Author: Rob Jones

20 May 201223 May 2012 by Rob Jones

Scheepers stars as Eagles beat Redbacks

Herts Eagles 18-16 Essex Redbacks III

So far this year, whoever wins the first inning of an Eagles game has gone on to claim the victory. The early exchanges have decisively set the tone. But, in a windswept field in Essex, that was about to change.

Theo Scheepers was on the mound as the Eagles visited Essex Redbacks III looking to bounce back from a defeat by the Old Timers, and to even their record for the season. Senna Ashida had driven in the only run in the top of the first, but when Essex came in to bat, the normally solid Scheepers had trouble finding the zone. Without the home side ever recording a big hit, they ran up a clear lead. After one inning, it was 4-1, then 7-2 after three.

But the Redbacks had not been allowed to pull away. The Eagles struck back in the fourth inning, scoring 6 to swing the game back their way and take the lead. There were runs for Oz Kemal and Craig Le Roux, and the second of three hits for Theo Scheepers, who had also found his rhythm on the mound.

Adrian Smithers comes home after his home run

The biggest hit of the day came from catcher, Adrian Smithers, who opened up the fifth inning with a booming home run over the left field fence. After trotting round the bases, he was met with applause and high fives from a jubilant team. As well as being solid behind the plate all day, his bat was a threat every time he came up.

The measure of the match was perhaps shown in the fact that the Redbacks hit a home run of their own immediately afterwards, with the lead off man clouting a pitch over the same stretch of fence. The lead seemed to change hands constantly as the two sides traded blows. There were some miscues but some good plays too.

And it was Duncan Hoyle’s Eagles who stepped up their defence to cling on to the lead decisively. The manager helped his own cause, turning a neat double play from his post at second base. Hoyle took a grounder and stepped on the bag before lobbing a throw to retire the batter at first. Joseph Osborne added to his three runs scored by saving runs, with a running outfield catch on a line drive which could have been dangerous. And Oz Kemal — who started the game out of position at first base to cover for missing starters — recovered from tough throws to get runners out at vital times.

Leading 15-14 going into the eighth, Herts desperately wanted to pad their lead. But although runners got aboard, some bad luck on the base paths meant that Smithers was the only man to cross home plate. 16-14 now, and then Essex nibbled one back. 16-15. Then in the ninth the Eagles were able to produce more goods. Hoyle was driven in by Tak Ashida, who finally secured a deserved hit with a double, before he too came in to score a run.

Herts were left with a 3-run lead to protect in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win. Tak Ashida — after what had been, for him, a quiet game — was suddenly the centre of the action. First a pop-up came his way. Then a sharp grounder, which he hauled in to get the second out. One run had come in on a ground-rule double, but would it be enough for the Redbacks?

At this point, the story returns fittingly to Theo Scheepers. He struck out the final man with his bat on his shoulders, and completed a tremendous win for the Herts team. He had pitched all nine innings, fielded his position flawlessly, scored 3 runs, and clubbed three hits. It was a great win for the Eagles, and one which takes them back to 2-2 for the season. Manager Duncan Hoyle said: “I think that was the most enjoyable game I have ever played in. Theo definitely earned a beer. And it was a great team effort.”

30 March 201230 March 2012 by Rob Jones

Looking bright, looking up

by Special Correspondent, Rob Jones

Every dawn breaks with a new hope. At this time of year, every beautiful Spring day makes you dream of baseball. And there is a lot of hope linked to baseball in Hertfordshire this year. The new season has brought another successful and competitive Herts Spring League, and good tidings for the year ahead.

We were blessed with sunshine for the HSL, after an opening weekend of rain. The Falcons were able to put down a marker for the National League, with a big win over the reigning NBL champions, the Harlow Nationals.

The addition of players like Michael Osborn, Ryan Bird and Robbie Unsell fills us all with excitement. Critics of the Herts club have in the past conceded that its youth and and community set up is fantastic — but have worried that Herts can’t attract the big players. Now that can be put to bed. The arrival of not only former Richmond players, but also guys like Cristobal Hiche and Jake Michels from New York — who pitched a complete game in that win over the Nationals — means the Falcons can bounce back in a big way from a disappointing 2011.

The club’s long-term plans are also progressing well. That much-admired youth set-up is feeding more players into the adult teams in 2012. If last year’s experience with Zack Longboy, Jose Morillo and Liam Green is anything to go by, this will be another fillip for Herts. And the recent BSUK grant will help to further upgrade some of the best baseball facilities in Britain.

