Author: Rob Jones

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.

 

by Rob Jones

Catching a break

After a lifetime of clear vision, it’s a shock to see life from behind bars. But don’t worry, I haven’t finally been jailed for crimes against the English language. I have instead made my debut as a catcher, writes Rob Jones.

Let’s be honest, it’s hard to see from behind that mask. And it’s damned hard to move with all that extra armour, and that helmet. It’s distracting, especially for a skinny guy like me. Not every catcher is necessarily a beast, but even at single-A level they tend to be solid. I am an exception.

Andy Cornish catching
Herts’ own Andy Cornish in catching action

Hopefully more wearing of the “tools of ignorance” will help get me used to them. Because even after giving it a try, the idea still appeals to me.

Let me back up slightly and explain the context. This all happened one Saturday a couple of weeks ago, in a friendly game between the Herts Raptors and the development side being nurtured by the excellent London Mets club. The team is currently called the Mountaineers, though it doesn’t play league games. Yet.

Eye-opening

This was a chance for them to face an opponent in a real game setting, and for that opponent to be a genuine league team. For us, it was a chance to try some new things. For example, our centre fielder became a starting pitcher, the right fielder became a second baseman. And your correspondent — usually a jobbing infielder – became a catcher.

In the end it was for just one inning, as I am not the only player with designs on the job. But I’m glad I got in that one inning as it was eye-opening (and not just because that was the only way to see clearly!)

The armour does have a real impact on your movement. I had to tighten it all up to fit me, of course. But still the way it affects your speed and your flexibility surprised me. I felt like a racehorse confined in plaster casts, or perhaps as if I had been lightly dipped in concrete to perform my job.

Then there is the glove. I don’t doubt that there are excellent reasons for having a special glove. But it was another thing to get used to. Whenever I play first base I always do it with my own glove, a standard 12.5″ infielders glove. I just find that I am more used to it and more in tune with what it can do. So experiments with a first baseman’s glove are always short lived. With the catchers mitt, you have to persevere. I think I improved in the course of the inning I was there. But it will take more work.

The ball is in play…. always

There is also so much to think about. So much. When one ball got away from me and that mitt I failed to react for a second. And the base-runner took the chance to move up. Just as I would’ve done in his place. At any position you have to always remember that the ball is in play, but even more so as the catcher.

In theory, of course, I should be following the count, too. I’ve got much better at this sort of stuff over recent years (sometimes now, I even remember the score too!) But on one occasion I was caught out.

Baseball
The aching legs which only a catcher can know

The umpire said the count was full, but Greg who was pitching had correctly counted it to 2-2. He fired one down as he thought he could waste one more ball, and was surprised when the guy then walked. I needed to have helped him out at that point. It is something else to remember.

There are two reasons I wanted to try catching. First, it’s the one thing I have never done in a game. Secondly, I feel that my sporting background as a football goalkeeper will help me get my technique right to block stray balls. It took years of baseball before I “unlearned” the habit of getting my knees down and getting everything behind a ball. You simply don’t have time for that on the infield. But as a catcher I feel it would help save on pass balls. I still felt that was true after my one inning of work.

I don’t know how much I was able to put it into effect as I wrestled all the strange, fish out of water feelings that I have described above. But I think the only balls to get by were that one which I just dropped, and one more which I tried to block correctly but which still caromed off my shoulder.

I remember the difference the catcher can make for the pitcher from one of my experiences on the mound a couple of years back. The multi-talented Andy Cornish — who I don’t think even catches regularly now — was making a guest appearance for the Eagles when I pitched in relief. He was so effective in saving all those balls I put wide and in the dirt and I was very grateful — as I’m sure was the team.

The final thing to say about catching is that it is flat-out exhausting! The observant among you will recall that I only did one inning. In my defence I will say that it was the final inning of the game, and we had been going for a couple of hours by then. But I will freely admit that this was far more tiring than any other inning of the day.

Carrying round the extra weight, and constantly crouching down and jumping up, make a wicked combination. If you see me return from the off-season with chunky thighs and an enormous grille across my face you know that I have given in to the temptations of the catcher.

by Rob Jones

How to make the most of a mis-hit

Let’s not beat around the bush here, my batting so far this season has sucked, writes Rob Jones. It has sucked to high heaven. It has sucked so hard that it could probably suck a golf ball through a hose pipe. From six games, I think I have probably hit three balls well.

But I didn’t come here just to moan, or to have you agree with me about how much I suck, or even to have you assure me that I am great and that I shouldn’t worry. I mention my batting because the universal truth I take from it is a positive one, and it applies to all of you as well as to me: I can still make things happen.

