0
Player 7 lf 5 0 2 1 Bart Schouwenaars 1b-p 2 0 0 0
Player 8 cf 3 0 0 0 (b5) Mark Hoffman p 0 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 2 1 1 0 Dave Hamilton cf 3 0 0 0
Kal Dimitrov c 3 0 2 0
Ade Orioye rf 3 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 33 16 16 11 TEAM TOTALS 24 5 6 3
E: Player 2, Player 6. LOB: Herts Eagles 5, Essex Arrows 10. 2B: Player 4, Player 5,
Aspi Dimitrov, Lin Yuchih. HR: Player 4. SB: Player 1(5), Player 9(4), Player 3(3),
Player 4(3), Player 5(3), Player 2, Player 7, Player 6, Rod Ariss(3), Carlos Casal,
Louis Hare. CS: Player 8, Carlos Casal.
Essex Arrows IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 6.00 6 5 3 4 9
Herts Eagles            
Aspi Dimitrov L 4.00 11 7 4 4 4
Bart Schouwenaars 1.00 1 6 4 6 0
Mark Hoffman 1.00 4 3 1 0 1
HBP: by Bart Schouwenaars (Player 4). . WP: Bart Schouwenaars(6), Aspi Dimitrov(2).
PB: Kal Dimitrov(4). T: 3:00. A: 67.
by Matt Bell

PASSION SPILLING OVER IN HAWKS’ CLASH WITH STAGS

Brentwood Stags at Herts Hawks
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Brentwood Stags 0 1 2 1 7 2 3 0 1 17 17 3
Herts Hawks 1 4 1 2 1 3 0 0 0 12 16 12

Brentwood Stags 17, Herts Hawks 12
Brentwood Stags Herts Hawks
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p-c 6 3 4 0 Greg Bochan 2b-3b-ss 5 2 3 2
Player 2 c 2 1 1 0 Paul Auchterlounie cf 2 1 1 1
(b3) Sub 1 3b 4 2 2 0 (b3) Chris Wylie lf-3b 4 0 0 0
Player 3 1b 5 2 2 0 Marty Cullen p 5 1 3 2
Player 4 2b 4 3 2 1 David Baird ss-2b 5 1 0 0
Player 5 3b-p 6 2 2 2 Stuart Boast 1b 5 3 2 0
Player 6 ss 5 1 2 0 Peter Kikel 3b-c 6 1 2 1
Player 7 lf 6 1 1 1 Humberto Goncalves c-2b 4 2 4 3
Player 8 cf 5 1 0 0 (t7) Matt Johnston lf 2 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 5 1 1 1 Kal Dimitrov lf-cf 2 0 0 0
(b5) Josh Smith cf 1 1 0 0
Tim Grant rf 3 0 1 2
(t7) Liam Green rf 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 48 17 17 5 TEAM TOTALS 44 12 16 11

E: Player 5, Player 6, Player 7, David Baird(5), Peter Kikel(3), Marty Cullen, Greg
Bochan, Humberto Goncalves, Josh Smith. DP: Herts Hawks 1. LOB: Brentwood Stags 8,
Herts Hawks 13. 2B: Player 1, Peter Kikel, Marty Cullen, Greg Bochan, Humberto
Goncalves, Stuart Boast. SB: Player 4(3), Player 5(3), Player 1(2), Player 6(2),
Player 2(2), Player 8, Greg Bochan(3), David Baird(2), Peter Kikel, Stuart Boast,
Paul Auchterlounie, Marty Cullen, Liam Green.

Brentwood Stags IP H R ER BB SO
Player 5 W 7.00 10 7 4 3 8
Player 1 2.33 6 5 3 0 3
Herts Hawks            
Marty Cullen L 9.00 17 17 4 3 14

HBP: by Player 5 (Kal Dimitrov), by Player 5 (Tim Grant). , by Player 5 (David
Baird). , by Marty Cullen (Player 3). , by Player 5 (Stuart Boast), by Player 5 (Josh
Smith). . . . WP: Player 5, Marty Cullen(2). T: 3:00. A: 67.
by Matt Bell

COMING TO TERMS

It's taken me three days to put words on the screen this week, and I'm not sure why. Partly, it's because I just don't know where to start. The Raptors took what a Norwegian football commentator once called “a hell of a beating”, but as I mull over it constantly it's still hard to see where it all went wrong. Visions of errors — some of them my own — drift through my mind, but not enough visions to add up to a thirty-run loss. We were not outclassed this week, although we faced a good team. More, we were beaten by our own inability to land the killer blow — stranding runners on base, and giving up too many runs with two outs. It's a cliche to say that baseball is a game of inches, but it is an unforgiving game. It's about executing the plays, with precision. There is lots for us to work on.