If all of this sounds like a big puff for Herts… well, there is a bit of that. But your correspondent is simply reflecting the wholly justified spring optimism here in Hemel Hempstead. And I also believe that this is emblematic of the big strides being taken by baseball across the UK.

Torbay Barons in the HSL — The Torbay Barons are joing the British baseball leagues for 2012

New clubs have joined at many levels of the game. Teams are generating chatter not only on Twitter and Facebook, but on their local radio stations and in their local newspapers. Essex, Bristol and Liverpool have all been achieving great coverage. This can only help baseball to grow.

In the past few days, there has even been the suggestion of Major League Baseball following the example of the NFL and bringing a game to London’s Olympic stadium. Many of us felt the disappointment when baseball was removed from the Olympic roster just moments after the Games were awarded to London. Now it seems the five rings could bring us a diamond after all.

The balancing note for all this positivity is that my own connection with baseball this year has been at best, semi-detached. Despite the sunshine, I have had barely a sniff of action. Take for example, Herts’ all around good guy and totem Andrew Slater. This year I have seen him in my local supermarket as often as I have seen him at the ballpark. And he doesn’t live anywhere near me. I’ve been to practice once, and even then I was so late that I missed all the fielding drills!

It’s nobody’s fault but mine – family reasons, medical reasons, and work commitments all play a part. I have done my best to get down to the park and throw a ball against a wall to try to stay involved. But it means that my sun-kissed optimism has a cloud of frustration. Watch this space for news that I have returned if not to my dominant best, but that I have, at least, returned.

See you at the ballpark.

10 December 201110 December 2011 by Rob Jones

“A warm Caribbean Sea”: reflections on 2011

Major League players appear in about 150 games a year. I appeared in ten. How do you think I feel about that? Bloody delighted. Because that’s a huge jump from my usual six games a year. It’s a quantum leap, and it means that I don’t have the frustrated feeling which usually accompanies the end of a year’s baseball. That’s not to say I am happy of course! In the quest for my baseball dreams, I would prefer to have had more innings, more at-bats, and more moments of brilliance. But there are at least things I can look back on fondly.

The first must be the fact that — for the first time since 2009 — I was involved in a win! In fact, I was in on two of them. On a sun-baked day in Tonbridge, the Raptors piled on the Bobcats and beat them 35-23. We had suffered a long hard season with big defeats by vastly more experienced sides, such as Southampton and Cambridge, so that was an immense relief to get the victory. Like a warm wash of Caribbean sea, after a long British winter. The Raptors had also faltered during some close games and given up big innings, such as against Guildford and the London Marauders. So that meant it was doubly satisfying for us to win much closer games to wrap up the season – a second win over Tonbridge, and a defeat of the Braintree Rays.

So to break the Jones year down into the three constituent parts of baseball — hit the ball, throw the ball, catch the ball.

I hit a smidgen over .600, so I can’t be anything but happy with the performance at the plate. My regular collection of walks boosted my on-base percentage over .700 and, unusually, my slugging was even higher. I am very much a singles hitter but managed to throw in a couple of doubles and even triples this year. Some of those came from an ability to hit by choice to the opposite field, which was also satisfying. Of course, like everyone who was there that day, my average was boosted by the trip to Tonbridge, so I am grateful to the Bobcats for that. But I was also there when the Raptors lost big, and I managed to stay respectable there too. There is always work to do — on driving the ball more, and not topping ground balls down to third, or popping up to the infield. I have plenty of room to be more aggressive, and for that I must be prepared to see my average drop, maybe to even see a few of the walks turn into outs. Like anyone, I guess my hitting is only as good as the pitching I face. But I think the future must involve me doing the same stuff, but doing it a bit better.

Throwing the ball is the area where I must do the most work. Earlier in the season I had a couple of games at third base — which I really enjoyed actually — but they did confirm that I need to put a whole lot more mustard on the ball to be fully effective. There are times over this year — and over my previous career — when I have made perfectly good throws from short, and in from the outfield. But I need to focus every time, and put everything on it every time. Blog entries from my time at third show that I finally decided the problem was not that I couldn’t make the distance, but that the ball just wasn’t travelling fast enough. That requires some wrist work over the winter (stop sniggering). I have the best intentions, but I can’t promise anything.