Facing the London Musketeers, I think I registered one real hit. Otherwise I reached on errors, on confusion, on infield mishits, and on a walk. But I still scored three runs, a quarter of our total. Once I am on base, I can steal more bases. In those first games of theyear, I may have had one good hit, but it was equally important that I struck out only once (obviously I would argue that’s the umpire’s fault, but we all have to say that don’t we?)

This past week I was rung up 3 times in one game, which is extraordinary for me.  Pretty bad, and certainly frustrating. Again I’ll blame it all on the umpire…. OK, it was a bit of me too. But even in that game I got more hits than anyone else on the team.

Even in a slump, or in a bad patch, we can still make sure that we are a tough out to get. Hustle up the line on every ball. Protect on every two-strike count. We may not be the most gifted athletes on the field, but we will do our damnedest to get on base, score runs and win games. There is enormous value in that.

The baseball gods

Of course, even as we go out and grab the game, it has ways of coming to grab us. You can get no action all game and then a big play to make. In my outfield days you would often find that to be true. It is less true on the infield, but still happens. In our home game against the London Musketeers I had a couple of routine plays at second base – a ground ball, a catch.

But in the final inning I had to move over to shortstop as we shuffled our players.  Theoretically short should be the busier station. But in the top of the ninth I think four plays went to Clive, who had been brought in to man second for the first time in his nascent baseball career. Nothing at all came to me. Clive handled it all pretty well, securing one ground ball out and narrowly missing a second one.

I am pleased that he took it all in good spirits. It was a bit of a thankless task with the game on the line. But you cannot make the baseball gods smile on you. They do their own thing.

The thought of baseball this year has been an oasis in the desert of building dust which has covered my house. The Grand Designs nonsense has combined with the usual work and family commitments to keep me away, but for most of us baseball is a release from normal life — and that is only intensified the less you play.

Devotion

One week, I came agonisingly and absurdly close to a game. I had been due to play but those builders intervened, and so once we were sure of a full squad, I pulled out. However, I still had to drive to Haverhill to deliver the equipment, and to watch the team all suited up and throwing. That’s more like a torment than a release.

Admittedly, I can’t quite claim that such a folly of a trip showed my devotion to Herts. It showed as much about the fact that training had been rained off — when a more sensible sharing out of the equipment could have been accomplished — and my difficulty in juggling different needs to get the team and the bats in the same place. However, a bit of exaggeration never goes amiss. So I shall claim that the trip to Haverhill spoke volumes about my desire for any whiff of baseball.

This coming weekend we travel to Richmond, but work commitments mean I cannot take part. For some reason I love playing at Richmond. Some of my first friendly games were there, and I remember a couple of sun-drenched league epics there.

I actually missed a friendly there once, because we sat for so many hours in traffic on the South Circular that by the time we got there the game was nearly over. Once it was finished, everyone agreed to play some extra innings, but I was due to work a night shift so had to leave again without ever throwing a ball. Really, I should hate playing at Richmond!

This missed opportunity this week feels more poignant as chances for playing baseball are now slipping away for 2014. And it’s only July!  Here’s hoping my final appearance will be a fitting finale — and that I will, at last, hit the ball properly.

by Rob Jones

Herts poor start helps Brentwood get good

Herts Raptors 8-24 Brentwood Bucks, Sunday July 6th

It was an early signal of how the Raptors’ day would go. The first batter up had struck out. In the no. 2 hole, Rob Jones worked a walk. Aggressively, he went to steal a base. Charlie Mayhew, perfectly sensibly, bunted.

But the ball popped up meekly barely a foot in the air, the catcher gladly grasped it and threw to first to retire Jones, who was already virtually at second. A promising start suddenly came to nothing. And so it would go.

All day it seemed the Raptors would hit to fielders. Joseph Osborne-Brade sweetly struck one towering drive towards the fence in deep centre, but somehow the outfielder got there and robbed him. Brentwood, however, consistently managed to “hit it where they ain’t”. Bloops over heads, ground balls through gaps, liners in outfield no man’s land. And ultimately that would secure them a win.

 

Michael Cresswell pitching

The Raptors had started slowly in the field, as if not yet awake on a Sunday morning. They allowed steals and missed throws and the visiting Bucks quickly put 3 runs on the board. Uncharacteristically, a fly ball was even put down in the outfield.

The home side tightened it up to end the inning, but Brentwood piled on again in the second innings and held a 9-1 lead by the end of the frame.

