Author: Rob Jones

by Rob Jones

A last goodbye…

We all love the game of baseball, writes Rob Jones. But like most sports, perhaps its greatest value is to bring us to like-minded individuals who also love the game of baseball. And then, by sharing it with them, our experience is enriched ten-fold.

That is where we come to Kal Dimitrov. However much fun I have had playing baseball over the past 12 years, it was always made better by having Kal there.

Kal in action at the Hunlock Series, 2009

Until the moment when we suddenly lost him on Sunday July 5th, he had been his ebullient self, encouraging, joking, cajoling, and always giving his all for his team-mates. That is how we must remember him, although the shock of his passing will stay with us all for a very long time. For his family, it will never go away.

I joined Herts baseball club in 2003, after following the game for a couple of years and thinking that even a skinny dude like me could give this a go. Kal Dimitrov and his brother Aspi were already there. It seemed to me that they were veterans at the heart of the club, but in fact they had arrived only the year before. Perhaps that shows the impact his presence had.

Kal was welcoming and friendly. It was one of his gifts that he would treat you in exactly the same way if he had just met you, or if you were a life-long friend. There was no reserve; you never felt there was a hierarchy, an inner circle you had to break into.

His openness was a quality of great benefit for the youth players, who immediately took to him. And for new adult recruits. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who didn’t immediately take to Kal.

He encouraged me in my baseball endeavours, as he did so many others. He would always support you on a bad day, and reward you on a good one.

Kal himself tended not to play at the very highest level of the club. And he might give you the impression that, well, he was just a chancer, a journeyman. Yes, maybe he might admit that he had a few baseball chops, but he’d insist that really he was just out there busking it.

In fact, he played one of the toughest positions, as catcher, and did it consistently well. I have tried it myself a bit this season, and he was one of the players I had learned from.

And he could instantly and correctly tell when you were swinging too early, or failing to snap your wrist on the throw, or fielding too shallow to give yourself time. Or that you had overrun a fly ball, a slightly random memory I know I once related in this column.

Even amateur baseball players can be pretty precious about themselves. But when he gave you these tips, you never prickled at criticism. Instead, you knew you were being helped.  The notion of anybody being offended or irritated by Kal’s advice seems absurd to the point of being laughable.

I have played with the Raptors or Eagles at the Single-A level for some time now, happy to take part in the handful of games my life allows, and happy to coach new guys who have just started baseball. For most of those years, we have been trying to get Kal to come and manage the team as we knew he was perfect for the job.
In 2015 he proved that we were right, and I can be forever grateful that I had the chance to work so closely alongside him this year as his co-manager. To be honest, he did all the hard work, because he was the powerhouse and the life-force. I was just his glamorous assistant.

Although I knew almost immediately I would need to write my own tribute to Kal — it is, after all, what I do — I have been putting it off. Partly that is because of the same finality which hurts us when we lose someone too soon.

Until that moment, there is always more you can do for that person and with that person, and more chances to let them know you love them. Similarly, with this, you always hope that a better phrase will come to you, a better memory to encapsulate what someone did for you.

But it is now time to move on, while always treasuring those memories. We must get back to the game of baseball which we love, and which brought us together in the first place.

It is hard to imagine that I will never again get to be at the ballpark with Kal. But I can feel blessed that I ever got the chance at all. Kal Dimitrov was one of the finest people you could ever hope to meet. We will miss him dreadfully.

by Rob Jones

A Farewell to a Friend

Herts players past and present have joined members of the wider British baseball community to say an emotional goodbye to Kal Dimitrov.

The Raptors co-manager — who had served the club as a player, coach and official for more than a decade — passed away suddenly after collapsing during a league game last week. Beyond all of his formal roles with the club, he had been an inspiration and a friend.

On Saturday 11th of July, a memorial was held on the field at Grovehill in Hemel Hempstead. A floral tribute had been made featuring his number 12 — which has become the symbol of a week of both mourning and celebration for Herts. The number, and other images from Kal’s time at Herts, were posted around the diamond. During the ceremony, Kal’s number was retired.

All of those who attended laid baseball shirts and caps on the diamond as a tribute to their lost family member. Dozens and dozens of shirts fanned out from home plate towards the pitchers mound.