The other element of my “throwing” the ball this year was pitching. I made another baby step onto the mound, logging about six innings, and one start. I can’t imagine that even single-A teams are quaking in their boots at the idea that I could do more pitching next year, but overall I definitely advanced from previous seasons. I threw at least two, and probably three, curveballs that I was completely happy with. One of them appeared to entirely bamboozle the hitter, and whilst Slater was doubtless boosting my confidence by shouting “Yes! He didn’t know what to do with that!”, it worked, and I am grateful to him! After some experimentation, I have found a curveball grip that I am happy with and I hope I can put it to good use next year.

My first ever start — against the Old Timers in the second half of a double-header — was an interesting moment. Usually I have come in as a reliever in a game which is already lost, so it is hard to judge how successful you have been. For example, hitters might swing away at pitches they would normally leave. My two scoreless innings to close the game against Southampton — whilst I do not write off the wonderful feeling that gave me! — were perhaps misleading. On the flipside of that same coin, when I came in as a fire-fighter against Guildford, I was guilty of focusing too much on throwing straight strikes, and not ‘working’ the hitters enough. That didn’t turn out well. So, the start against the Old Timers was the most “pure” pitching experience I have yet had. I enjoyed it enormously. Three walks and nine runs in three innings actually isn’t too bad at this level. Bizarrely, I seemed to resume a bad habit which I hadn’t really shown since my first appearance last season, namely pushing the ball off to the right, either at or behind the batter. If I had been throwing heat, I probably would’ve been ejected from the game! We will see where 2012 takes me, but if I continue to make progress I might be a passably decent pitcher in about four years.

Catching the ball takes in a variety of skills and sins. I don’t think I ever dropped a ball in the air which I should have caught, so that’s a good thing, and I might even have caught some which I shouldn’t. But I definitely logged errors on the infield. At least two of them were failing to pick the ball up! They were bare-handed plays on dribbling balls when runners were advancing, and I found it was far too easy to rush yourself and fail to get a clean grip before trying to make a play. Other errors were from bad, rushed throws.

But I think I made mostly sensible judgements about when to throw and when to hold the ball, and about where to get the out – on several occasions I helped force a lead runner at second, and made sure of that out. In our final game against Tonbridge, Zach Longboy was bossing the infield brilliantly, and with his help I was in on great defensive plays, including cutting down two runners at the plate. I’m not too proud to learn from a teenager! And I must not leave without mentioning the fact that I did turn a relatively unassisted double play, so my year did have a defensive highlight! It was against the Guildford Mavericks, a man on first, nobody out. The batter hits a sinking liner to me at shortstop. It looks for all the world that it will get through, but I am able to reach down and make the catch off my shoelaces. All those years of playing must finally have sunk into my brain, as I instantly knew that the runner who had confidently set off from first was now a dead duck. One simple throw to the first baseman and it’s now two down, bases empty, and we got out of the inning without conceding a run. Man, that felt good!

So, to sum up all this self-obsessed rambling? It’s been a pretty good year. Getting so much time at the diamond was a huge plus point for me, and playing in two victories was a welcome bonus. The raptors were a fun team to be part of, especially in the second half of the year. I felt that I made some progress in all areas of the game in 2011 so whilst there is much more progress to be made, I feel pretty good about things. The club as a whole is strong, and the youth players coming through have a lot to offer. I don’t know whose team I will be on next year, but I do know one slightly strange ambition for the year — and that is to suit up in the tools of ignorance! Might never happen, but having now played third base and starting pitcher, the only position I haven’t played in proper, competitive league games, is catcher. Managers, take note…

28 November 201117 December 2011 by Rob Jones

Wire to wire – Herts baseball in 2011

The Herts baseball club was an integral part of the 2011 British baseball season. The curtains were raised and lowered at the green, green grass of Grovehill — from the Herts Spring League in March to the moment when the Southern Nationals were proclaimed National Baseball League Champions in September. And the Herts teams each had a story to tell. Sadly, none of the three adult teams was able to put together a winning record. But whichever way you look at it, the future is bright.

Let’s start with the National League, where the Falcons were spending their third consecutive season. It was always going to be challenging, as the Nationals who went on to win the NBL title did so with the help of a clutch of 2010 Herts players. Despite the sudden departures, the 2011 Falcons never lost their enthusiasm for the game. With Lee Manning now at the helm, that was never likely.