The game evened out then, with the Raptors chipping away at the Brentwood lead. Starting pitcher Michael Cresswell was the offensive stud for Herts, getting on base all four times he came to the plate and scoring 3 runs. He walked twice, and his hits included one majestically smacked to the outfield which finally avoided a defender. Daniel Bennett got two hits, as did catcher Ken Pike, who was making a valuable guest appearance from the Herts Hawks.

But not enough hits were bringing in runs — at one point the Raptors left the bases loaded. By the bottom of the fifth it was 13-5 to the Bucks, a lead which may sound big but which is by no means insurmountable in Single-A terms.

The Raptors defense had improved markedly as the game went on. Cresswell’s virtually undetectable pickoff move had claimed more victims, with Charlie Day and Charlie Mayhew combining well on the put-outs. Another Brentwood runner found himself stranded between third and home, and a desperate dive past Pike, and an equally desperate crawl towards the plate, were not enough to save him from being tagged out.

Brentwood finally managed to break the game open in the sixth, though. Walks and hits and perhaps a tiring Herts side contributed to an eight run inning. Mayhew moved in to shut it down as relief pitcher, but it was too late by then.

The visiting Bucks were in no mood to let up once the top of the Herts order failed to hit back. Some of the Brentwood team seemed inordinately excited to tack on a couple of runs in the seventh when they were already well ahead. But a winning instinct can be a useful tool.

Despite that, Herts did manage to push across 3 more runs in the bottom of the inning as they faced the improbable task of a comeback. The runners forced more errors — Charlie Day went steaming home on what was essentially a steal, but which would end up as a simple job because of a very high fastball.

Rookie Clive Johnson, hitting in the 9 spot, got his best contact of the day to force a good play from the Brentwood shortstop to secure the last out and the win.

The final score was 24-8. The Raptors co-manager, Rob Jones, was in charge for the week and was impressed by the stamina of the players who had to put in a full shift after a series of late withdrawals for illness and injury.

“We really hoped for better from this fixture, but we never got a break despite a lot of hard work”, he said. “We need to get the hits where it counts, and make all our simple defensive plays. This was a frustrating day.”

by Rob Jones

Dukes beat Raptors to the punch, claim first win

The Herts Raptors have suffered a torrid time in recent weeks. A close game which they led against the London Musketeers fell away in the final stages; they scored 20 runs against last year’s beaten finalists Haverhill but were undone by errors; and a rally against Tonbridge was snuffed out in a game which saw unwelcome fireworks within the team.

Now the visit of the Richmond Dukes offered the chance for the first win of the season. The Dukes were without a win so far – but it was never going to be easy.

Despite the perfect sun-kissed conditions, the early signs were inauspicious. Star centre-fielder Joseph Osborne Brade took a line drive straight in the face during the warm-up, and was ultimately patched up in hospital. Thankfully, he is fine, but the whiff of a curse hung over the diamond.

Young Charlie Mayhew was on the mound for the Raptors and the first inning was a mixed bag, with a couple of hits, a couple of walks and a strikeout. The Richmond Dukes scored three runs before they were closed down, with 2 runners left on base as Adrian Smithers caught a fly ball for the final out.

The Raptors hit back with one run of their own, and tied it up at 4-4 by the bottom of the second. Lead-off man Adam Landau Smithers did his job, getting on and stealing bases with abandon. He had 3 runs and four swiped bags by the end of the day.

As the game developed, Tomasz Kosak ended up the de facto leadoff, opening up three of the innings. He worked a series of walks which became runs as the Raptors managed to keeping adding just one more.

The bulk of the scoring came in the first few innings. Richmond had jumped out with 5 runs in the third and threatened to break it open. The Dukes’ rookie starting pitcher Stuart Doncaster was steady and straight and speedy and the home side’s bats never really got to grips with him.

But the Raptors stayed focused. The defense — which has had too many leaky moments so far this year — was mostly superb. Charlie Day at second base made a series of good plays. Kosak, who was moved from catcher to third base as part of a reshuffle, made the manager look like a genius with several excellent plays.

He took one spinning grounder at the second attempt and made an immense throw to get the runner by half a step, then hauled in an over-the-shoulder catch which appeared to be escaping from him all the time.

Herts’ relief pitcher Andrew Slater brought his seventies-style swagger to the mound, and battled hard to hold the Dukes to just 2 earned runs. Michael Cresswell came on in centre field as part of the changes and also made two crucial catches to keep Herts in the chase. By the middle of the seventh, it was 11-7 to Richmond.