Some of them were small — youth shirts to show the crucial role which Kal had played in creating and expanding the successful Herts Little League project. Since it was set up, it has guided several players into the GB team, and has provided fun and camaraderie for many more.

And they were not all Herts shirts. Players who had battled against Kal Dimitrov in vital matches now came to pay their respects to him. Players from Richmond, Guildford, Brentwood, London Mets, Southern Nationals, Bracknell, Kent, Daws Hill, LYBL, Milton Keynes Bucks, Sidewinders and the Essex Redbacks were among those who came to lay their shirts down too. The Essex Archers were there, players who had been caught up in the tragic events of last Sunday.

There had been messages of support from around the world. London Mets players in Kutno in Poland had held a minute’s silence, and paid a further tribute on Saturday.  The former Falcons manager Jason Greenberg had sent his shirt from the US. And the former Texas Rangers catcher, Pudge Rodriguez — who had been told about Kal’s passing — said his prayers and thoughts were with all at Herts.

shirts laid out for Kal Dimitrov

Bruce Dullea began the tributes at Grovehill. The one-time Falcons manager, who now has a son pitching in the youth teams, spoke of how the club had flourished in the years when Kal — together with his brother Aspi — had been the driving forces. “As a tribute and legacy to Kal”, he said, “each of us must do whatever we can, either big or small, to continue to promote the game in this country”.

He concluded: “I’ve always believed that it’s not the number of days we’re on earth, but the impact we make upon others.  Kal’s impact was immense”.

Rod Naghar of the Herts Hawks has known both Dimitrov brothers since their university days, twenty years ago. He shared his memories of Kal, and raised a smile of recognition as he described how he could be seen, shirtless, phone clamped to his ear, watering the diamond before a game.

But Rod also recalled Kal’s diligence, his boundless knowledge, and his caring manner. “He inspired me as he was an inspiration to us all. His sunshine lit up our lives, his unbounded generosity, kindness and good humour touched us all.”

“Kal was taken from us too soon, but he will always be remembered and forever in our hearts”, he added. Jo Cornish read a poem,  and there was a minute’s applause from the crowd at 12 minutes past 12. 

The Dimitrov brothers look at the tributes

The Southampton Mustangs pay tribute at the game in Bracknell

As players took their chance to look at the tributes, there was then a surprise final speaker. Aspi Dimitrov took the mic to thank everyone for their support and their messages. In an emotional address, he said he would miss his brother in a million ways, right down to the mundane activity of watching television together — “watching television with Kal”, he remarked to laughter, “was different”.

Their brother Ilya was also present, along with their father and his wife. The Dimitrov’s shirts had received pride of place laid out at home plate – Kal’s 12, Aspi’s 4, Ilya’s 21 and now their father’s 48.

The BBF had kindly agreed to postpone all Herts league games which were due to have taken place this past weekend. On Sunday, a minute’s silence or a minute’s applause was observed at many games around the country — including in Liverpool, Hull, Leicester and at the Newton Aycliffe Spartans.

In a further statement on Sunday, Aspi Dimitrov said his family had been deeply touched by the affection which had been shown for Kal, and the solidarity from the baseball community.

The club intends to wear number 12 patches on its shirt-sleeves for the remainder of this year’s league games, and will decide on a permanent memorial to Kal in due course.

 

by Rob Jones

A Tribute to Kal

Kal and Herts players at the Hawks v Raptors derby, June 2015

The members of Herts Baseball Club — and the wider British baseball community — will come together on Saturday for a memorial to our team-mate and friend Kal Dimitrov.

Kal, who was 43, passed away suddenly last Sunday after being taken ill during a league game.

On Saturday, everyone is invited to gather at our Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead from 11 o’clock. This is the chance for people both inside and outside the club to send their love to his family, and to say goodbye to Kal.

At 12 minutes past 12, there is to be one minute’s applause in celebration of his life — both his enormous contribution to British baseball and his place in our hearts.

Kal’s number 12 jersey will be retired at the memorial. We ask for everyone who comes along to bring a baseball shirt if they can, so these can be laid out to cover the diamond in tribute. These may be Herts jerseys, or from any other club.