The team began the year against the Southampton Mustangs, who went on to have a strong season, and they nearly came away with a split. In fact, it was part of a 6-game losing streak to open the season and that element of “nearly” haunted the Falcons season a little. Their final record was 4-19, but that does not reveal the extra-innings defeats by Essex and Bracknell, or the close final moments of contests against Lakenheath and Richmond. Twice the Falcons took a lead late into the game against the eventual champion Nationals, only to be overhauled.

There were high spots in their performances. Shortstop Troy Linton made what must rank as one of the plays of the season for the entire League, making a spectacular diving catch against the Lakenheath Diamondbacks. 15 year old Liam Green continued his emergence on the NBL scene, maturing steadily and providing just the first of many mentions here of the Herts youth pedigree. There was also a rediscovery of fun and joy among the Falcons – Louis Hare, who had moved up from the 2010 Eagles, found himself enjoying his baseball more than ever. Manning can take a great deal of credit for that, and while the work of turning the team around and challenging for a title will not happen overnight, the work has already started for players, coaches and fans.

The Herts Hawks had a new twin-headed management team, as Andy Cornish joined Greg Bochan at the helm. Slugger, catcher and all around gentleman Cornish said that throughout the year the Hawks developed, learned and bonded and from that they built a team and started to win. Like the Falcons, they also lost their first six league games, some in lop-sided games and others in close contests. A titanic double-header against the Essex Redbacks in June suggested that the gods were against the Hawks — they narrowly lost both games, despite a superbly impressive effort. But as June turned to July they got the winning habit and took games from Richmond and Brentwood. The biggest win was over Thames Valley in August, a 16-15 walkoff after a comeback.

The Hawks ended the year with a 5-15 record. Coach Cornish was happy with the way his first management season developed. “We can make the Hawks a model for the way baseball should be played”, he said. “With a small addition and with work to keep the pitching and defence to the level we know we can, we have a great chance of stepping up the level of baseball played at the club.”

The Herts Raptors had very much a season of two halves. In the Spring, it had been hoped that last year’s developing corps of starting pitchers could really blossom in 2011. But Phil Gover and Bryan Drummond were largely kept away by external commitments and injury, while Jim Arnott had moved up to the Hawks. That left the coach Ken Pike shouldering the vast majority of the pitching duties. He gave it 110% as always, but was a tough ask whilst also trying to drive the offense and the organisation of a band of genuine rookies. The Raptors were humbled in their early games — which were, in their defence, against the powerful Southampton Mustangs and the eventual national champions of Single-A, the Cambridge Royals.

But the character of the season changed slowly, at first imperceptibly, with the addition of further pieces of the jigsaw. John Kjorstad and Theo Scheepers came aboard, both feeling their way back into the game of baseball after a long layoff. And they would help to turn the Raptors season around, especially once Scheepers was able to share the load of the pitching duties. From the mound, he was consistent and tough,vital qualities in this league. The talented graduates of the Little League — including Zach Longboy and Jose Morillo — were also maturing and getting used to the challenges of the adult game. By the end of the year, they were formidable, and Pike said that opposing teams “gawped” when they found out how young they actually were.

If there was a pivotal point, Coach Ken identified it as being the Croydon Tournament. Plenty of Raptors players took part and they relaxed and had fun, and experienced a win for the first time in 2011 . The last of the key recruits played his first game there too, Glen Downer. A double header later in July against the Old Timers showed how much had changed. In the first game, it was even for several innings before the Old Timers made their experience tell, but the second game ended with a 16-15 walkoff win.

And then, finally, it happened. The Raptors won. On a baking hot day in Tonbridge they blew away the Bobcats, with their patience at the plate being matched by their power. Pike took the win, with Morillo closing it out. Downer’s big bat in particular, showed what a weapon it could be. There was another heartbreaking 16-15 loss at Braintree, but the season ended with three wins from the last four. Ken Pike hailed the incredible effort from the team: “Some people describe baseball seasons as roller coasters, but we started at the very bottom and just went up and up and up, which is crap for a rollercoaster, but fantastic for a season.” And he noted that Longboy, Morillo and Senna Ashida are the sort of players showing that the future is bright.