There were frustratingly few good hits, though, as Stuart Doncaster continued dealing. First baseman Jeff Witter cracked one to centre to score a run, and shortstop Rob Jones — the only Raptor with a multi-hit game — drove one past the pitcher’s head to bring in another. But by then it was against Richmond’s veteran reliever Woo Kim, and time was running out.

The Raptors had thrown up zeroes three times with their good defense, but only once did they bring home more than one run. In the bottom of the ninth that left the score at 12-9, a tantalising target of scoring 3 to tie and 4 to win.

Today this was too tall an order. Although the Raptors were more aggressive in the box, Kim’s deceptive slow curves induced three balls in the air, and Richmond could celebrate.

The Herts Raptors co-manager Rob Jones was proud of the team’s effort. “This is the best 9 innings of baseball I have seen from us this year”, he said. “Everyone played a part and it was so close right to the end. We’re frustrated not to get the win, and it’s disappointing that the bats never really came alive. But that shouldn’t overshadow the good things that happened.”

Herts get an immediate chance to strike back — they travel to Richmond on Sunday for the return fixture.

 

by Rob Jones

Genesis and revelations

There have been big hits, infield dribblers and strikeouts; tag-outs, blown calls, and infield flies; late starts, rain and even sunburn. The season is only two weeks old but so far it has all the ingredients of a feast, writes Rob Jones. The Herts Raptors don’t yet have a win to show for it all but they have pretty much everything else.

The genesis of this blog, and its title Going Through the Change, was as I moved from outfield to infield. There’s always another change to go through, nothing stands still. This year I have finally moved officially into management.

My co-supremo Geoff has to do most of the work while I miss games and training as per usual — and while I oversee the wrecking and remodelling of my house — but it has been good to get another new perspective on the baseball experience. The drafting of players, the signing off of projects and purchases, and the week-long preparation of line-ups and locations. There’s an enormous amount goes into it.

 

Rob Jones
Rob Jones on base against the London Marauders

 

One of the main reasons I have played Single-A these past few years is so that I can pass on to new players the hints and tips I have learned in a decade of experience. Very few of them are revelations, but I have found that fundamentals are crucially important in baseball and if I communicate that to people then I have done good work. So far that has been fun, and there is a lot more to do. If I can do more of it, that might help win some games!

We have new and enthusiastic players again this year, to add to those who did such good work as Eagles last year. It’s always great to see new players discovering the game and maybe scratching an itch they have had for years after seeing baseball on TV or watching their kids play. I’m in a good position to say you’re never too old, as I am already “mature” enough to be an Old Timer.

My co-manager Geoff Thomas has made an impeccable start to the season, and it has deserved more than the two losses which are shown by the bald staistics. Importantly for a manager he has cultivated a personal style, and can regularly be seen on the sidelines clutching a brolly. The first week it was to ward off the persistent rain, the second week it was for shade from the glaring Essex sun. Next week, who knows.

But one of the toughest challenges for a manager at this level is to share out playing time for all those who have paid their money and put in their time. Raptors have achieved an even spread of game time, and when Geoff did need to step in to the game at Brentwood he did so in style, with a double in his first at-bat. He added aggressive steals and runs to help take the team to within a whisker of a win. Leading from the front.

One of the Raptors success stories so far has been the outfield, which has been as solid as the rock of Gibraltar. Baseball rookies often start in the outfield, but it is wrong to think it is the safe or easy place for them. In previous years we have sometimes been unable to secure all the outs we should on fly balls, and this year our boys with the big gloves have been exceptional.

Of course, it is also an extra treat to have Joseph Osborne-Brade back in centerfield after a long layoff for a broken leg. But it wouldn’t be such a treat if he wasn’t making highlight-reel catches.

My own season has got off to a steady enough start. With the bat it’s been a bit rusty, with a string of infield hits helping to get my batting average to .500. I’ve not yet walked once, which is unusual for me, but I did manage to secure a big hit when it was most important. Leading off the ninth as we tried to rally past Brentwood I smacked a double, which became a triple as the fielder lost a battle with the outfield fence, and I then crossed home when an overthrow to third went dead. Run scored, job done.

Fielding felt good the first week at London, with two nearly-catches falling just out of reach, but other plays being made securely. When I entered the Brentwood game as a substitute my arm just would not wake up and I made a poor throw to first which could have ended a tough inning. The brain worked, just not the body. We made more mistakes than we had in week one, and I certainly take my bit of blame for those.

We made a memorable base-running error, too, which you can read about in the match report. But it had an extra element for us due to the revival of a dead language.