Herts has been touched by the response from across the baseball family to Kal’s sudden passing.  There have been messages of support from Plymouth to Liverpool, Southampton to Oldham — as well as from the Essex Archers, who were caught up in Sunday’s tragic events.

The Dimitrov family has been particularly moved by tributes from youth players who had been welcomed and encouraged by Kal when they joined Herts. They described him as a great mentor and a true friend, and said they would always consider Kal a family member.

He was never part of the formal set-up of the Little League, but worked incredibly hard to make it a success and his warmth and enthusiasm was crucial.

A book of condolence will be available to sign on Saturday. Friends who were alongside Kal for his 13 years at Grovehill will share some of their memories.

Food will be available, and people should feel free to bring along drinks or other refreshments. This is a desperately sad occasion for us all, but our aim is to remember and celebrate someone whose warmth, humour and friendship provide our strongest memories.

We understand that you will not all be able to make it, but we also know that you will think of Kal wherever you are.

The memorial for Kal Dimitrov will start from 11am at Grovehill Ballpark, Washington Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 6NH

Hemel Hempstead

 

 

by Rob Jones

Kal Dimitrov 1971-2015

Kal

It is with enormous sadness that Herts Baseball Club has to announce the loss of one of our family. Kal Dimitrov passed away on Sunday afternoon after he was taken ill suddenly during a game at the Essex Archers.

Over the course of more than a decade, Kal was a catcher, coach, umpire and manager for several Herts teams. This year, he had been co-manager of the Herts Raptors in the Single-A league. He had also done invaluable work behind the scenes with club organisation, and with the growing youth leagues.

But more than all of that, Kal Dimitrov was a dearly-loved friend to us. His character, humour and spirit lifted every baseball occasion, and he inspired and encouraged countless players. We will miss him dreadfully.

Our thoughts are with Kal’s family, including his brothers Aspi and Ilya who also have such a place at the heart of our baseball club.

On Saturday, we ask anyone who knew Kal to come down to Grovehill ballpark in Hemel Hempstead any time from 11 o’clock for ceremonies to retire his number 12 shirt at 12 noon. We will hold a minute’s applause at 12:12 as we remember the smile he brought to the game. Please bring a baseball shirt – Herts or any other — so we can lay them out on the diamond as a tribute. 

The BBF has kindly agreed to postpone all Herts baseball games due to take place this weekend  – the Raptors at the Mariners; the Hawks at the Bucks; the Eagles against the Knights; and the Falcons against the Essex Arrows.

In the long term, the club is pledged to provide a fitting memorial to someone who gave us all so much.

by Rob Jones

Broken laces, and a surviving dream

Here’s a moment which sums up how the Brighton game went for me. In the fourth inning, as I jogged in to score easily after a fellow Raptor had smacked an RBI into the outfield, I helpfully scooped up his bat on my way, writes Rob Jones.

In doing so, I performed a quick stutter-step, caught my cleats in my laces, and almost fell on my face. Even scoring a run, I nearly managed to mess it up. And I broke my lace.

It was that sort of day for me, which didn’t really reflect the tremendous performance put in by the team. We narrowly lost 20-18, with the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth inning. There were sterling performances in the field by rookies Paul Barton and Nick Shrimpton, and by newcomer Yue Du on the mound.

But I never quite managed to match their level on this day. There was a lot of “giving with one hand and taking with the other”. A lot of “close but no cigar”. Here’s an example.

Brighton’s number 9 hitter softly put a ground ball my way at second base quite early in the game. I waited on it, played safe and got everything behind it, but promptly managed to boot the ball anyway. I recovered enough to pick it up, but unsurprisingly rushed the throw. It was extremely annoying, particularly as I thought he would have been the last out of the inning, and we could have got out clean.

“You’re just killing yourself”

However — on the very next play the guy tried to take second on a hit and run, and the batter put a ground ball up the middle. I swiped up the ball in my glove and with a tremendously impressive smooth move I reached around and also swiped the passing runner. A moment of satisfaction and relief coursed through me.