Herts fans — The Herts All Stars have one of the best teams in the country - and the most passionate fans

And that takes us to the best performers on the Herts club. The Little League once again went from strength to strength, with a competitive regular season building to another national final for the U-14 All Stars. In fact, the club entered two All Star teams in the postseason, compared to one in 2010. This is the first time in Herts Baseball history that the club had entered a team in the Under-17 league. The team reached the playoffs and gave a spirited performance against the Essex RedBacks. The lead kept changing hands inning-after-inning. Herts had a slender 1-run lead going into the bottom of the final inning but sadly couldn’t hold on to it losing 11-10 at the end. Despite the loss, the Herts U17 All Stars should be very proud of a fantastic first ever season going up into this age group. A check of the average age of all of the U17 teams which reached the playoff shows that many of the players among their opponents will be over the age limit next year, while most of Herts’ players have 2 or even 3 years still to play, and they have the opportunity and talent to shift the balance of power.

The Herts Under-14 All Stars went into the postseason with a very different team compared to that which won the championship in 2010, but the team was just as determined to bring back the trophy to Hemel Hempstead. They eliminated three teams on the way to the final, including last year’s finalists, the London Mets. In the Final they faced a formidable opponent in LYBL, a team which represented Great Britain in the European Qualifiers for the Little League World Series. They deservedly beat Herts in the Final. The All Stars probably felt like they let the vast number of travelling Herts fans down but that definitely was not the case. The manager, Kent Peterson, summed it best: “Hats off to a very talented LYBL team, but I couldn’t be more proud of our Herts team. They came in as defending champions and I believe proved that they are a team of champions.”

26 October 201125 November 2011 by Rob Jones

A moment frozen in time

There are just a few days left for baseball fans in Hertfordshire and around the UK to vote in the 2011 British Baseball Photography Competition. Ten photos are in the running, and there is a strong showing from the Herts club in both locations and photographers.

The National Baseball Championships have been played here at Hemel Hempstead, the nights are drawing in and most players have swapped their cleats and pants for a comfy armchair for the off-season. Across the Atlantic, the World Series is reaching a climax. But here in the UK the big contest yet to be decided is the 2011 British Baseball Photography Competition.

Nominated photo number 1 — Leicester and Essex in HSL action, as captured by Rob Jones

A panel of judges convened in September to whittle down the 145 entries which had been received, and to decide the 10 finalists. Now it’s time for the judging panel to turn over the shortlisted entries to the British baseball community, so that members can cast their vote on which image they think is the pick of the bunch.

There are two photos by our own Rob Jones, one from the Herts Spring League and one from the National Championships which took place at Grovehill in September.

The final photos cover the entire season, from the pre-season HSL to the celebrations of the Southern Nationals after they clinched the National Baseball League title at Grovehill. There are also photos from Southampton, from Liverpool, and from the Croydon Tournament. There are fans, celebrations and dramatic plays on the diamond.

During the last few days of October, you will be able to have your say on which photo you think deserves to win via an online ballot. To cast your vote, simply browse through the 10 shortlisted entries in the specially created gallery, and then once you have decided on your choice, open up the voting window by clicking on the link in the gallery footer.

The contest has been run by the excellent Project Cobb with the backing of the sport’s governing body, BSUK. Last year’s contest was won by Emma Morgan with a great action shot, and this year’s entries have sparked a tremendous response. More than 200 votes have been cast already.

The ballot will close at 11.59 pm on 31 October, and each individual is limited to one vote.

A version of this article first appeared on the website of the British Baseball Federation.

26 September 2011 by Rob Jones

What it’s all about

There are two reasons why I play baseball. One is that it is a great game, requiring hand-eye coordination, technique, strategy and a smidgen of athletic prowess. The second reason is the geographical accident that I play for Herts Baseball Club.

Blue Dogs team talk — A round of applause for everyone

When I first considered taking up the sport eight years ago, it turned out that Hemel Hempstead was the easiest diamond for me to get to. And what I found there was a club which was welcoming, relaxed and fun — and yet serious about doing its best on the field of play. Never did I feel anything but welcomed by the guys there, some of whom had already forgotten more than I would ever know about baseball.

And it is that spirit of friendship which reaches its apotheosis in the Kyle Hunlock Series, our post-season intra-club tournament which throws all the players into a melting pot and creates something new. The competition is bigger and possibly better than ever this year. Four sides, evenly matched, playing a round robin for the final title.

