Euphoric house: Eagles walk off as winners
In more than a decade playing baseball, I have been walked off on many times, writes Rob Jones. I can easily think of two occasions within a few weeks of each other, when first Braintree and then the Old Timers snatched a victory from my team in the bottom of the ninth. And yet it […]
Derby day ends with upset win for Eagles
Herts Eagles 31-30 Herts Raptors, Grovehill, Sunday 12th May How many runs do you need to lead by if you are to feel secure in a baseball game? Yesterday’s Herts derby didn’t give us a definitive answer, but we do know that it’s more than 17. Because that is the cushion which the Eagles had built […]
The best of rivals
It’s an experience which few British baseball clubs can even contemplate. But this Sunday, for the second year in a row, Herts will see two of its teams go head to head in a competitive league match. And there is little question that it is one of the choice Single-A match-ups on the baseball calendar […]
The first cracks of the bat
It was a bright, cold and sunny Monday morning. I had slept like a log, but another four hours of sleep wouldn’t have gone amiss. That’s what a couple of weeks of baseball can do to you. My arms ached and my pride was wounded but I had certainly had an interesting start to the […]
Hawks Overcome by Mammoths Stampede
Match report by Ben Marques The Herts Hawks were absolutely chomping at the bit to begin their season, but with rain pouring down on Friday and again on Saturday, these hopes were looking in doubt. However, the baseball gods were looking down at Grovehill early on Sunday morning, as the sun beat down, drying out […]
The Art of Training
The Spring, having finally arrived in the wake of the snow, is now almost over. The National Leaguers and the Double-A Hawks have kicked off their baseball season, and Triple-A will follow shortly after a weather-induced postponement, writes Rob Jones. The Herts Raptors and Eagles will start on Sunday, and as the league action draws closer, I felt it […]
The Summer Search for Silver
Herts baseball fans, you can now plan your summer. The hotly anticipated BBF league schedules are out, and the club’s five adult teams now have the roadmap they must follow if they want to bring a championship trophy back to Hemel Hempstead. Hopes are high that after another winter of strong recruitment — and an experience of “oh-so-nearly” […]
2013: A New Hope
The Herts club’s occasional blogger, equally occasional player, and former Chief Correspondent Rob Jones has returned for another year of baseball. Here he offers his random views, glimpses and hopes for the coming year. The sound echoed around the hall. It was of a loud slap, a loud snap, not unlike the report of a gun. […]
Heading for the Hunlock
My regular readers — of which I know, there are literally several — will know that I like to write a paean to the Hunlock series every year. One of those articles referred to it as an encore, an extra flourish once the season is over, and something of an added bonus. This year’s event is […]
The true value of the cliche
It’s been a rich and varied baseball season for me so far — but only when I have had the chance to play baseball, writes Rob Jones. And because those opportunities have been rather sparse, I have had far too much time to simply mull over the beautiful game, instead. Games that I have played […]