But remember how I thought there were two down? I heard some calls to go to 1, but thought “Nah, no need”. And I looked to first where our man was gently wandering off the base as he also thought there were two down. Turns out we were both wrong. There was one down — two now, after my elegant tag — but the inning would continue and I had missed the chance for a highlight reel double play. And that batter would go on to score a run.

Later on, I made some routine plays — a force at second, a pop-up at first, and receiving some throws at first — but I managed to undo my own good work. A sliding grab as I ranged to my right at second base not only didn’t turn into an out at first, but it was worse — as I again rushed the throw it went to the fence and the runner took second. “You’re just killing yourself out there, aren’t you?” noted an observant colleague!

There are some occasions where I honestly can’t remember whether a double play might have been in order. But I don’t believe that this undermines my insistence as a coach that players should  know their play. In fact, I think it highlights the point!

When I say that Raptors should always know what they are going to do with the ball, it’s not because I think that’s easy. It’s because it’s hard, really hard. It takes two things which are difficult to develop.

Staying focused is exhausting

First, it takes an instinctive knowledge of the game which perhaps only years of drills can give you, but which we Brits must try to manufacture over a handful of sessions. (for one of my favourite examples of this, type “pujols heads up play” into YouTube and see Albert make a superb decision and take out the lead runner in the 2011 playoffs.)

Secondly, it takes great stamina and mental toughness. Professional baseball games last a good three hours – ours can last five. And staying focused ALL THE TIME is exhausting. That’s why we have to remind ourselves all the time about “what is our play?”

When I took that pop-up at first I told you about I immediately looked to second as a runner was there. He had strayed a little but nobody was on the bag so there was no play against him. On this occasion — when I had finally remembered my own maxim and thought ahead — a team-mate hadn’t. Getting all 9 amateur ball-players focused all the time is probably unrealistic, and that’s why we strive for it.

Let’s transfer this tale of fielding triumphs over to my batting. I entered the game with a .500 average — from an admittedly small sample. But that average has collapsed like the Labour vote in Scotland. A meek groundout was followed by two strikeouts — one of them on three pitches. Finally I got a walk, but my first bat on ball contact saw me pop out to the second baseman when facing a very hittable relief pitcher.

At least on this occasion, I can boast that it ended well. I got to play my part in the final rally by finally — finally — getting a ball in play.

Helpful team-mates pointed out to me as I stepped to the plate that the man who had returned to the mound was the starter who had struck me out twice earlier. And they seemed unconvinced that my checked defensive swing which knocked the ball foul down the first-base line was in any of the coaching manuals.

But — at last  — with two strikes against me, I was able to fight it off over the head of the infielders and bring in 2 vital runs. At that point I felt as if I was helping to win the World Series, or take Berlin, or scale the Burj Khalifa — definitely something way in excess of what I had actually achieved!

Really, though, that feeling came down to the team. They had battled against a disciplined, solid- fielding, hard-hitting team for nine innings and until then I felt I had done little to lead them as I am supposed to. I am my own worst critic, but your team-mates are your biggest fans, the ones you want to achieve it for.

And for all of those good moments sprinkled above — for all of those glimpses of how it can go right if you keep working at it  — I will be back out again on Sunday.

“Going through the Change” is a series of articles by our former Communications Director, Rob Jones, which began when he “changed” from outfield to infield. It continues as random observations on life as an amateur ball-player.

by Rob Jones

Raptors rally but fall in Brighton

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Nick Shrimpton, Yue Du and Paul Barton impressed in their first away game for the Raptors

It was the ninth inning. The bases were loaded.  The tying and go-ahead runs were there, as the Raptors had rallied back beyond all expectations. Brighton’s hard-throwing starting pitcher, Will Anderson, had returned to the mound to try to save the game, but had given up hits and some wild walks….

…. but that was where it ended. Let’s go back to where it started.

It had started with that same Brighton pitcher issuing a walk to the Herts centre fielder, Mike Cresswell, returning from weeks away and recovering from a wedding party the night before. A stolen base, a groundout, and a passed ball later, he had crossed home plate to score the first run of the game. Jamie Lang then got the first of a fistful of walks and was driven in by a double from rookie Paul Barton, who made it home himself on pass balls. Herts had put up three runs for a solid start.