I can’t share too many details but suffice it to say the runner called for advice in Latin. It caused confusion and hilarity and ultimately embarrassment as he was tagged out. Our runner was using a sporting motto, but when I worked out what he meant I in fact did so because of my schoolboy Latin. My wife found this hilarious when I recounted the tale to her later. When was the last time you heard Latin used for a purpose at a baseball game? I don’t think the sport was well-established in Caesar’s day. He doesn’t know what he was missing.

Raptors return to action this weekend against the Kent Mariners, and all the same passion will be there, and the same dedication to doing things the right way.  I already miss playing and on a summer evening like today it’s frustrating to not even be at training.  I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for the first win on Sunday.

NB: Thanks to the London Marauders for their fine photographs, and for making me look good in them.

by Rob Jones

Herts Baseball 2013: the Quest for Glory

How do you cap a year which saw two Herts adult teams in the post-season playoffs, and the cream of the youth players challenging for a trophy? How about a year in which three adult teams made the playoffs, and the cream of the youth players challenged for a trophy.

2013 was another step forward for Herts, already one of the biggest and best baseball organisations in the UK. The Herts Falcons won the National League pennant for the first time in the club’s history, and the Raptors — who just a couple of years ago were struggling for wins — made it as far as a heart-breaking semi-final defeat in the playoffs. Add to that the success of the Hawks and the Harriers, and it was a vintage year.

Let’s start with the lower leagues, where Herts is blessed with enough new players to field two teams in the Single-A division. The Eagles were nominated as the development team, and the rookies had a tough start with two big losses. But then they showed what they could achieve.

Eagles v Raptors
Will Belbin helps the Eagles beat the Raptors in the first Herts derby of 2013 (pic: Rob Jones)

The first win was a stunner against the Raptors, the Herts Single-A side which was built to run at the playoffs. On an ever-wetter day in Hemel Hempstead, Duncan Hoyle’s Eagles side racked up a big lead and survived a spirited comeback before capping it all with ninth-inning drama. Facing a two run deficit, Adrian Smithers scored the tying run, before Mike Cresswell drove in Will Belbin to be mobbed at the plate and secure the win.

There was more walk-off drama against the Milton Keynes Coyotes a fortnight later. Serge Plata was the star with the bat, and Andrew Slater on the mound, but the Eagles once again found themselves needing to score in the bottom of the ninth to win. Two out, two strikes on the batter, nobody on base — but an injured Smithers was again the key, and this time the Warsaw Express, Tomasz Kosak, barrelled in for the winner.

All the way

Duncan Hoyle is stepping down now as coach, but leaves a firm foundation for his successor. “There is no doubt this season has been a tough learning curve”, he said, “but there have been some great performances and the team’s record is really impressive”.  He said the teams victories “spoke volumes for the enthusiasm and character” of the Eagles.

The Raptors, despite that upset against the Eagles, fulfilled their promise and made it all the way to the playoffs. There were big wins over the Leicester 2Sox, the Essex Redbacks and the Archers. The Raptors scored freely all season. But they also came out on top in match-ups with the powerful London Marauders and the cunning of the Old Timers.

The team was a perfect mix of veterans and young talent, much of it having come through the Herts Little League. The coach Arnie Longboy set the tone – disciplined, calm, yet aggressive — and he led the team in batting average, and slugging percentage. There was also Jeff Witter, at first base and on the pitching mound, the Kevin Millar of the side keeping them loose. Zack Longboy and Will Zucker were the outstanding young starting pitchers.

Raptors at Farnham Park
Ken Pike at bat for the Raptors in the Single-A semi final (pic: Adrian Smithers)

One of the season highlights for the Raptors came from one of their guest stars, Ben Marques. He played for every team this season, but when he turned out for the Raptors against Guildford in July he hit two Grand Slam home runs. Exhaustive research has found no hint that anyone has ever achieved the feat in a British league game. A very strong contender for play of the year. Of which, more later…

The Raptors year ended with defeat in the semi-final against the Haverhill Blackjacks. With Zucker dealing on the mound, Arnie Longboy’s side had a strong lead in a tough game, but the Blackjacks managed to rally against the bullpen, and came from behind to win 10-6.

The walk-off hero

The Herts Hawks also made the postseason in the AA-league, for the second year in a row. Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan guided the side to a 9-7 record. Highlights for the Dynamic Duo were walk-off wins against both the Guildford Mavericks, and a particularly sweet win over the Kent Mariners. Hunter Devine, Andrew Slater (that man again) and Andy Cornish’s third home run of the year secured a comfortable win in Game 1 of a double header, but the Hawks had to dig deeper in Game 2. Devine wound up as the hero, with his second walk-off hit of the season, to secure fifth seed in the AA-league.