There is a dwindling band of Herts members who actually took the field alongside Kyle Hunlock, the former player who died in an industrial accident back home in the USA. I won’t pretend that I knew him well at all, but I did share a diamond with him when he wore the Falcons uniform, and I can vouch that his effervescence was of a type that can lift a team, a club and an event. I think he would have enjoyed the atmosphere at the first day of the 2011 Series which now bears his name.

The games were mostly pretty tight, with several one-run differentials. National Leaguers were alongside and against Little League players, and Raptors rookies. It’s great fun to play. I can’t say I have ever actually performed that well in a Hunlock Series — too rusty, too cold, or some other excuses — but I have never really minded. I’m not saying that I didn’t try hard — when I beat out an infield hit in our game against the Roosters I was running as fast up the line as I could. But winning isn’t what this is about.

There were some great plays by other guys, though. There were fantastic outfield catches by Ilya Dimitrov, diving to his right, and by Ken Pike, sliding in to grab a shallow bloop. On the infield, Reagan Wood and Kyle Lloyd-Jones both showed their soft hands to snare ground balls which looked as if they were about to dart past them… in fact they were just watching like a hawk for their moment to scoop it up and make the play.

The morning after, I am aching. And I am already sad that baseball is over for another year, as I can’t make weeks 2 and 3 of the competition. But I am happy that I was there for a last hurrah to my season and for an event which always affirms the beauty of the game.

28 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Raptors take revenge on Rays

Bottom of the 9th and the Raptors have a lead…not a massive one, but a healthy one, writes Ken Pike. A good bit of defence is all they need for a win, but when the first batter gets on base, hearts jump from chest to throat. If you are having a mild sense of deja vu reading this, it’s because the small but devout group of Raptors fans have seen precisely that same scenario go horribly wrong twice in the past 4 games, including once against the same Braintree Rays team trying to fight their way back into this game. With two down, a well delivered pitch is struck hard. Up in the air, deep, over the head of young centre fielder Senna Ashida….

Ah but what is a plot twist without a story line…

Pitcher Zack Longboy in action for the Herts All Stars

It all started at high noon when the Raptors took the field to bat and posted a healthy score, immediately followed by a stingy piece of defending led by 13-year-old prodigy Zack Longboy who had just returned from baseball training camp. The money spent by his Dad (and Raptors catcher) Arnie looked a good investment as solid pitching only let in one runs despite some wobbly early fielding.

The next three innings, however, went from good to gold as Zack locked out a Braintree side who looked puzzled at their lack of hitting. Steady returns from Raptors players at bat steadily increased the lead.

Manager Ken Pike, returning to stand in for the absent John Kjorstad, had to pull the impressive Zack Longboy from the mound in the 5th inning due to his limited pitch-count due to his age, and he threw a self-confessed complete wobbly. Pike promptly took himself off the mound for Andrew Slater to take charge, but not before letting in 5 runs. Thankfully Slater’s calm command of the mound quickly saw out the inning.

The impressive defence continued with excellent backtracking catches from Senna Ashida, an excellent double play from short stop Chris Deacon — and even a couple of decent catches from Ken Pike to make up for his pitching. The hitting meanwhile, which was lacking the triple big gun threat of John Kjorstad, Glen Downer and Theo Scheepers was undeterred and managed to pop single after single to get the scores consistently rolling in.

That’s where we return to the final inning. Andrew Slater still on the mound, but with a heavy pitch count, and having seen the rotation of Rays a couple times round already. The Rays are feeling confident, with loud voicing of ‘we were here last week and did it then’ being audible across the field, and a Raptors team that had enjoyed similar positions and found wanting.

I am afraid that I am hazy on the details as it all became a blur. Two batters reached base, I remember that. I remember getting one out myself, but I honestly can’t even tell you how. But what I can remember is the final play. With two down a well delivered pitch is struck hard. Up in the air, deep, over the head of young centre fielder Senna Ashida…. he back tracks, following the ball the whole way. His glove hand reaches back over his shoulder as the whole team stands stock still watching (except for his left fielder running to cover… another father son combo) and the ball comes down from high.

Straight in to the glove.

At this point, a much harder fought game than the Raptor’s only other victory ended. Players literally jumped for joy, fell to their knees and cheered. This was not the respectful victory celebration of the first win against an opponent that received a drubbing. This was the jubilant celebration of knowing that every last ball had been fought for and ultimately won. Every inning had been a well matched contest, and for once, the Raptors defence had not given up that one big inning. For once, the offence had not fallen quiet at the vital crunch-point. For once, they had come out tops against a well matched team in a hard game.