Herts’ rehabbing legend Aspi Dimitrov started slowly on the mound for the Raptors, also walking the leadoff, but he soon got a curveball working to keep the Brighton hitters off balance. There were a couple of early miscues in the field from second baseman Rob Jones, which could have held the Redhawks in check. But the home side were able to work their way back in and the game was tied at 4-4 after two innings.

It was still tied in the middle of the fifth, 11 runs apiece. Aspi Dimitrov was gone — surrendering to fatigue and the dodgy knee, after 5 strikeouts. In came the Herts newcomer Yue Du, a Chinese import, to make her debut on the mound. She settled in to coax ground balls from the Brighton batters, but they were able to add four runs and take a clear lead for the first time in the game.

In the field, Nick Shrimpton was the stud for Herts. Despite being new to baseball this season, he snared two laser-shot line drives at shortstop, fielded several grounders, and ranged far back into the outfield to take a high pop up in the seventh inning. He also chipped in with a couple of runs, but Paul Barton was the Raptors’ best performer with the bat, adding two further singles to his first-inning double. 

Coming in as the second reliever, Barton pitched confidently and fielded his position superbly. And he helped the Raptors keep the Redhawks in touching distance and keep the game alive. After seven innings — when baseball games can be ended on the mercy rule — Brighton were 19-12 ahead. But rather than allow themselves to be finished off, the Raptors clung on.

Co-manager Kal Dimitrov had got on base consistently throughout the game and he again helped push the team forward with another walk in the ninth. His partner at the helm, Rob Jones, finally managed to bring his bat alive, fighting a fastball over the heads of the infield to drive in two more runs. In the end five runs scored.  Outfielder Joe Cort represented the crucial tying run at second base, as Clive Johnson battled hard at the plate. He fought off and fouled off a sequence of pitches. Finally Anderson was able to hurl a final fastball through the zone and secure Brighton’s victory.

On the way to Brighton Herts Raptors had to negotiate past thousands of MINIs racing as part of the London-to-Brighton MINI event.

At 20-18 it was the closest game the Raptors have had this season. An impressively big squad had made the long trip to Brighton and they turned in a fine team performance. The next in a long series of road games is this coming Sunday at Guildford, as they go in search of their first win.

by Rob Jones

The Return of the Native

It’s hard to express how much my legs hurt on Monday morning.  A body this old and ill-prepared struggles with 6 hours of baseball on a Sunday. But there was a smile in my heart, writes Rob Jones, with aching fingers.

And maybe that sums up the feelings which this game can bring to you. It was my first game of 2015, my first time this year on a diamond. The first real pitch I have faced. A few sessions in sports halls do little to prepare you for the reality. And I have made an extra effort this year — in order to compensate for the passing years — to try to stay fit, to try to stay strong. With little impact!

This game left me with a bruised thigh, a bloodied finger, a grazed knee, a headache, and a dull stiffness in just about every bone and muscle I have.

Herts Raptors
Raptors in action against Redbacks, April 2015

Despite our resounding defeat by the Essex Redbacks, there were some good things to take from my day at shortstop. There were two or three grounders which went right through me when I should’ve stopped them, and that is extremely annoying. But I made some plays which I probably shouldn’t have — managing to somehow come up with the ball when it had been hit out both to my right and my left.

One line drive went inches from my flailing glove, another pop-up which I ought to have taken bounced out. Fortunately my last action of the day was safely catching a line drive to end an inning. It’s always a bonus when the day ends on a high note!

Overall, I was happier with how I picked up the ball than with how I threw it. Finding a range, and finding the right balance between “concentrating” and “over-thinking” is one of the skills which comes from repeated practice. Like most of us at this level, I don’t have that luxury.

The sport I often compare baseball to in my mind is golf. Admittedly, that sounds a little bizarre. But it’s because baseball is a game of technique, of muscle memory, of attempting precision in an unpredictable context. And because a round of golf can have maybe one or two shots that feel “yes, I really got that right”. And baseball is the same. You can make routine plays, you can miss really tough plays. But when you put it all together, that takes it to another level and the satisfaction is immense. And you may get only 1 or 2 moments like that in any game.