The playoff run ended swiftly  with defeat by a strengthened Sidewinders team, but the managers were still happy with their players. As Cornish put it at one point: “We have exceeded my expectations for this season, but now my expectations have changed and every week, I want to win. Every other team had better watch out!”

Liam Green
Ravens' phenom Liam Green in action (pic: Will Baxter)

The Herts Ravens had perhaps the toughest year of any of the cub’s sides. They were a new addition to the roster, arriving in AAA boasting talent both from the Falcons and from the impressive youth movement. The year began with defeats by Leones de Feltham, London and Bristol. But the Ravens soon found their wings, gaining revenge over Leones with a sweep.

They followed that up with the biggest upset of the AAA season, winning both halves of a double-header against the Oxford Kings. Louis Hare and then 17 year old Liam Green were the pitching stars, Green recording a two hit shutout.  The Ravens wound up with a 6-18 record.

Which brings us finally to the Herts Falcons in the National Baseball League. Hopes were high that this could be the year of a title coming to Hemel Hempstead. The top team had a clutch of riches in Darrin Ward, Robbie Unsell and Mike Osborn — and they only missed out on the win narrowly in the finals in 2012.

Manager Lee Manning was hoping to go one better, with the addition of players such as Xavi Gonzalez, who had once played in the Minnesota Twins organisation. Manning’s side started the year well with convincing wins over the South London Pirates and the defending NBL champions, the Harlow Nationals.

Proud pennant winners

There were then hiccups, with injuries to key players and a sweep at the hands of the London Mets — the first that the Falcons had suffered for two years! Then they re-established their dominance, and began a remarkable run of 18 consecutive victories.  Bingo bango baseball became the norm for the Herts side, their technique and power matched by their indomitable spirit.

In a season of great achievements — including Unsell setting the career record for steals in the NBL — one stands out. Pitcher Ryan Bird not only threw a no-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against the Pirates in August — he followed it a week later with another one. This time the Essex Redbacks were the victims, 9 of them by strikeout. Just like Ben Marques’ double-slam for the Raptors, there is no record of any player achieving back to back no-hitters in British baseball. Voters for the end of season awards face a tough choice.

The Falcons scored more runs than any other NBL side on their way to a 24-4 record and the pennant. It was the first time in the 17 year history of Herts that they had finished top of the pile at the end of the regular season, and it was a proud moment for all involved.

Robbie Unsell
Falcons' pitcher Robbie Unsell

It seemed somehow inevitable that the Harlow Nationals would stand in the way at some point, and they were the opponents when the Falcons turned out for the semi-final at Farnham Park. Herts had the best of the early exchanges, and led 4-3 going into the sixth inning.

Then the Nationals managed to grab the initiative, and a bases-clearing double which was a whisker away from being caught became decisive. Herts fought back from 8-4 down, and needed just one run in the bottom of the ninth to tie it. But it was not to be. The Nationals progressed to the final and the three-peat.

Lee Manning was able to remain outwardly philosophical. “It was not our weekend at these finals”, he said, adding “We are looking forward to next season now with new reinforcements.” The Falcons are not done yet.

Last but not least in this round-up come the youth teams. Some of the youngsters prepared for the year with a coaching session led by Major League stars such as Jeremy Guthrie, and that was an indication of their promise.

Strong foundations

The Herts Harriers got further in the Pony (Under 17) category than any team in Herts history. They beat Leicester in the quarters, then the London Mets in the semi.  Tom Everex- Armstrong, Jose Morillo Jr and Will Zucker (remember him) helped pitch them to the final, where they ultimately fell 9-6 to the defending champion Cobham Cougars. Cris Hiche had led the side, and said that taking them all the way to the finals was the definite highlight of the season.

GB National manager Sam Dempster also provided a highlight, visiting training sessions at Herts.  And the quality of the youth set-up continued to grow. The club’s Under-14 league team, the Herts Cardinals, couldn’t progress beyond the quarter finals of their league after losing first to the Forest Glade Redbacks and later to the London Mets. But the team will be looking to regroup and strengthen over the winter and return stronger in 2014.

The very foundations, the Under 11s, switched from coach pitch to kids pitch, which meant the category now boasted a number of players with the talent and confidence to pitch with good power and accuracy.

The U11s also travelled successfully to Richmond and to Essex during the year, and were runners up in the season-ending Herts Futures Tournament. In the Herts Little League, the Dodgers won out over the Giants in a season-deciding 7-3 finale.