I must add that team spirit is still extremely strong. This was a blowy, wet and grey day at the Grovehill ballpark but an admirable number of players turned up and endured the worst that the British spring could throw at us. In my capacity as stand-in manager, I had to rotate lots of players in and out of the game and they all took it with good grace. I remain optimistic for our future.

And how did I get on, as manager, and first baseman again? As I said, the mistakes were there. I don't know if they were scored as errors but your job on first base is to deal with whatever throw comes your way and on a few occasions I didn't do that. Mainly, it was when I needed to tag a runner — on one play, I turned my head away from the catch before I had the ball secure, too eager to make the tag; on another I was too distracted by the guy bearing down on me and failed to stand firm and receive the ball. It's easy to dismiss the distractions that are there in a busy baseball diamond, but not so hard to actually ignore them. As a manager … well, it's great fun and a great pleasure to take the reins when needed, but I will certainly join the team in welcoming back our fearless leader Slater for next week's game!

 

by Matt Bell

FALCONS KEEP UP WITH THE PACK IN NBL TITLE CHASE

Report from Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, ANDY CORNISH

 

With a runner on third and second, two down and a one run lead to protect, there was a visit to the mound with Catcher Lee Manning, pitcher Darrin Ward and stand in manager Andy Cornish.  Lee started off ‘should we walk this guy, he swings big?’  It was decided to pitch to the current batter.  A ground ball back to Darrin, and easy play at first base, which was followed a state of euphoria.  HERTS WIN, HERTS WIN!

 

With Manager Jason ‘Skip’ Greenberg, Dan ‘Hollywood’ Kerry and Riley ‘the Fish’ Fisher all missing and Eagles game cancelled due to the forecasted weather, additions of Louis Hare and Dave Westfallen were made to the roster.  Herts travelled through a variable weather fronts that has been common with the last few summers in the UK, arriving at top of the National League’s, Bracknell, field in the pouring rain.  It soon cleared up, and the game began on time, and a brilliant game of baseball occurred.  Blows were traded in each inning with no-one certain of the outcome.  In the fourth inning, Bracknell runners on second and third, a ground ball came out to third baseman, Nic Goetz, who threw home, a run down occurred, ending with a tag out, the batter decided to head to second base, unaware there was still a runner there.  Heading back to first base, the runner incurred the second run down of the inning, once again ending in a tag out.  Two run downs, one inning.  Herts were 2 runs up after the 4th and holding strong, but coming out of the 5th inning it was 6-6.  Leading off the top of the 6th, leadoff batter Aspi Dimitrov walked, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and trotted home on a sac fly by Yuchih Lin, 7-6.  Darrin Ward then closed the book on this game only allowing 3 hits over the next 2 innings and shutting down the Bracknell’s offence. 

 

Bracknell looked visibly shaken by this loss.  Nic Goetz took the mound for Herts and a pitching duel commenced in some heavy rain.  Nic was excellent, only allowing 3 hits over the full 7 innings.  This was not enough to wake up the sleeping bats of Herts, and Goetz ended up on the wrong side of a 4-1 game.  During the game, Herts did not get a hit, however, a rare highlight in the sixth as Darrin Ward managed to hit in the only run on an error by the outfield.  Lin (who had also reached on an error) ran around from first base to score as Darrin stood up at second base.  Both Dave Westfallen and Louis Hare provided solid defence, throwing out multiple runners and being a rock at first base respectively.  The second game did not tell the full story as the usually reliable defence had to battle with the heavy showers, allowing 5 errors.

 

Lee Manning made a triumphant return behind the dish, batting 2-4 in the first game, scoring a run, with reliable Kimi Saionji also going 2-4. Stand in manager Andy Cornish commented ‘We came out the blocks straight away against top of the division, and a positive mood in the camp came through.  Bracknell thought that we would just roll over and we were not here to do that, fortune seems to favour the bold.  We need to build on the positives, and next time we see them I am expecting an improvement.  I am very proud of a few players in particular.  The supporters were excellent as always, even in the weather and don’t always seem to get some of the notice that they deserve.’