With two wins on the board and the final match against a team they know they can beat, having done it only a few short weeks ago in Tonbridge, the Raptors are looking to finish the last two games on a real high before entering the post-season friendliness of the Hunlock series. Though it does leave a small and slightly tangy food for thought..what if they had converted the close losses against the Old Timers and last weeks game against Braintree? They would be looking at 6 wins instead of 3…and that’s playoff hunt territory…

Next year?

23 August 2011 by Rob Jones

and so it ends…

The Herts Raptors season has ended with a flourish, a bang, and an exclamation mark. Three wins out of the last four, and a superb win on the final day of the season. I played just a small part in it, but I was glad I made the effort to be there. I was working nights, so normally I would be sleeping rather than playing baseball in the afternoon – but there was something about the day which just kept telling me it was not to be missed.

The first quick thing to say here is to pay tribute to how hard the Raptors have worked this year, and how far they have come. The team spirit has been excellent, the defense has been much sharper, and the approach at the plate has been great. The team has earned its wins. I also want to give credit to the Tonbridge Bobcats, who approached both our games in a tremendous spirit and fought for this one right til the end.

I will consider the season properly at a later date, but I want to make a quick observation which builds on the last couple of articles. Remember how I said that the final play of your game can colour your view? And also about how a baseball game is a jigsaw made up of many tiny pieces, some good some bad?

Well, on this occasion I had two “final moments”. The second of them was me receiving the throw at first base to retire the last runner on a ground ball, and close out the win. It’s always good to be in on the final play, so while Ken did the actual hard work of fielding the hit and making the throw, I can say I was there “at the death”.

More significantly, it is true that my final at bat was — in theory — a bad ending. I struck out. It’s only the second time this year that I have struck out, but doing it with my final at-bat could have been a real downer. However, things work out in curious ways. The catcher dropped the ball in the dirt, and I was alert enough to sprint up the line and get safely to first base.After catching my breath, I was able to steal second. And then able to steal third. And then, on a passed ball, I scored standing up.

So that last experience of the season, and the one my mind can latch on to, is scoring a run, instead of striking out. And I can also feel to have redeemed in some measure my base-running error from two weeks ago. Then, I had been tagged out needlessly when it was important to pad our lead. This time I had manufactured a run when it was, again, vital to keep the scoreboard ticking over. This game always offers you a second chance, and I am grateful for it.

It’s hard to believe — and sad to believe – that the season is over. But having played in far more games than usual, I feel less frustrated and short-changed than usual. The final game is a bit of a blur, to be honest, and not just because of sleep deprivation. I have a graze on my arm and a bruise on my hip which I have no idea how I acquired. But I remember impressionistic glimpses of the game, and they all look pretty good to me. It has been a fine year, and I enjoyed the ride.

23 August 2011 by Rob Jones

Raptors End it on a High

The Herts Raptors wrapped up their season with a win on Sunday, August 21st. They beat the Tonbridge Bobcats 22-17 over nine innings at Grovehill Ballpark to complete an impressive end to their 2011 campaign. The side won three of its final four games, and recorded its best win total since 2009.

Raptors after beating Tonbridge 22-17 — Herts Raptors: "Let's go to work..."

The game against the visiting Bobcats began well. Manager, Ken Pike, started on the pitching mound, and did not give up a single run in the first two innings. The Herts side, however, scored freely – Jon Gamble got two hits and Theo Scheepers was a constant menace with the bat.

After three innings it was 10-2 to the Raptors, and it was looking comfortable. But that can never be said for certain in a Single-A game. The visitors had started to have some impact and score runs – 2 in the third, 4 in the fourth, building towards a 5-spot in the fifth. But Scheepers – who has been a star of the second half of the season – had now taken over on the mound and pitched calmly to limit the damage.

The Herts defense also showed its mettle. Now moved to third base, Ken Pike made a series of good stops and throws, and showed impressive concentration to catch one line drive when the flying bat was so close to him he could have caught that instead. The father-son combo of Arnie and Zach Longboy were now in the game, too, and were bossing things on the infield to mow down a string of Bobcats on the basepaths. At second base, Longboy Snr was in on a couple of close double plays, while Jnr combined with his Little League team-mate Jose Morillo to tag out runners at home plate as they unwisely tried to score. In the outfield, Senna Ashida was once again clutch.