The was a Raptors team which showed a great spirit, relaxed but working hard too. There is energy there from young guys like Joe, Adam and Charlie, looking to make a big impression. And there were veterans returning too, with perspective and even a little wisdom. It was great for us veterans to have Paul Curtis back in uniform. As one of them remarked — to borrow another quote — we’re getting the band back together again.

I can’t complain about how my batting started out for the year. A double, then a single — both driven to the almost identical spot in right field! Then a walk. Followed by an easily stolen base (good point), which then turned in to me getting thrown out at third (bad point) when I tried to stretch it into an extra because the pitch had gone past the catcher. As a film might’ve once once said, “your mind’s writing cheques that your body can’t cash”.

By the end my old body was feeling the strain. The last comebacker I hit to the pitcher, and the last fading throw I made from shortstop to first base were the product of fatigue as much as anything (no disrespect either to the pitcher or the base runner!)

If only I could move my legs, I’d gladly do it all over again right now.

 

 

by Rob Jones

Forest Glade Redbacks 36 Herts Raptors 13

Report by Rob Jones

The last time these two teams met saw an epic victory for Herts to close the 2014 season. This time, on a cloudy day at Grovehill, the Essex team would have their revenge. Rookie Paul Barton was on the mound for the home team and steady work kept the Redbacks to just three runs in the first frame. Herts then replied with one of their own.

The visitors stole bases with abandon but the Raptors were able to make plays to keep them in check. Right fielder Clive Johnson – who only took up baseball last year – turned a vital double play in the second inning, catching a fly ball then making the throw to Drew Mayhew at first to double up the runner.

But in the third a combination of Barton’s tiring arm and a series of agonising hits into the gaps meant the Redbacks racked up 7 runs, and they piled on more in the fourth. The Herts bats did try to fight back – with Jeff Witter the big slugger of the day. They rallied for 7 runs in the bottom of the fourth. But twice during the game they loaded the bases with two outs, and Forest Glade were able to shut the door.

Daniel Bennett and Drew Mayhew also put in solid pitching appearances for the inexperienced Raptors, and the team will build on good things from this game. A second double play was another defensive highlight. This time Paul Barton at third base snared a line drive on his shoelaces, and alertly doubled off the runner who was heading home.

 

by Rob Jones

Raptors get their rewards

The winter weather means different things to different people. For those of us in the baseball world, it means a bit of rest for aching bones, and it also means awards! Herts Baseball Club is looking back on the season and handing out the silverware.

For the Raptors, who battled to 3 wins in the Single-A league, there were plenty of heroes both old and new. After a close-run vote, the players chose Michael Cresswell as their MVP for 2014. In his third year with Herts, this was a well deserved honour.  Not only did he lead key categories, as you will see below, Cresswell was also among the team leaders in others.

Joint manager Rob Jones said: “Mikey was part of everything this year. Above and beyond the stats, he had the x-factor that you need to compete and drive on your team-mates.”

And so here, to complete the picture, is the full list of Raptors winners. There are no actual trophies — this is the age of austerity after all — but raise a glass to them all.

Best pitcher – Michael Cresswell. The young lefty never even expected to be a starting pitcher when the season began, but he became the most reliable go-to guy as the Raptors searched for leadership from the mound. His consistency improved further from his pitching debut in 2013, and by the year’s end he had achieved the best ERA on the staff and the best K/BB ratio. An almost flawless pickoff move — which claimed numerous victims — only added to his achievements for the year.

Infield Gold Glove – Jamie Lang. The long-suffering Mets fan missed part of the year due to a visit to the United States, but either side of that he was a solid figure in the middle of the infield defence. He ended with more than a dozen assists and got the honour of securing the final out of the year at the Essex Redbacks.

Outfield Gold Glove – Joseph Osborne-Brade. A classic story of an impressive return from injury. After missing the entire 2013 season following a broken leg, Joseph stamped his authority on the Raptors outfield in 2014. He took a series of spectacular catches – including one at Essex which was nominated for play of the year – and perhaps even more importantly he was a safe pair of hands in every inning.