 

GAME 1


Herts Falcons at Bracknell Blazers
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 7 9 2
Bracknell Blazers 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 6 11 1

Herts Falcons 7, Bracknell Blazers 6
Herts Falcons Bracknell Blazers
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Aspi Dimitrov lf 3 1 1 1 Leo Morgan lf 4 0 0 0
Luis Goncalves ss 2 0 1 1 Damian Van Nickerl 3b 2 1 0 0
Lin Yuchih 2b 3 1 1 1 Ryan Trask ss 4 2 3 2
Darrin Ward p 4 1 1 1 Matt Matland dh-p 4 0 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji rf 4 1 2 1 Henry Collins cf 4 1 2 0
John Oliver 1b 3 1 0 0 Marcus Simpson rf 3 1 1 1
Lee Manning c 4 1 2 0 Connor Vernon 2b 4 0 1 0
Nick Goetz 3b 2 1 0 0 Matt Bray c 4 1 3 1
Jamie Munn cf 2 0 1 2 Phil Matthews 1b 3 0 1 0
Brendon Cunliffe p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 27 7 9 7 TEAM TOTALS 32 6 11 4
E: Lin Yuchih, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Damian Van Nickerl. LOB: Herts Falcons 6, Bracknell
Blazers 9. 2B: Kimiyoshi Saionji, Darrin Ward, Luis Goncalves, Jamie Munn. HR: Ryan
Trask. SB: Aspi Dimitrov(2), Ryan Trask(2), Henry Collins(2), Connor Vernon. CS:
Jamie Munn. SB: Damian Van Nickerl. SF: Luis Goncalves, Lin Yuchih.
Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Darrin Ward W 7.00 11 6 2 2 6
Bracknell Blazers            
Brendon Cunliffe 4.00 7 6 5 3 6
Matt Matland L 3.00 2 1 0 2 1
HBP: by Darrin Ward (Phil Matthews). . . . . . WP: Brendon Cunliffe(2). PB: Lee
Manning, Matt Bray. T: 2:05. A: 48.

GAME 2

Herts Falcons at Bracknell Blazers
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 5
Bracknell Blazers 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 4 3 3

Bracknell Blazers 4, Herts Falcons 1
Bracknell Blazers Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Leo Morgan cf 2 0 0 0 Luis Goncalves ss 4 0 0 0
Damian Van Nickerk 3b 3 0 0 0 Jamie Munn lf 3 0 0 0
Ryan Trask ss 2 0 1 2 Lin Yuchih 3b 1 1 0 0
Matt Matland p 1 0 0 0 Darrin Ward dh 2 0 0 0
(t4) Henry Collins p 2 0 1 0 Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 3 0 0 0
Tom Bray c 1 2 0 0 Dave Westfallen c 3 0 0 0
Max Flasher 2b 3 0 0 0 Louis Hare 1b 2 0 0 0
Phil Matthews 1b 3 0 0 0 (t6) John Oliver 1b 1 0 0 0
Yaso Minousa lf 3 1 1 1 Aspi Dimitrov cf 1 0 0 0
Mike Cattermole rf 3 1 0 0 Andy Cornish rf 3 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 23 4 3 3 TEAM TOTALS 23 1 0 0
E: Damian Van Nickerk, Ryan Trask, Max Flasher, Lin Yuchih(2), Luis Goncalves, Nick
Goetz, Aspi Dimitrov. LOB: Bracknell Blazers 5, Herts Falcons 6. 2B: Yaso Minousa.
SB: Ryan Trask, Tom Bray. CS: Henry Collins. SB: Leo Morgan.
Bracknell Blazers IP H R ER BB SO
Henry Collins 4.00 0 1 0 1 2
Matt Matland W 3.00 0 0 0 3 4
Herts Falcons            
Nick Goetz L 6.00 3 4 1 2 4
HBP: by Henry Collins (Aspi Dimitrov). , by Nick Goetz (Tom Bray). . T: 1:38. A: 48.

 

 

With a runner on third and second, two down and a one run lead to protect, there was a visit to the mound with Catcher Lee Manning, pitcher Darrin Ward and stand in manager Andy Cornish.  Lee started off ‘should we walk this guy, he swings big?’  It was decided to pitch to the current batter.  A ground ball back to Darrin, and easy play at first base, which was followed a state of euphoria.  HERTS WIN, HERTS WIN!