So it’s clear the future for Herts looks strong. Not only has the youth programme continued to flourish and feed into the adult leagues, but free midweek training sessions also attracted a constant influx of brand new players. Adult teams have all taken a further step up, and that has been a step towards the ultimate target — silverware and a national title.

Herts Baseball Club will hold its 17th Annual General Meeting in Hemel Hempstead on Sunday 17th November. All current, past and future members are welcome to come along. Proceedings begin at 2pm at Gadebridge Community Centre, The Nokes, Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead HP1 3LF

 

by Rob Jones

The red flag and the green grass: Miliband and the Sox

Those of us who follow the game closely — and who even get lucky enough to play it once in a while —  understand why baseball has secured its place in the public consciousness far beyond a mere sport. It has acquired mystique and enviable history over the course of years. But it has that because it has rhythm, it has poetry, and it speaks to people in ways which other pastimes cannot.

And so, when something special happens inside the world of baseball it even manages to spread to the outside world. And the UK noticed when the Boston Red Sox secured their third World Series in a decade.

At the centre of much of this was the leader of the Labour party, Ed Miliband. As the Sox prepared for the ultimately decisive game 6, Miliband used his obligatory Twitter feed to post a very optional message — “Great Red Sox win last night. Hope and expectation about Weds night. But bitter experience means us Red Sox fans can never be complacent”.

Daily Telegraph
Ed Miliband's support for the Red Sox discussed in the Telegraph

The response from the Conservatives was swift. They used their Twitter feed to accuse him of being “out of touch” for commenting on a baseball game when he would not comment on that day’s British economic figures.

Plenty of people on the Twitterverse hurled abuse his way, either for jumping on a popular cause, or for commenting on a geeky foreign sport. One wag who accused him of bandwagoning got this deeply sarcastic reply from another user: “I’m sure that was calculated for the big baseball vote”.

Debate was plentiful in the press in the ensuing days. The Spectator saw symbolism in the fact that the Sox are a rich team, who often cast themselves as underdogs. But The Telegraph’s Dan Hodges defended Mr Miliband, saying he preferred an honest baseball fan to a fake football fan, as many politicians are.

Undeterred by it all, Ed Miliband tweeted throughout Game 6, concluding thus in the small hours of the morning: “Amazing to see team I watched as kid find way to win with ease. Didn’t even put us through normal red sox agony.”

Rarely has baseball been such a central topic in British political debate.

What many people were seeing for the first time was that baseball is followed closely by lots of people in the UK, including many high profile — even respected — figures. The eminent historian Simon Schama is a big Red Sox fan from his days at Harvard. Similarly, the former controller of Radio 4, Mark Damazer — now Master of St Peter’s College, Oxford – is a devoted citizen of Red Sox Nation. The former Conservative party leader, Michael Howard, is a New York Mets fan, who once told me he flew out specially to watch the team’s final game at Shea Stadium.

And whatever criticism can be thrown at Ed Miliband, there was little disputing of the simple fact that he has been a Boston fan since spending time in the city with his academic father.

Who would have thought there was this great untapped, unseen well of affection for baseball? Well, most of us reading this knew it was out there. We are part of it. But it is good to see it emerge.

Herts Baseball Club is of course, entirely independent and has no political view. But if Mr Miliband wishes to support baseball, we wish him all the best. Should David Cameron declare a deep love for the Baltimore Orioles, say, we would wish him the best too. We know he has read a baseball book — The Art of Fielding — so who knows what is next?

Credit Tlumacki/Boston Globe
The B Strong logo at Fenway after Game 6 (photo: John Tlumacki/Boston Globe)

Of course, the other reason baseball took such a high profile this October is one which goes back to the poetry and symbolism we mentioned at the start. The 2013 Red Sox had become closely linked to the city’s recovery from the bomb attack on its marathon in the Spring. The team adopted the Boston Strong slogan, and David Ortiz gave a memorable and heartfelt speech to fans: “This is our f***ing city”.

The ragged glory of Boston’s team – bristling with ridiculous beards in a gesture of brotherhood — showed spirit as much as it showed sporting talent. And that helped the Sox to persist in an unlikely turnaround from worst to first. And spirit was what Boston wanted to see after it had seen tragedy.

John Tlumacki of the Boston Globe was at the scene of the marathon bombing and took one of the most defining photos of it — police officers, wreathed in smoke, standing over a fallen runner. He took more stunning images of the World Series triumph and said it was a magical moment as smoke from the fireworks lifted after the game to reveal the B Strong cut into the outfield grass.  I include that image here — all rights, of course, remain with Mr Tlumacki and the Globe.