Batting title – Rob Jones. The team’s co-manager played in more games than usual in 2014, and used them to fight to another .500 year with the bat. He might have moaned publicly about his batting in July, but in fact the stats showed him with the most hits and the most runs, and the highest average (based on a minimum of 15 PAs).

Most RBIs – Tomasz Kosak. The Warsaw Express – in what turned out to be his final year with the Raptors  – claimed the title with the help of big offensive outbursts against Tonbridge and at Haverhill. It’s a trophy which caps years at Grovehill which saw a big impact from a big character.

Stolen Base King – Michael Cresswell. A close-run thing (terrible pun intended) on a team with many keen base thieves…. but our leading pitcher also racked up the most steals. Honourable mention should go to Jeff Witter, who was in the mix despite the fact that some might think he lacked the traditional skill-set of a base-stealer!

Rookie of the Year –  Daniel Bennett. New recruits did sterling work for the Raptors, and showed great dedication. Daniel made himself a tough out at the plate and – in the field — played several positions, including acquitting himself well at shortstop and trying out as a catcher.

by Rob Jones

Raptors roll over Redbacks to wrap season

Raptors shortstop Jamie Lang makes the catch for the final out of the final game of the 2014 season for the team

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
… gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here” – William Shakespeare

There was a special feeling in the air as the Herts Raptors gathered in a field in Essex for the rescheduled final game of their 2014 season. Partly it was an end of term relaxation, a looseness – but that brought confidence, too, that things could end on a high.

But the hometown Redbacks stood in the way of a win — and they had no intention of letting Herts spoil their own finale.

The Raptors started with intent. Joseph Osborne-Brade led off with a single, and stole second. Manager Geoff Thomas, starting at third base, would drive him home, before scoring himself. The entire Raptors line-up came to bat, but Essex held them to just 3 runs.

In the second, the Raptors went round again and this time they brought in 5. The game was starting to look like a traditional Single-A division run-fest, and Herts maybe thought it was going to be in their favour. Second baseman Charlie Day and shortstop Jamie Lang were among those getting in on the act with the bat.

But Essex hit back in the bottom of the second, scoring 4 runs of their own. And then, after Herts catcher Rob Jones cleared the loaded bases with a loud single into centre field in the top of the third, this game suddenly changed.

The score stood at 11-5 to the visitors, and when Essex pulled a hard-throwing reliever from their bag of tricks this became a pitchers’ duel. For the next five half-innings nobody scored. Starting pitcher Greg Bochan threw up zeroes on the board to match the new rival, with his defence helping out. Osborne-Brade ended the threat in the fifth inning with a trademark spectacular sliding catch at the foot of the fence in centre field.

Essex then started to chip into the lead, pulling a couple back in the sixth, then another with a lead-off home run in the seventh. But the Herts team were hanging in, too, even as they tried to work out their timing for the fiery reliever. First baseman Jeff Witter led off the sixth with a walk and scored with the help of a passed ball and a single from substitute Drew Mayhew. Manufactured runs kept Herts ahead.

And Witter was back in the frame when hero-time came. The top of the ninth, Herts still holding the lead but by just 13 runs to 10. The Redbacks had been edging closer all the time and could sense a come from behind win. But the doughty first baseman was hit by a pitch in his soft area, to ensure the crucial lead off man got aboard. He moved up to second before Glen Downer got on the same way. And when he scored, he was cheered loudly by the Herts bench.

The Redbacks pitcher was reaching into his last reserves and was sacrificing some control. By the time he had hit a third batter, three runs had scored and the wind was in Herts’ sails.

There were 6 runs in all and as Bochan took the mound, now guided by substitute catcher Kal Dimitrov, he was defending a 9 run lead. The first out was popped to the infield, the second was a grounder. And as the third Redback launched a high pop up to short left field the Raptors gathered a round to make the final out.

It was Jamie Lang, soft of hands, recently returned from a summer stint in the States, who took it in. And the win was complete.

The Raptors co-manager Geoff Thomas said: “It was a fantastic game and great to end the season on a high. I think we really showed what we were capable of and hopefully can carry this into next season”.

Herts had led this game from the start to the finish, and had dug deep instead of crumbling when the Redbacks made a spirited fightback. It was the third Raptors win of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a better moment to give optimism for the future.