 

With Manager Jason ‘Skip’ Greenberg, Dan ‘Hollywood’ Kerry and Riley ‘the Fish’ Fisher all missing and Eagles game cancelled due to the forecasted weather, additions of Louis Hare and Dave Westfallen were made to the roster.  Herts travelled through a variable weather fronts that has been common with the last few summers in the UK, arriving at top of the National League’s, Bracknell, field in the pouring rain.  It soon cleared up, and the game began on time, and a brilliant game of baseball occurred.  Blows were traded in each inning with no-one certain of the outcome.  In the fourth inning, Bracknell runners on second and third, a ground ball came out to third baseman, Nic Goetz, who threw home, a run down occurred, ending with a tag out, the batter decided to head to second base, unaware there was still a runner there.  Heading back to first base, the runner incurred the second run down of the inning, once again ending in a tag out.  Two run downs, one inning.  Herts were 2 runs up after the 4th and holding strong, but coming out of the 5th inning it was 6-6.  Leading off the top of the 6th, leadoff batter Aspi Dimitrov walked, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and trotted home on a sac fly by Yuchih Lin, 7-6.  Darrin Ward then closed the book on this game only allowing 3 hits over the next 2 innings and shutting down the Bracknell’s offence. 

 

Bracknell looked visibly shaken by this loss.  Nic Goetz took the mound for Herts and a pitching duel commenced in some heavy rain.  Nic was excellent, only allowing 3 hits over the full 7 innings.  This was not enough to wake up the sleeping bats of Herts, and Goetz ended up on the wrong side of a 4-1 game.  During the game, Herts did not get a hit, however, a rare highlight in the sixth as Darrin Ward managed to hit in the only run on an error by the outfield.  Lin (who had also reached on an error) ran around from first base to score as Darrin stood up at second base.  Both Dave Westfallen and Louis Hare provided solid defence, throwing out multiple runners and being a rock at first base respectively.  The second game did not tell the full story as the usually reliable defence had to battle with the heavy showers, allowing 5 errors.

 

Lee Manning made a triumphant return behind the dish, batting 2-4 in the first game, scoring a run, with reliable Kimi Saionji also going 2-4. Stand in manager Andy Cornish commented ‘We came out the blocks straight away against top of the division, and a positive mood in the camp came through.  Bracknell thought that we would just roll over and we were not here to do that, fortune seems to favour the bold.  We need to build on the positives, and next time we see them I am expecting an improvement.  I am very proud of a few players in particular.  The supporters were excellent as always, even in the weather and don’t always seem to get some of the notice that they deserve.’

 

GAME 1


Herts Falcons at Bracknell Blazers
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 7 9 2
Bracknell Blazers 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 6 11 1

Herts Falcons 7, Bracknell Blazers 6
Herts Falcons Bracknell Blazers
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Aspi Dimitrov lf 3 1 1 1 Leo Morgan lf 4 0 0 0
Luis Goncalves ss 2 0 1 1 Damian Van Nickerl 3b 2 1 0 0
Lin Yuchih 2b 3 1 1 1 Ryan Trask ss 4 2 3 2
Darrin Ward p 4 1 1 1 Matt Matland dh-p 4 0 0 0
Kimiyoshi Saionji rf 4 1 2 1 Henry Collins cf 4 1 2 0
John Oliver 1b 3 1 0 0 Marcus Simpson rf 3 1 1 1
Lee Manning c 4 1 2 0 Connor Vernon 2b 4 0 1 0
Nick Goetz 3b 2 1 0 0 Matt Bray c 4 1 3 1
Jamie Munn cf 2 0 1 2 Phil Matthews 1b 3 0 1 0
Brendon Cunliffe p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 27 7 9 7 TEAM TOTALS 32 6 11 4
E: Lin Yuchih, Kimiyoshi Saionji, Damian Van Nickerl. LOB: Herts Falcons 6, Bracknell
Blazers 9. 2B: Kimiyoshi Saionji, Darrin Ward, Luis Goncalves, Jamie Munn. HR: Ryan
Trask. SB: Aspi Dimitrov(2), Ryan Trask(2), Henry Collins(2), Connor Vernon. CS:
Jamie Munn. SB: Damian Van Nickerl. SF: Luis Goncalves, Lin Yuchih.
Herts Falcons IP H R ER BB SO
Darrin Ward W 7.00 11 6 2 2 6
Bracknell Blazers            
Brendon Cunliffe 4.00 7 6 5 3 6
Matt Matland L 3.00 2 1 0 2 1
HBP: by Darrin Ward (Phil Matthews). . . . . . WP: Brendon Cunliffe(2). PB: Lee
Manning, Matt Bray. T: 2:05. A: 48.