Even though their bats went a little quiet over the final innings, the Raptors did not fold under the pressure. They had the chance to secure mercy-rule victories in the seventh and eighth but were held to just one manufactured run. Each inning, the Bobcats inched closer. But the Raptors were always one step ahead, and they closed it out with a five-run cushion in the ninth inning.

The Herts club was delighted that after a tough start to 2011, its rookie team had taken three wins. The Raptors have shown great spirit and great all-around improvement in their game. In the second half of the season they competed well against the Old Timers and against Braintree even when they didn’t come away with the win. Some players will move up the ranks next year, while others will look to build on their success and make games against the top sides in the Single-A division much closer affairs.

10 August 2011 by Rob Jones

The highs and lows of the walk-off

The Herts Hawks have been as high and as low as baseball can take you in the past two weeks. Paul Auchterlounie — catcher, outfielder, and all-around baseball good guy — was in the thick of it, and shares his experience.

“The walkoff. Possibly the most exciting way to end a baseball game. It doesn’t get much closer than the bottom of the last inning, or extras, the game is tied and someone gets to be a hero.

The best kind of hero? Perhaps the hitter who clubs the walkoff home run, in the first at-bat, off the first pitch. Or perhaps the hitter who fouls off several pitches before getting to first, stealing second, then charging round third on another hit to cross the plate.

Whatever your kind of hero, the walkoff is a great way to win a ballgame, and a devastating way to lose. In two weeks, the Herts Hawks have encountered both emotions. Interestingly, on two similar plays.

Last week, on possibly the second hottest Sunday in the summer, they travelled to Croydon to take on the Latin Boys. Outclassed in Game 1 and handed a thumping loss, Game 2 needed a change. But with only eight players as one had to leave early, there could be no changes of personnel. Instead, the Hawks dug deep and behind a stellar pitching performance from Nick Russell somehow were still in the game heading into the seventh.

We needed four runs to make the Latin Boys bat again. And we got them. Then held them scoreless. Then into extras. I’m sure we played 2 extras but everyone said it was only 1 — blame my confusion on the heat! We were held scoreless in however many we played.

So, bottom half. Leadoff batter. A ground ball up the middle, under the glove of the shortstop. The runner starts to head for second, OK we’ll get him there. Oh no! Overthrow. Fielded by first, and the runner has taken off for third. We’ll get him there. Oh no! Another overthrow into the trees. Dead ball. Extra base, and the batter gets home. What a way to lose. And Nick Russell didn’t really deserve to lose on that performance, but that’s baseball.

Then onto today. At home versus Thames Valley and to the end of a somewhat fraught game, punctuated by rain delays, disputed calls, arguments, but thankfully no punches! This time the Hawks had to do it, having so nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by giving up a 6 run lead in just over 2 innings to be behind by 3. I have already forgotten the actual order of play, and who reached, who didn’t, except for Paul Curtis who scored the winning run, and Greg Bochan who hit the ball enough for Paul to score. Well……sort of….

Here’s the interesting bit, see, and how Hawks won in a similar way to how they lost the previous week. And even more exciting, this happened with 2 outs. The ball was a fly ball to very shallow centre. Infielders couldn’t make the play, outfielder had no chance. But only when the ball hits the floor does Paul decide to run to third! (haven’t we repeated enough “2 outs, run on contact”!)

Surely he’s left it too late?? The game’s going to extras……but no! The third baseman somehow lets the ball out of his glove without applying the tag. Winning run now on third…… no wait! What’s this?? Paul’s run through the stop sign. Was there one?! There was certainly a STTTTOOOOPPP shouted from the bench! He’s now heading for home. The third baseman throws, taking a good line inside the baseline. All the catcher has to do is apply the tag, and Paul’s done like a kipper……….But it’s gone past him!!! Paul stands on home plate and the home bench erupts!! (apologies to Thames Valley, but the emotions got on top of us!).

Hugs and high fives all round. A get-the-lead-let-them-back-in-it-have-to-do-it-all-now-come-from-behind win. But commiserations to Thames Valley, we DO know how it feels to lose a game on throwing errors. And their pitcher probably didn’t deserve to lose wither, because he pitched a blinder. But that’s baseball. And that’s the excitement of the walkoff.”