The New York Yankees did not win the World Series in 2001, which took place just weeks after 9/11. Perhaps they should have for a similar fairytale to be complete. But they were part of an extraordinary Series. And in 2013, Boston was able to have the final line written as if by Hollywood.

Both British and American journalists have celebrated and explained this moment in moving and insightful terms. And if Ed Miliband, or whoever else, feels it too, then they should feel free to talk about it. Just like the people of Boston, Herts believes in the power of baseball.

 

by Rob Jones

The baseball bonus: the Hunlock Series

It’s one of the moments in life that you rarely know about as it actually happens. It is not until later that it all becomes clear, writes Rob Jones. And, so, only now can I confirm that my final baseball activity of 2013 was lining out to the first baseman as the Blue Dogs went down to the Black Widows in the Hunlock Series.

You always want that moment to be a walkoff home run, or something similar, but as in much of life it is usually prosaic. During each season you notice the little milestones – I still remember scoring the first Raptors run of the season one year, and catching the ball for the final out in another — and together they build a bigger picture.

Hunlock Series action
Blue Dogs' Ben Marques grounds out in the battle against the Black Widows

I had hoped to be part of the final weekend of the Hunlock, the extravaganza of single-inning games, but rain washed it out and now I am back at work. So it’s over. And that lineout-cum-failed-flare was the final full stop.

The Hunlock Series is the club’s now traditional coda to the baseball season, fought between rejigged rosters of all the Herts teams. Also traditional is my peaen to its charms, and 2013 should be no different. The sun shone kindly on the second round of games, the one in which I took part. It was relaxed yet competitive, fun yet serious. And there was good baseball on show.

Perhaps most notably, pitching ace Ryan Bird got to show off his famous fastball in a series of great moments. There were match-ups with batters from the youth leagues and from the Single-A Eagles, who got a taste of what they are striving for. They probably heard the ball go past rather than actually seeing it, but you still learn the lesson. There was the gloriously even contest against slugger Andy Cornish, the Hawks co-manager, who defiantly won by ripping a double down the left field line. And there was the pitching duel against Liam Green — of which more later.

Old faces are welcomed back for the Hunlock — such as Andrew Fulford, a hero of the Hawks 2012 post-season, and Simon Langton who now plays his baseball in Hull. And these are mixed up with players who are brand new to the game, such as Mike Green of the Blue Dogs, who showed both power and poise in his first at-bats.

The spirit is always great and perhaps that comes from the feeling that you are getting a little something extra, a baseball bonus, by playing into October.

Hnlock Series action
Darrin Ward in action on the pitching mound

So how was my Hunlock playing experience? Actually pretty decent, considering it was my first baseball action in five weeks, and only my second in about nine weeks. I made some plays at third base — tagging out a runner on a throw from Carlos Velasco-Caruz, and even fielding a grounder and throwing out a White Lightning runner at first.

I also felt that I had made one of my best ever plays from the position to secure the final vital out of the game against the Red Roosters. Remember that pitching duel I was telling you about? Well, at the bottom of the final inning, with the go-ahead run on third base, and two men out, Liam Green chopped a hit into the hole towards short. I roved to snare the ball, and with no chance to get Kimi Saionji racing home I hurled it as hard as I could to Rod Naghar at first.

Bang. Bang. But I was sure the play had gone in our favour and the Dogs started to celebrate a job well done when the umpire called Liam safe. The Roosters instead celebrated a walk off, while complaints about the call were added to earlier complaints about the controversial balk call which had put Kimi on second and ultimately into scoring position.

But this being the Hunlock rather than a big league playoff game, the controversy faded quickly. We are all still talking to each other. No helmets were thrown. On this occasion, I have the satisfaction of knowing I am right, and that is enough!

With the bat, I went 0-3, but got good wood on it every time. I grounded out against Mike Cattermole, but moved the runner over. Against the heat of Liam Green, I thought it would be best to try to go the other way. I hit the ball almost exactly where I wanted it, just about two feet too low, and it was caught by Kyle Lloyd-Jones at first base.

Then there was that final out, against the Black Widows’ and Herts Falcons’ very own pitching Yoda, Darrin Ward. His main trade is not exactly high heat but I was still determined the get that hit to right field. Instead, Gilberto Medina’s glove was the recipient of my final gift.

The baseball year was over. The Blue Dogs hoped for a big comeback in the final round of games, but a double-rainout meant the Widows took the title.  But maybe the result is not what is important. Maybe it’s about the fact that the baseball family which has been built in Herts is still so strong, so deep into the year. And that it can once again hope for even better next year.