GAME 2

Herts Falcons at Bracknell Blazers
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 5
Bracknell Blazers 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 4 3 3

Bracknell Blazers 4, Herts Falcons 1
Bracknell Blazers Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Leo Morgan cf 2 0 0 0 Luis Goncalves ss 4 0 0 0
Damian Van Nickerk 3b 3 0 0 0 Jamie Munn lf 3 0 0 0
Ryan Trask ss 2 0 1 2 Lin Yuchih 3b 1 1 0 0
Matt Matland p 1 0 0 0 Darrin Ward dh 2 0 0 0
(t4) Henry Collins p 2 0 1 0 Kimiyoshi Saionji 2b 3 0 0 0
Tom Bray c 1 2 0 0 Dave Westfallen c 3 0 0 0
Max Flasher 2b 3 0 0 0 Louis Hare 1b 2 0 0 0
Phil Matthews 1b 3 0 0 0 (t6) John Oliver 1b 1 0 0 0
Yaso Minousa lf 3 1 1 1 Aspi Dimitrov cf 1 0 0 0
Mike Cattermole rf 3 1 0 0 Andy Cornish rf 3 0 0 0
Nick Goetz p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 23 4 3 3 TEAM TOTALS 23 1 0 0
E: Damian Van Nickerk, Ryan Trask, Max Flasher, Lin Yuchih(2), Luis Goncalves, Nick
Goetz, Aspi Dimitrov. LOB: Bracknell Blazers 5, Herts Falcons 6. 2B: Yaso Minousa.
SB: Ryan Trask, Tom Bray. CS: Henry Collins. SB: Leo Morgan.
Bracknell Blazers IP H R ER BB SO
Henry Collins 4.00 0 1 0 1 2
Matt Matland W 3.00 0 0 0 3 4
Herts Falcons            
Nick Goetz L 6.00 3 4 1 2 4
HBP: by Henry Collins (Aspi Dimitrov). , by Nick Goetz (Tom Bray). . T: 1:38. A: 48.

by Matt Bell

POLICE AND FIRE BRIGADE OPEN A NEW SEASON OF HERTS BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUE

The girls and boys of the Herts Baseball Little League opened the 2009 season in the usual festive fashion.  The ceremony started with the unveiling of the league teams.  Last season, the league consisted of four teams.  In addition, in 2009 two new teams have been added to the line-up. 

 

In order to create a better balance in terms of age and ability, the six teams were divided into two separate divisions.  Last year’s four teams, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Blue Jays, will once again compete against each other and this will be referred to as the“Majors” Division.  The two new teams, the Cardinals and the Giants, will be playing in the newly created “Minors” Division, which will include the league’s youngest players some aged as young as 5.

 

Opening Day’s guests of honour were members of the Hertfordshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire’s Fire and Rescue.  The young baseball players had the opportunity to shake their hands and show their appreciation for the men and women of the emergency services.

 

Dacorum and St. Albans District Commander of Hertfordhsire Fire and Rescue, Simon Brown, said: “It is fantastic to see such a wonderful programme in our community and we are glad that we have a chance to take part in this great event”.  His counterpart from the Hertfordshire Constabulary, Pete Edwards, added: “It is so nice to meet all the boys and girls and we hope that the Herts Baseball programme will continue to grow”.

 

Their colleagues, Danny Allsopp, Simon Steptoe, Beansy Harper, Sticky Pymont of Herts Fire and Rescue and Ryan Coyle, Matt Caan, Daniel  John of the Herts Constabulary joined them for the ceremonial first pitch.  All eight guests of honour showed good baseball abilities delivering powerful and accurate pitches.  On the other side eight Little League players were waiting to receive the pitches, and so the 2009 season was officially opened.

 

Whether it is baseball, football or some other sport, there is a common belief that the standard in every sport improves year-after-year.  Without any doubt this theory applies to the Herts Baseball League.  The improvement of the baseball players over the last 12 years has been incredible.  A lot of credit has to be given not only to the coaches, but most importantly to the players who have been working hard to improve.  Some have been putting in countless hours of work at home practicing various aspects of the game.  And it is certainly paying off.  This was illustrated very well by the magnificent triple play executed with the skill that we associate only with MLB players.

 

In the first games of the Majors Division, the Red Sox managed to overcome the Yankees 4-3.  In the other game, the Cubs started the season with a 1-0 win against the Blue Jays.  As the score line suggests, this was a classic pitchers’ duel.  In the second games, the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 10-5 while the Red Sox are the only team with aa 100% record after their 9-4 win against the Cubs.

 

In the Minors Division, it was the Cardinals that came out on top of a 21-20 epic against the Giants.

 

Click here for more images from Opening Day.

 

Boys and girls aged between 5 and 14+ can join the Herts Baseball Little League at any time.  For more details visit www.hertslittleleague.com

by Matt Bell

DEALING WITH THE PAIN

It's two days since the game ended, and my body is slowly recovering. The bruise which stopped me closing my hand is starting to fade, the gash on my shin has new skin. And when I think that I got off lightly compared to some of my team mates, you do wonder why we do this for fun. The Raptors have so far shown an alarming enthusiasm for putting their bodies on the line — Ken has tried repeatedly to separate himself from his shoulder; Iwan tried to hurdle the catcher to steal home and nearly broke his back. And all this is without our most persistent masochists getting involved — Stevie normally gets poleaxed on a regular basis, but instead, at the weekend, he was stroking RBI doubles.

So is there any need for all this pain? Over my years at the Herts club, we have had any number of bleeding faces and black eyes (including one of my own), all topped off with a broken jaw (not mine). But nobody flinches. My wife thinks we're all bonkers. I suspect she's right. Maybe it's all part of the release we get by playing competitive sports. And kept within sensible limits, I think injury is a perfectly healthy part of sport.

by Matt Bell

BACK TO THE FUTURE?

This was a case of “Going back through the change”. Not so much a bold vision of the future, more a return to the past. To fill our needs with only nine players available, I was in the outfield this week.  And it was a nice, comfortable fit. Five catches, I think, including one of those satisfying slick moments that I was hoping for in my last entry — a sliding, diving catch in shallow centre field, the sort you want to watch over and over on the highlight reels. I didn't make a single out at the plate, so I will count that as a positive, too — although getting hit by a pitch for the second week running had not been part of the plan.

And how about the team? I think we would all agree we were a bit outclassed this week, but when the opposition is reportedly stacked with GB-squad talent, that's no disgrace.  Our pitcher, Jon, was once again a complete stud, and only really gave up two big hits. The others were just ground balls finding holes, or close defensive plays that we didn't quite make.  Our batters are starting to be patient at the plate, and we capitalised on walks handed out by the relief pitchers, to the point where we nearly avoided the slaughter rule!

 

by Matt Bell

THE KIDS ARE BACK. NEW SEASON OF THE HERTS BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUE STARTS THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday, 16 May, young baseball players from all around Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas will be heading down to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  The occasion is the start of the 2009 Herts Baseball Little League season.

 

In keeping with baseball tradition, the Opening Day of the Little League season will be a festive occasion.  Everything that is expected on Opening Day will be featured, from the singing of the national anthem to the hot dogs. 

 

Last year the season was officially opened by the Mayor of the Borough of Dacorum, Councillor Mrs. Carol Green, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch with impressive authority.  This year’s guests of honour will be members of the emergency services and this would give the young Herts baseball players a chance to show their gratitude to the men and women who work tirelessly helping us in the most extreme and challenging circumstances.  Members of Herts Baseball Club who are raising funds for the British Heart Foundation will also be taking part in the event as part of their fundraising campaign.

 

The opening ceremony will commence at 12pm and it will be followed by the first Little League games of 2009. 

 

The Herts Baseball youth programme has made tremendous strides since its inception in the summer of 2007.  It has grown into one of the largest baseball youth programmes in the country and its players have already had enormous success, including winning the MLB PlayBall  AA winners’ trophy in 2008 and finishing as runners-up in the Herts Futures Tournament last September defeating some of the best baseball teams in Great Britain. 

 

The talent of the Herts Baseball Little League players has not gone unnoticed and the GB National Team programme has already invited several of them to the GB U-13 National Team.

 

Last year’s inaugural season ended in a dramatic three-way tie between the Cubs, Red Sox and the Yankees and an extra week of playoff games were required to determine the eventual champions, the Herts Yankees.  Who will win it this time around?

 

Since last season, over £10,000 has been invested in developing the baseball facilities at Grovehill Ballpark thanks to a grant from the National Lottery.  It is already becoming an impressive sporting venue which is packed with baseball events for youth and adult teams from March until October.  The members of Herts Baseball Club have been working hard over the last 12 months to raise additional funds for the development of Grovehill Ballpark and these are scheduled to be invested later in the year.

 

Don’t miss the 2009 Little League Opening Day.  Boys and girls aged between 5 and 14+ can join the Herts Baseball Little League at any time.  For more details visit www.hertslittleleague.com